The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-20
But Defense NJ ay 4 SIX
Court for One W eek s
Delay.
NJ UST SHOW WHY
lime is NEEDED
Henry Beattie, Jr., Alleged Wife
Murderer, Will Be Arraigned
in Chesterfield Court To
Morrow M ornin g-Wit-
nesses Summoned for
Speedy Trial.

Henry Clay Rcattie. Jr., will be ar
raisned Tomorrow morning at 10
o'clock before Judge Walter \. Wat
son, OF the Chesterfield Circuit Court.
TO answer for the murder of his wife
on the Midlothian Turnpike on the
night Of July Is Whether the trial
will proceed at once is u matter of
much speculation Judge Watson has
indicated that when the accused is in
court. he viii hear any motion the de-
tense may offer in regard to a con
tinuance.
From his former expressions on this
bench. 1t is fair to say that the case
viii only be postponed for cause. anu
so far no adequate cause has been
attorneys for the defense that they
would like to have more time viii
hardly suffice. 1t will have been FIVE
. weeks Tuesday since Mrs. Bcattie was
nIurdered-more than four weeks
since the Coroners jury accused the
young husband of the crime. No spc-
cial grand jury was called, as is fire.
quently done in important criminal
cases. The case has been allowed to
take it's turn in due order. 4 week
has been allowed since Indictment, an
aid to the defense which was not
granted to several cases of less pub
tic interest indicted BY the same grand
jury, and which have been disposed OF
during the past week by the court.
Must show Cnune for Delay.
Altogether. the chances are in favor
of an immediate trial, beginning to-
morrow II would he useless for the
defense to ask further time on gen
eral grounds. Cause for postponement
would be the serious illness of ma
teriai witness, or of one of the at
torneys in the case.
No such case has as got been pre-
scented. though with so large num-
Der of witnesses-nfty- summoned
for the Commonwealth alone--a case
would not be surprising. A son of
Commentaries Attorney Gregory has
had fever. but is now recovering.
Court officers arc preparing for a
trial Tomorrow Sheriff Gill will have
the witnesses in court. though the list
OF names is being closely guarded
Also he will have a venire of thirty
two Chesterfield farmers from which
to select a jury. While second venire
may be necessary. II seems less and
less probable that II will he found ne
cessary 10 send out of the county. Tho
parties TO the crime were city people.
and the trial at Chesterfield Court
house, far from the scene is in itself
almost a change OF venue There is
no more reason why citizens of tho
southern part of Chesterfield should
be prejudiced than the citizens of any
other county in Virginia where news
papers arc circulated The court Will
examine each venireman as to his
eligibility to serve: each side may
challenge for cause; then when sixteen
men have been selected free from OBJ
n dafa on ha No irl,t
without assigning any cause whatever.
10 strike from the panel the names of
four mon. The remaining twelve com
pose the trial jury.
Commonwealth Is Rendy.
The Commonwealth Is ready TO go
into trial. and will urge that II begin
tomorrow morning, without further
delay or continuance Its witnesses
have been notified. their statement IS
nave been taken down and indexed, the
attorneys and detectives have held
their final consultation and profess
themselves to be fully ready to meet
any line of defense the attorneys for
Bcattie may offer
At Mr.. Schercrs office yesterday,
stenographers and clerks had their
! first Saturday half holiday since tho
murder. Mr. Scherer and other officers
went for motor ride. but partly from
old habit their route took them out
the Midlothian Turnpike TO the iron
spike driven in the roadway marking
The scene of tho crime.
Attorneys for the defense continue
their sphinx-like silence. That they
will strive for further continue nce
I is accepted by every one. since every
day of delay is in favor of the ac-
, cused but what ground they will ad :
vance in support of their position is
as much = matter OF speculation as the
line of defense they will offer when
the trial commences.
So far as can be learned the defense
will rely mainly on stiT cross-ex-
animation of the witnesses In an eff
fort to arouse in the minds of the fury
that reasonable doubt" which VIII
acquit. The name and record of a dis
tant cousin of II. C. Beattie. ST.. who
was once In an insane asylum has been
secured. and relatives have been uues-
toned as to traces of mental weak
ness in the family, leading to the be-
| lief that insanity will be offered as a
sort OF second line of defense. should
| the first give way under the on
slaughts OF the Commonwealth's wit
nesses.
Newspaper men from all parts of the
country are ready with special tele-
graph wires strung into all available
| outbuildings. The people of Chester
field believe the trial Will begin to-
morrow. While the fate of a human
life hangs in the balance inside, tho
grounds outside will resemble moth
inE so much as the grove about coun-
try church al an "all day meeting"
or revival of the old ia shioncd court
days" famous in Virginia history.
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