The Washington times., 1911-11-15
.BEATT|E PLEA FOR
CLEMENCY DENIED
BY GOVERNOR Mann
! Virginia Executive Refuses
I to Save Wife Slayer From
Electric Chair.
Continued from First Page.)

: me that great injustice will be done by
I the execution of the judgments.
II have been asked to respite the pris
oner, and to allow him thirty days at
least from the decfAion of the supreme
court. His appeal TO the, court
was his own act. taken to avoid
the Judgment of the court of his own
county, based on theNverdict of his fel-
low-citizens, constituting the jury, and,
must think. with the purpose. IL pos
sible. Of svoiding. the consequences of
crime or which he knows he is guilty
Respite Would Be Wrong.
Although counsel for the convicted
man have exercised all diligence, to
grant a respite in so plain a case would
be to set a precedent, in which | would
be called upon to follow, would be to
temporize with the law and to encour-
age appeals to the supreme court with
the sole purpose Of gaining time.
such crimes as this is to punish them
adequately. certainly, speedily.
Therefore, the Judgment of the ci--
ried into effect without interference
from me:
Governor"
Paul Beattie refused to discuss the
srGovernor's action When he heard the
,lnews. He was voluble with respect to
ddenfa1s that he had made affidavit in
Attorney w. c. Balderston's office In
! Washington, and was full Of sugges-
!; tions that some one had iinpersonated
him.. but he would not talk of his
! cousins fate.
L Universal sorrow is felt today IN
Richmond FOR the grief-stricken father
of the young man who is to lie next
/ week, and Governor Mann himself was
moved to refer to the father in his open
Ing statement. Mr.. Dennis carried the
news to the father, who had not .peen
i very hopeful of communication OF SEN
!. tence, 1t is said, but did hope for a re.
!, pFievc.
Scherer Scents Plot.
Luther L. Scherer, special agent, who
hunted up the evidence against Beattie,
showed satisfaction with the governors
!, action in his manner, but he had moth
ing to say for publication. Mr.. Scherer
surprised Richmond newspaper men by
/ expressing mis- belief that Paul Beattie
! may have been the victim of a conspr-
acy. l am going to look into the mat
ter personally. and probe it to the bot
The Richmond public in general felt
about the same toward the governors
action, as it did toward the jury's YER
/ dict. The great majority approved of
the verdict only few objecting because
proved against Beattie. So, on the
whole, there Is approval today of Gov
ernor Mann's action.
As soon as the news flashed over the
scity a rush toward the peIiteEtiary be-
] gan, and in a short time scores of
people were gathered outside that build
ing gazing up at its towers and turrets
and wondering behind which cell win
cow Beattie sat The crowd swelied
rather than diminished as the afternoon
Wore on and there was intenses eager
ness to see II any of the prisoners fam
tly came out to visit him. .....
To Prepare for Execution.
Preparations for the execution will
gon on apace now. But there is little
to be done as compared with getting
ready for hanging The electric chair
is already waiting for it's victim and
about all that needs to be done is to
test it's wires and the straps which hold
the electrocuted men in the lethal seat
BY the laws of Virginia little of the
details of the execution will be printed
In Virginia papers and, inasmuch Is
two Richmond papers are now under
Federal indictment for matter publish
ed during the trial, extreme care will
>be exercised with respect to the exc
chamber or the room adjoining it,
Beattie will expiate his crime just
three months and a week after the
night of July IS on the Midlothian turn
pike, about four miles from the owen
family home, at about II o'clock.
Beattie was indicted for the offense
August Il and his trial, beginning Aug
ust q, lasted within day of three.
weeks.
Barring the oral confession which
Paul Beactie is since declared to have
repudiated, the evidence against
Beattie was altogether circumstan-
tial and in this fact lies the reason
why many people assert that the case
was not proved against the defen-
dant. The jury thought differently.
It was out less than one hour and
Its vote was unanimous on the first
ballot
The Rev. Mr.. Dennis went to the peni-
tentiary direct from the governors Of
fee and was ushered into Beatties
death chamber. He found his sister,
Miss Hazel Beattie, and an aunt with
Beattie. He did not break the news to
them. 1t was said that he would wait
for Beattie's father to break the news
to him. The two women left the prison
soon after the minister's arrival. They
both looked downcast and had evidently
surmised the governors decision. Beat
tie remains cheerful and 1T is believed
that his nerve will hold out until he
goes to the electric chair.