Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-09-08

week.
Chesterfield Courthouse, Sept. 6.
Practically an all day conference
was held today in the Office of HI. M.
Smith, Jr., between counsel for the
defense and the commonwealth in
arguing before Judge Walter A.
Watson the instructions to be given
the jury in the case Of Henry Clay
Beattie, Jr., charged with wife muir
der. The jury spent the day in GUS
tOdy of Sheriff Gill, but did not go
to the scene of the tragedy, the
foreman stating that it was not ne
cessary in view of the mass of evil
dence presented.
Quiet at the Courthouse
The courthouse ana its pastoral
vicinity were clothed in peaceful
quiet today; the crickets and katy
dds continued their chirping I'M
hampered by the noise and hustle of
a curious crowd. The twelve men
of impressive face, in whose minds is
locked the secret of Beattie's future
life, rose, as usual, with the break of
day, and after breakfast in the tiny
hotel here strolled on the green,
singing, not song of mirth, how
ever, but the strains of religious
hymns, and the prisoner not far away
heard them. Their friends call them
earnest, God-fearing" men, and de-
clare they are of the kind to weigh
evidence carefully. They now have
heard all the evidence, and it remains
only for counsel of both sides to
knit together the relevancy Of the
testimonies into consistent argument.
Upon the argument, it is generally
conceded, much will depend, as the
defense expects to make it's strong
est plea on the dangers of accepting
circumstantial evidence.
The prosecutions main broadside
will be delivered along the same lines
as characterized it's rigid cross-ex-
animation of the prisoner, and will
predicate one question-How did the
same gun which Paul Beattie bought
for his cousin Henry Saturday, July
Is, come to be in the hands of the
alleged highwayman on Midlothian
turnpike on the night of Tuesday,
July 10?
Purchase of Gun Admitted
The defense has admitted by its
witnesses that Paul purchased the
very gun which later was identified
by Henry as the one that killed his
wife, but his only reason for the adj
mission was that there was blood
on the barrel, and it was found not
far from the scene of the crime. He
has denied, however, that he saw or
knew of the gun before the high
wayman leveled it on the Midlothian
turnpike, because Beattie's car al
most collided with him.
The defense, by numerous wit
nesses, endeavOred to impeach the
veracity of Paul Beattie as to his
having transferred the gun to Henry
Saturday night, July Is, and by one
witness, E. H. Neblitt, charged that
Paul had shotgun with him Sunday
July 16, at the bridge where he was
employed as Waterman. 1t is cur
rent rumor that today Neblitt was
said to be himself on the verge of ad
hitting that he was mistaken. To
intimate friends he already is said
to have made such a declaration.
The commonwealth considers that
Paul's story remains intact in it's
main features.
Look For a 'sMystery"
The action of Detective Scherer in
getting hold of some new witnesses
and reducing their testimony to writ
ing is taken as an indication that
the State looks for a mystery, in
which event another trial will take
place and the testimony taken today
will be introduced.
The States instructions were brief
in comparison to the voluminous in
structions that the attorneys for the
defense sought to have Judge Wat
son admit. The instructions from
each side are based largely on the
instructions used in the famous Nc
Cue case.
Court will convene at 10 O'Clock
tomorrow morning and the argu-
ments it is thought will take one
whole day, SO that the jury should
have the case by Friday evening at
the latest.
Beattie Still Confident
II expect to be home Sunday.
feel that my story has impressed the
jury and believe they will give me a
square deal"
This was the confident remark of
Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., indicted for
the murder of his wife, as he sat in
his cell here today, gazing in re-
Prospect at the eleven days of evil