Norwich bulletin., 1911-08-25
Attentive to
Binford Girl
WOMAN WITNESS TELLS OF
BEATTIE's coMPANIoNsHIP
SHOWING MOTIVE OF MURDER
Letter to the Young Woman introduced
--5eattie Appears Greatly Amused
During Trial, Evinces No Emotion.

Chesterfield Courthouse. VT. Aug. -.
-On this. the anniversary of his MAJ
rage to the woman he stands accused
OF numbering Henry Clay Beattie, Jr..
sat in the stuffy courtroom today and
heard seven witnesses called by the
commonwealth give testimony On
which the prosecution hopes to send
him to the electric chair.
On Verge Of Laughter.
On the courthouse lawn. only a few
feet away, stood the blood-soaked ati-
tomobile in which the young wife met
her death. Beattis himself calmly in
spected the car when it arrived today
and not once during the proceedings
did ne show any signs of bIanching.
Twice during the cross examination Of
two detectives he flushed with snnuss-
ment and struggled to hold back his
laughter.
Seven Witnesses Testified.
OF the seven witnesses examined.
two were physicians. DR.. Herbert Mann
and Dr. Wilbur Mercer, who examined
Louise Beatties body on the night OF
the murder. The others were Thomas
owen, court stenographer and uncle
of Mrs. Beattie: Detectives WrenI
and Wiltshire of Richmond, who In
vestigated the case; Coroner Loving OF
Chesterfield county, and May Stuart,
stout, middle aged woman, who told or
| s dSSOc1dI1OnS WIFI 6Cul6n fSfN-
ford. None of the witnesses except
Mr.. owen recalled that Beattie had
displayed any grief over the tragedy.
Beatte's Associations With Miss Bin
ford.
When the first witnesses, called
merely to establish the death of Mrs.
Beattie, their testimony was largely a.
review of what came out at the inquest
and it was not until the Stuart woman
i A. -
gan its attempts to disclose the motive
for the crime. She swore to being tbs
proprietor of a resort in Richmond and
that Beattie had appeared there with
the Binford girl four times within two
months preceding the murder. the last
time on July II. the night before the
crime. Beulah Binford, she testified,
she had known for several years.
A Letter introduced.
After having the witness describe
how Beattie and his II year old com
panion had visited her place. the com
monweal.h introduced in evidence u
letter written by the defendant to the
Binford girl and identified as such at
the inquest. Penned on his fathers
business stationery, Bcattie wrote IN
part:
..Dear Kid Pay this on the fur
niture and make him give you an
iteniZed account of what you must
pay each week. Well, BE good,
with oceans Of love brimming with
kisses.
HON"
Besttie Shows No Emotion.
The boy showed no emotion when
the letter was read. but the elder Beat
tie held a palmleaf fan in front of his
face. DR.. Mann and DR.. Mercer de
scribed the wound in Mrs. Beattie's
head, and both said that in their opfn-
ion death was instantaneous.
Called for Whiskey.
did you see Henry Beattie shed any
tears when you were at the Owen
homer DIR. Mercer was asked.
mo, sir. His first request was for
whskey, but brandy was procured first
and later some whiskey. About 1 O'Clock
could notice that he was staggering
and recall that he asked me to have
a drink
BIoodstains in Road.
Detectives Wrenn and Wiltshire went
over in detail their visit to the sceno
of the crime in the early morning hours
after the murder. Both insisted the
bloodstains in the road could not have
been made by blood dripping through
the automobile and they were at 1oss
to explain how they came there unless
the victim was out of the car. TIE
commonwealth pursued this line with n
view to showing that Beattie shot his
wife after he had knocked her dOW n
and had then lifted her body into the
car.
Said Beattie Was Very Cool.
Neither detective was an expert on
automobiles, however. and both were
easily entangled in cross examination
Finally Judge Watson said the matter
by Fl. NJ Smith. .Jr., for the defense.
of whether blood could run through
the car should be determined by the
jurors themselves by experiments WITH
the machine itself This probably will
be done tomorrow. Wrenn testified
that Beattie was very coo1' as they
went over the ground near the sceDe
OF the murder The detective described
a stump at the roa dside and ira -ks
leading to and from it. Behind this.
the prosecution will charge. Beat.se
concealed the old single barrelsd shot
gun.
Bloodstained clothing was unrol1e1
and passed among the jurors several
times during the day. The prisoner
watched the jurors faces carefully and
appeared far more cheerful than n
yesterday. Henry Clay Beattie. Sr. sat
by his sons side throughout the long
session.
At $50 y. m. adjournment was taken
until tomorrow morning.