Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1911-07-28
BEATTIE CASE TOLD IN BRIEF

1onrlcO county jail aWdieluk lAO
ion OF the Chesterfield county grand
ury.
Paul Bette, the young mans cousin
who forged the deadly link 10 the chain
Of incriminnting circumstances, is be-
ing held as witness.
Beulah Binford, the young woman
by whom the detectives hope to prove
a motive for the murder, is also be.
ing held.
Twas thought best to confine the
three prisoners in the Henrico county
Jail rather than in the Chesterfield
j2il.
Mrs Louise Owen Beattie, twenty
one years old. wife of less than one
year and mother of only few weeks,
was murdered on the Midlothian
Turnpike late Tuesday p:ght, July
18th. She had gone automobile RI
ding with her husband.
Young Bette swears that bis wife
was sitting by his side when high
wayman shot her. 1t has been prac'
tically proved that the young woman
was standing on the ground when The
fatal shot was fired. Detectives have
proved that the pools of blood on the
road could not possibly have leaked
through the bottom of the automo-
bile.
Physicians who examined the ghast.
iy wound in the young woman's face
declare that the muzzle OF the shot
gun with which she vas killed
was placed almost against her face, as
the condition OF the brains showed
that the explosion had taken place
inside the head.
Suspicion pointed to Henry Beattie,
Jr., the day after the murder.
Friday morning his cousin, Paul
Beattie, confessed to Detective Cap
tain Mcmahon and Police Captain
Wright that he had bought a shot
gun and three shells for Henry Beat.
tie, Jr.; a few days prior to the MUIR
der.
Henry Beattie, Jr., was Immediately
arrested. He evinced no uneasiness
whatever, continuing to display the
most remarkable GOODNESS and nerve.
Paul Beattie was also arrested.
Paul collapsed and suffered from such
violent commissions that at one time
it was feared he would die.
Theacoroner's inquest began We'd
nesday afternoon, but was adjourned
to Friday morning before any of the
Witnesses had been examined. Con-
s inning the whole of the day Fridoy
t le inquest lasted through one half of
the day following.
Paul Beattie positively identified
the gun with which the murder was
as the one he had bought
for his cousin. The gun had been
found near TIE Belt Line crossing,
several miles from the scene of the
murder, the day after the killing. 1t
was jolted or. had been throw from
the automobile in which young Beat
tie was taking the lifeless body of his
wife back to Forest Hill. Beattie de-
clared that he had wrested it from the
murderer and placed it in the back
the machine.
Following a brief executive sessi 4
after the examination of the several
witnesses the coroner's jury found a
verdict fixing the responsibility of
Mrs. Battieis murder upon her hus'
band. The jury was unanimous in S
verdict.
Several witnesses considered in
portant to the prosecution We're MOI
examined. They will testify before
the grand jury early next month.
Among the most important of these
witnesses are Rol and Snyder and his
son, Elmer Snyder, both of whom live
near the scene of the murder. They
will testify that when on their way
home Tuesday night they passed an
automobile standing near the spot al
which the murder short time after
wards took place. The car was empty
A man was standing near one of the
rear wheels. The front lights had
been almost extinguished.
Another witness is expected to ties.
tify that he passed the Beattie car a
few minutes prior to the killing. The
witness, from what he has already
disclosed to the detectives, is expect
ed to testify that Henry Beattie, Jr.,
and his wife were standing in the road
near the car.
An immense pool uf ;bloed marked
the spot where the young woman stood
when she was killed. When she fell
Beattie picked her up and put her into
the automobile, according TO the chain
of circumstances forged by the de-
tectives, holding her head over the
right hand seat SO that the blood
woold stain that side of thejcar.
Two miles further down the road a
small pool of blood was discovered.
Leading from this pool a chain of
led to spray of blood COW
ering several square feet of the road.
The spray of blood was about 160
yards from the smaller pool.
No one has been able-or willing
to explain how the small pool, drip
pings and spray came to be in the
road.
Beattie says that his lights went
out while he was returning to Forest
Hill and he had to stop his car. get
out and relight them. Ills getting
out might account for some OF the
blood on the road, but would not ex-
plain the chain of drippings or the
spray of blood.
For short time previous 10 the
murder Mrs. Louis Owen Beattie had
been visiting her uncle, Thomas
Owens, at Forest Hill.
Mr.. and Mrs, Reattie, .Jr, made the IL