The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-28
Believes That Jury is Even
Now Convinced of Pr
soner's Guilt
STRONG TESTIMONY
BY DANCING PARTY
Beattie's Account Of Crime
is Exploded Entirely-tlis
Attorneys Must Break
Down Case

That Henry Clay Besttie. Jr., is
already believed To be guilty Of the
murder Of his wife by the jurors hear
ing the trial Is the belief 81 the at
torneys and detectives representing
the Commonwealth.
Those youths who saw BeAttie and
his wife a short time before the muir
der and testified against him with
such startling effect on Saturday have
been the most damaging Witnesses to
the defense who have taken the stand
thus FAR in the opinion OF legal ex-
ports who have watched and analysed
developments in the trial
Returning from a dance at Bon
Air thes" youths testified, they saw
Ecattte near the spot where the crime
was s"mniitrd. Beattie was stand
ing In front Of his automobile and
his wife was on the running board,
apparently Just about to step to the
sTaAaa---F The boV4hs testified thny
were sure they saw Beauties machin..
Boys Testimony Damaging.
When they left Bon Air they passed
car just this side OF that place.
j This automobile was occupied by four
persons. When the dancers We're
passing the spot where the murder
was committed they saw Buick au-
tomobtie and noticeable feature Of
thus, Buick machine was the absence
OF doors. Bsatties Buick has no
doors
Testimony has been introduced by
the Stato to show that Beattie and
. I Us wife left the owen home at
! 10.15- The couple drove To South
Richmond. had prescription filled
ard then drove back up the turn
pike. Instead Of stopping at the
. owen home they drove past ard 1t
has been testified that they passed
az 1850 o'clock.
Those youths who attended the
dance at BON Air testified that they
left Bon AIT at 1890 O'Clock, the
! same time that Beattie and his wife
were passing the owen home. Beat
tic himself has said that ne drove
some distance up Midlothian turn
pike before turning around to re-
+ torn 70 the owen home. The spot
( where Mrs. Beattie met her death
Is three miles from the Owen home.
story Exploded,
According to attorneys for tn
prosecution, Beattie stopped his ca
a the fatal spot aud was standin.
there ut the minute that the boy
from Bon Ait passed, Lawyers 70
the Com monwealth assert that tn,
testimony Of these youths "explodes'
the assassin story told by Beattie
Having proven that there was no as
saSsln. the attorneys for tho Stat
+ Win ask the Jury: who could hav
Killed Mrs. Beattie but her husban,
when he was alone. with her"
1t is 10 be remembered that Beat
tie in his story ~ the murder neg
No a IN
In front of his automobile when In
dancing boys flashed by toward tn
city and the accused also neglecte,
70 mention the fact that Mrs. Beat
tie was standing on the running boar
Just about 70 step to the grount
when the youthful autoists passed.
Beattic's Version.
According to Beatties version
neither he nor his Wife got out G
the car until after the fatal shot an
then he jumped out to grappie witt
The assassin Beattie has said III
murder was committed at 10i!
o'clock, and this is the time OF III
crime as fixed by the prosecution, +,
that there is a space of fifteen min
utes between the time al the murde
and II O'Clock. when Beattie arrives
LAT the owen home with the body, o
IRIS VIE
He said that he lost some tim
after tho murder In fixing his lights
but If he drove to the Owen. HON
as fast as he SAYS he did he coul'
have covered the three miles in sever
or eight minutes. Unless Beattie tells
Il II probable that what occurred II
he rest Of the lime win never h'
/ known, 1t * possible that Eeattj'
\ made a mistake Of Ave minutes an,
that the real time Of the murder wa
ten minutes before II O'Clock.
Although the Commonwealth f~cl
+ confident OF its case at the presen
status Of the trial. the attorneys 20,
the defense have no such idea, snt
they la bored throughout YESTERDAY
planning for to-day's proceedings anc
/ HOY best TO meet the testimony in
tioGuced by the State. To-day prob
ably Will be tho most interesting II
the trial. as it is likely that thi,
: day VIII mark the IA. ming point 3nt
decide whether Beattie is TO - fret
or 10 the electric chair.