The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-10
Condemned Man Declares His Sentence Is Fear
 fully Unfair
THE FATHER AND SON
 ARE STILL HOPING
Beattie Bitterly Attacks Binford Girl, Declaring She Is Responsible. White Haired Father Is
 Almost Heart Broken

Chesterfield Courthouse. Va. septem- Der 9.-Thought of impending doom death In the electric chair on Noveni- Der 24-did not break the steel bound composure of Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., today as he spent his first day in cell here convicted of the murder of his wife.
 In matter of fact way he dls- cussed the case with friends who called to express sympathy, but to the news paper men he bitterly denounced the verdict as unfair.
 Expecting that Judge Watson would not order his removal to the state penitentiary for several days. young Beattie began to make his cell more habitable. His window faces the coun- try road and from it he can view all Chesterfield in it's simple stiffness. Newspa pers, particularly those which feature sports. were sent to him today and on these he fingered as he did dur ing those IS minutes yesterday after noon when 12 men were deciding his fate.
 Beulah Binford-his relations with whom shocked the jurymen-was a fre- quent name on Beatties lips today, but she probably never before received from him such deep condemnation.
 Time and again he complained that the jury had tried him for his relations with the girl of the underworld, rather than upon the circumstantial testimony pertinent to the tragedy.
 white haired man rode out to the jail today, Jostled over three miles oss rough roads from the nearest interurban station. It was Henry Clay Beattie. Sr., father of the young man. As he en- tered the dim chamber where his con victed son stood he pressed a kiss on his forehead.
 Beattie Weeps
 It was at this moment as in pre- vious moments in the trial. that the fortitude of the boy crumpled and his face flushed. tears forced their way from his eyes down his pale cheeks.
 In the mind ef father and son stili fielscts oBe hope--the granting byAthe court of appeals of a new trial through a writ of error. The prevailing opin- ion in Virginia's bar however, Is that 1t is a vain hope. In contrast to the scene in the jail was a little home in Richmond F miles away, where Paul Beattie, cousin of the convicted man, sat with his wife and baby. glad in his freedom from the weary days of de- .ention as the commonwealth's princi- pal witness. yet sympathetic for the nan for whom he bought the fatal gun. all ignorant of the evil purpose hat it was to fill four days later.
 What I did in testifying,' said Paul, T did from a sense of duty. It was hard at first to nerve myself to telling all 1 Snew but l am relieved since l have lone it.''
 "Fearfully unfair" Beattie muttered in his cell, when asked his opinion of Inc erdict.
 "Beulah Bnford," he added, figured argely in the verdict. more largely than the testimony of the killing. These coun- ny folk cannot understand how a woman of the under world can be crazy" about a man. They don't know when that hap. pens how very hard it is to get rid of ler.
 T have drifted along hoping against nope that something would occur to rid myself of that Binford girl and once d woman of that kind feels that you no onger take an interest in her she usually seeks solace in suicide So I drifted ilong waiting for a chance to break off citations with her without having her lurt herself. I tried hard to persuade her n the meantime to live proper life
 Would Be Free Man
 Had this case been tried in any court where those things are not uncommon. his morning I would have been a free nan. Interpreting Judge Watson's in- 'tructions to the jury, l cannot see now he verdict could have been other than lot guilty I believe the jury was inilu- ,nced by the one-sided newspaper reports before I had a chance to present my side ,f the case. I wanted to give out a state nent as soon as 1 was arrested. but MT. Smith, my lawyer. advised against this.
 T have not given up hope, but I can lot feel that an innocent man will be per nitted to suffer for this hideous crime"
 There were many rumors abroad today hat Beattie would never die in the cleo ric chair; that he would find means of committing suicide when all hope of gaining his freedom was gone.
 Billy Sampson his chum, and one of he most important witnesses at the trial. vas quoted IS saying:
 "Tienry Beattie will not die in the chair t will be some other way
 "If he is convicted he has nerve enough o Kill himself" said Beulah Binford just ,efcre her departure from Richmond.
 Henry Clay Beattie. Jr., gazed from the barred windows of his cell this morn ng on scene transformed from yes- erday's racket and excitement to pefv pective today of rural quiet.
 Where yesterday stood groups of spec atcrs awaiting the verdict that should end young Beattie to the electric chair or the murder of his wife--a patrician laughter of the Old today here were herds of Kline that grazed again m pastures from which they had been usted during the long days of the trial
 On the lawn In front of the courthouse nd jail negro removed scraps of news apers and remains of luncheons hastily aten on the green by crowds of many avs before.
 Eats in Silence
 A jailer brought the prisoner his break ast. He ate it in silence On his thin. ,allid face fiickered a smile as he gazed hrcugh the grated window at two news aper men loling in the grass.
 Some time today it was expected Beattie would he taken to the state penitentiarv n Richmond to await his electrocutiou m November 24, or the granting of & lew trial by the court of appeals, which 6eets early in that month.
 Many lawyers today, discussing the pos ibility of writ of error, were of the pinion that 1t would not be granted.
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