The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-09-08

NUtSltIllelu COURTHOUSE, tpl
7.-Prosecutor Wendenburg r. ed
today that he had decided nc = =
quest the reopenng of the
case on account of the discovery 3
alleged eye witness. uq.
We have strong enough q. s
without it," he said. 1--WE could =
get the man here for a couple of days
at least, as he lives out west. But We
have asked him to come here just the
same to see what there is to his story.
OF course we have received, as is
usual in murder cases, many letters
from alleged eye witnesses. This one,
however, signed his name and We find
that he did once work as a farmland
at a place near the scene of the muir
der. We are going to investigate it
further, but YOU can take the story
now for what it's worth"
Chesterfield Courthouse, Va, Sept.
with evidence closed and with
both the prosecution and defense con-
lident of giving the case of Henry
Clay Beattie. jr., to the jury today,
an lNNltNlbll0 bG w lblNN = NtN tlDll-
ments in the sensational trial had
been upset by Special Prosecutor
Wendcnburgs announcement that he
might ask the court to reopen the
case and admit the testimony of a man
who claims to have been an eye wit.
ness to the tragedy
If this request had been made and
granted the final argument, which was
expected to begin this morning, would
have been delayed and court probably
would have adjourned until Saturday.
The alleged eye witness, whose name
is withheld. is now in a city day and
half distant by rail from here.
Mr.. Wendenburg received the in
formation, which may change the
whole aspect of the case, in yester-
days mail. The writer, who a few
days after the murder of Mrs. Beattie
was a farmland employed at a place
near the scene of the crime, said that
ne actually saw young Beattie kill his
wife; saw him knock her from the
automobile with the butt of a shot
gun and then shoot her as she lay in
sensible on the ground.
Says Beattie Threatened Him.
He wrote that Beattie threatened
him when he found that he witnessed
the deed and that the following day
gave him a suit of clothes and money
with which to go away. Though he
kept quiet at first because he was
afraid, the man says now he does moi
want Beattie to escape punishment
and is willing to testify.
At the outset the prosecution was
inclined to take this as just another
'crank's letter of which many have
been received By both sides since the
trial begun. An investigation was
started, however, and several Of the
writer's statements were soon corrob
GRATED. The Chesterfield farmer men
toned in the letter acknowledged thai
a man OF the name used by the writer
was employed by him until few
days after the murder and further de
.clared it was a fact that the farmland
was chasing a runaway cow on thu
night the crime was committed
Says Beattie CIubbed Her.
In telling his story, the alleged wit
ness said he was looking for a Gov
when he came on the man and woman
in an automobile on the Midlothian
turnpike some time after 10 o'clock
The declaration that Beattie clubbet
his wife with the gun before shooting
her is considered by the lawyers an,
detectives for prosecution with pc
culiar interest. 1t is said that tn
physicians who examined Mrs. BE
attie's body reported that the fronta
bone on the right of the skull prot
ably was broken, though the charge G
shot had entered the left side and per
etrated to the back of the head. o
account of this it is understood NJ
Wendenburg thought seriously of Re
ferring to a wound on the right sid
of the forehead in the indictmer
drawn for the grand jury.
II the new witness Is used the mu
dered woman's body very probabl
will be exhumed and examined. TIL
authorities of the city in which tn
alleged eye witness has taken refug
have been asked to take the man
custody and a lawyer authorized
examine him. II it is decided to cred
his story and the court will consent
reopen the case, he will be brougl
here.
Mr.. Wendenburg said he would n
know what to do until he heard todf
the result of the mans examinatio
He is very strongly inclined to b
lieve the farmhand's story, howeve
The letter writer gave detailed a
count of the tragedy as he claims
have witnessed it. He said in part:
Alleged Eye Witness Story.
II was in the pine woods on t
right hand side of Midlothian turnpi
as you go out from Richmond, and
saw a light. AS | walked closer
the road saw an automobile standi
almost in the middle of the road, f,
ing toward Richmond, and there we
two people in it-a man and womi
They were both sitting in the fro
seat
They were quarreling. ! could he
them talking loud, so did not sh