The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-11-29
FATHER THE TRAGIC FIGURE.

The day before the execution or
last Friday of Henry Clay Beattie
Jr., Richmond press dispatch said
Throughout Virginia there is lit
tie sympathy for the young man
convicted of having brutally muir
dered his wife that he might revel
more securely in the sordid affec-
tions of a creature whose soul he
himself had helped to steep in sin
from her very childhood. There
is no sympathy for him, but there
is a world of it for the broken,
white-haired father, who is plan
ming to go away from the state
where his respected name has been
disgraced just as soon as the last
grim chapter in this tragedy of
his life has been written.
With his daughter, Hazel, and
his other son, Douglass, he will go
to Washington, never to return.
They probably will make their
home in one of the suburbs of the
national capital departing from
Richmond just as soon as they can
obtain young Beattie's body and
have it cremated.
H. c. Beattie, Sr., is the tragic
picture in this celebrated case that
has excited the interest of a nation
From proud, naughty man, erect
of stature, fearless of mien, look
ing the world straight in the face,
and UNFOLDING the honor of his old
Virginian name, he has changed to
a forlorn, hopeless figure. The
transformation is complete. A
shamble has replaced the old
quick, elastic step. He moves most
of the time with his head bowed.
Friends and acquaintance bow to
him or speak in passing, and he
hears them not. He has aged ten
years in as many weeks.
Much has been said and written
about the weeping mother whose son
goes wrong, and in truth she is a
figure extremely pathetic. Nothing
will arouse the deepest sympathy
more quickly than the sorrow of a
mother, and when her grief is over
a son who has taken the downward
course to a prison cell or the gal
lows then, indeed, are minds depress-
ed and hearts a-quiver with pity for
he sorrowing woman. But what
about poor old dad" at such times?
Does he not suffer also?
A mothers conception of her SON. s
future is ideaIic, the fathers is more
practical. She is sure the boy will
become great, and to her mind he
springs from the cradle to fame. On
he other hand the father step by
step goes over in his mind the rugged
road the son must travel to attain
he heights. He keenly realizes the
hangers and pitfalls of all kinds
which are along the way-but the
BOY is bit of himself, and dad feels
sure he will make the climb. The
one is house of cards and the 9th
9r of brick, but when a hayward son
causes their utter wreck who shall
measure and compare the heart ago
ny of the parents?
A mothers grief differs from that
Of father in this; in spite of over
whelming evidence she never can be-
ieve her son guilty. Her passionate
ears are those of rebellion against
injustice to one who is dear to her,
md she will fight to save her son
rom what she feels is an unjust
ate. On the contrary, a father may
know his son to be guilty as charged.
He may be obliged to let the law
AXE its course; to sit quietly alone
1t a desolate fireside when his erring
son is being led forth to execution
hat the law may be satisfied, know
ng we'll that the boy so dear to him
s meeting just fate.
In such cases the fathers grief is
wen greater in it's wretched tragedy
han that of the mother.