Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-09-05
RICHMOND MURDER CASE.
Proceedings In Case Of n. c. Beattie
For Assassinating His Wife.
Friday.

Chesterfield Court House, Va, Sept
Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., indicted
for the murder Of his wife, did not
take the stand today in his own be-
half as was expected. but the asser-
ton was made just before court ad-
journed that the defense would con-
clude it's case late tomorrow with the
prisoners testimony.
An argument ensued between
counsel for both sides as to whether
the cross-examination Of the accused
also could be finished tomorrow and
It was obvious that the defense wish
ed to have the prisoner rest over Sun
day before the attack upon him by
the prosecution could be begun
Thomas Hancock, one Of the jurors
however, spoke up in plaintiVe
voice to the court saying: please
consider us, judge" and the court
Immediately asked H. M. Smith, Jr.'
counsel for the defense, how many
more witnesses he would introduce.
Just a few more" said Mr.. Smith,
"but we will surely close our case
tomorrow by placing the prisoner on
the stand"
Judge Watson announced he would
hold court later than usual tomorrow
evening to finish the case but an
agreement was reported to suspend
Judgment as to holding the night ses-
sion until the testimony Of the ac-
cused had been presented. Court Will
be delayed in the morning by the
taking of a deposition from Mrs. M
C. Steger, who is Ill at her home near
the scene Of the crime and who, 1t Is
claimed, saw the alleged bearded
highwayman prowling around the
day Of the murder.
Testimony today was perfunctory
in it's character. Several women,
friends of the accused and his dead
wife, testified that the couple lived
happily together.
Those who testified as to the hap
py relations between the couple were
Miss Bessie Wells, Miss Louise
Reams, maid of honor at Mrs. Beat
ties wedding: Mrs. Trap Logan,
sister of Henry c. Beattie, senior;
Mrs. Ella ]. Bowman, a sister-in-law
and housekeeper to Henry c. Beattie,
Sr, for many years
Except for the impromptu admis-
sion of Douglas Beattie, a brother OF
the accused that he would have de-
stroyed evidences of the murder had
he known that his brother was to be
charged with the crime, the most In
teresting development Of the day was
the discovery Of a new witness by the
defense, Joseph Casselberg OF Rich
mond. Casselberg, it has been rumored
for some time, has had mysterious
knowledge Of the case. He Is report
ed to have been on the Midlothian
turnpike with another person about
the same time that the murder occur
red and is supposed to be the man
who stopped to crank his machine
and was seen by the group Of boys on
their way from the defense at Bon
Air. If he Is called as a witness and
admits that he had stopped to fix his
machine at that point where the boys
say they saw a car with woman on
the running board and a man In
front Of 1t, the defense considers this
would controvert much of the testi-
mony tending to show that Mrs. Beat
tie was shot while on the running
board and not in the car seat as her
husband alleges. 1t was rumored to-
night, however, that the defense may
not call Casselberg because Of con-
fiicting reports concerning his prob
able testimony.
The question of whether Mrs
Beattie was shot while standing on
the running board or in the road or
as her husband insists, while she sat
in the front seat to the left of him.
was raised again today when several
automobile experts testified that
large pool of blood such as was found
at the scene of the crime could have
trickled through the machinery OF
the car and flowed from the drip pan
underneath to the ground.
The testimony of the automobile
experts was in line with the conten-
ton also that the blood dripped from
the machine in many places from the
scene OF the crime to the Owen home
in Richmond, where the young hus-
band took his dead wife.
The defense introduced a score OF
witnesses to attack various other de-
tails in the evidence of the prosecu-
ton and tomorrow it Is expected the
prisoner will make emphatic contra
diction of his cousin Paurs entire
testimony, clinging to his story at the
coroner's inquest that bearded high
wayman murdered his wife and that
he took no part In transaction con-
cerning the purchase of the shotgun