The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-11-28
.BEATTIE CONFESSLES
Then DIES IN CHAIR
YOUNG VIRGINIA NIFE-MURDER'
ER IS EXECUTED.
SLAYER Goes to His Death With I'm
changed Stoicism-Three Shocks
Administered


Richmond, Va, Nov. 24.-Henry Clay
Beattie, Jr., went to his death at dawn
today the self-confessed murderer of
his young wife. The confession was
not made public until four hours after
he had paid the toll exacted by the
law. He maintained to the end the re-
markable nerve he had exhibited since
first he was accused of killing his wife
on the lone Midlothian turnpike on
the night of July IS. His last express
sion was sneer when he observed the
chair that was to launch him into eter-
nifty.
The confession was made public in
the rotunda of a downtown hotel by
the Rev. Benz. Dennis, one of the min
listers who had laboreG with Beattie
TO repent AS a matter Of fact, it was
acknowledged by the minister that
Beattie first admitted his guilt No
vember 9, the day after he entered the
death cell and before the fruitless ap-
peal for communication of the sentence
was made to Gov. Mann. 1t was not
until yesterday that he would agree to
it's being put in writing for his sigma
ture Then all hope with Gov. Mann
was gone. The extraordinary docu-
ment follows:
Beattie's Confession
Il, Henry Clay Beaitie, ..-> uesirous
of standing right before Cod and man,
do on this, the 23rd day of November,
1911, confess my guilt Of the crime
against me. Mucn mat WAS published
concerning the details was not true,
but the awful fact, without the mar
row circumstances, remains. For this
action I am truly sorry, and believing
that I am at peace with God AM am
soon to pass into His presence, his
statement is made.''
Beattie's confession was followed b.
this statement by the attending mir
listers:
This statement was signed in tie
presence Of the two attending minis
ters and is the only statement thu
can and will be made public by them.
|'Mr. Beattie desired to thank the
many friends for kind letters and ex-
pressions of interest and the public
for whatever sympathy was felt or ex-
pressed"
An Interested Prisoner.
Beattie's attitude throughout the
trial and the Imprisonment that was
ended only On his death was study
for psychologist. He read the news
papers avidly. Every reference to his
case and to the fact that he was 60
ing to the chair without acknowledge
ing his crime in the hope Of saving
his aged father further sorrow, ac-
cording to those who were with him
to the end, seemed to afford him su-
preme satisfaction. Apparently he
gloated over the notoriety his crime
had brought him.
Even after his confession he main
tanned his air of bravado. What had
since November been considered
stocism now is recognized as cynicism.
His remarkable nerve seems to have
had it's basis and support in the knowl-
edge that he was being applauded as
a man of Spartan courage and infieXi-
BILE will
The secret of his confession was
ne1d inviolate by the ministers until
today. Not even the broken-hearted
father knew of it's existence, friends
sof the family declare. Not until four
hours after he had been pronounced
dead in the death chamber in States
prison were the murderer's attorneys
cognizant that he had made a clean
breast of his guilt.
:. Went to Chair Gamely.
with the intrepidity that had mark
ed his conduct from the beginning,
Beattie went to the chair and brought
the sordid story to dramatic end.
The shock that killed Beattie was
given at exactly 7:19 o'clock this
morning. Three times the current
was turned on and at 1928 it was shut
off. Doctors w. T. and st. Julien OPP
penheimer a minute later announced
that death had been instantaneous.
The % persons in the death cham
Der thereupon filed out and the end
of lengthy and costly battle for JUS
tice had ended.