Milford chronicle., 1911-08-25
BEATTIE PLEADS
mot GUILTY"
lly Of Twelve Men Selected
the First Day Of Trial.
MAJORITY ARE FARMERS

attorneys For Defense Try te Gain
Postponement For week. su'
Are Quickly overruiea BY the
Court
All the sandy woods roads and COW
paths OF the Wilderness cOnverged
upon the little red brick courthouse
at the crossroads at Chesterfield
Courthouse Va. where Henry Clay
iB.aattie, OF South Richmond an
.swered mot guilty to the reading OF
Ahe indictment charging him with the
murder OF his VIE Louise Owen
Beattie, which opened the trial Al
which his life is al stake
Before Judge Walter Watson de
clared court adjourned at 53J clock
twelve provisional Jurymeu had been
seated il the double row ol chairs to
tne left OF the little Don which Is he
Judges bench aH0 the whole venire
a0f thirty-twc taiesmeu 1aG been ex-
lbausted
according &c the custom OF he Nlr-
gina courts sixteen men NnC Aave
escaped challenge tot cause ate p.ac
,ec il the jury bon and tneu the lie .
tense has &c exercise the ught VI tour
peremptory challenges 70 weeo he
number out to twelve The twelve
men who were accepted Professionally
slre-mOst OF them established tarm.
'srs OF Chesterdeld-me well thought
eof in the Wilderness There was one
Delated commercial traveller tue lot
chosen. one stoIemason and saw
uill hand
Despite predictions of difficulty i1
securing a jury 10 tIy a case so wide
" known as tnat 7f Henry Clay Beat
lie, the talesmen offered themselves
with unusual willingness A bad
omen for the defense said those who
know the simple mind Of the Chester
adeld men, and the ideals they hold
pf the sanctty OF wifehood ami
motherhood
few minutes before 10 O'Clock
l)stective Wrenn and the others OF the
2ichmond force came up in a machine
With young Beattie safely wedged mo
"a back seat The prisoners face wore
he uncoucerned look Of a joy rider.
a cigarette between his lips He Ian
guidly waved his nand 70 a few of his
friends who hailed him from the lawn. =
e was as carefully dressed as if =
Sound for an afternOn nafair at the .
Richmond Country Club
When the automobile which carried Il
him through the Wilderness was y
bound out through South Richmond. j..
SO one Of the detectives afterward told ~
he story. an insurance man from the =,
.idewalk hailed Beattie as the auto =,
mobile was temporarily a siandstiu: .,
How about taking out q $4,000 -
policy on your life?" he called -
Better make it $l0O.000. answered
he youth who was on his way to n,
tand trial for his life
But just for an instant the care
ess mask OF Indifference which this -
ccused wife murderer carries with -
ut effort was dropped there at the =,
ntrance to the courthouse grounds -
lis father, Henry Clay Beattie Sr., -,
rave faced white haired gentleman, -
iuch beloved in South Richmond. met ''
Is boy at the automobile steps.
rev his arms about the young man
ld kissed him on the cheek Young -
eattie's lower lip sagged and he y.
'ughed suspiciOusly, then he straight ~
led up and the pretense Of an anus 80 -
smile fiuttered about his mouth. 'U'
With the father was Douglas Beat.
}, a younger brother of the prisoner. ,
I'M and Ben owen, uncles Of Beat
IS murdered wife. sat with the coun- -
for the commonwealth within
Ms reach Of the prisoner and his 0@'