Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-08-21
NO P0STPONEMENT
Of THE bEATT|E TRIAL.
Beulail Binford Conspicuous by Her
ADsence-.-Paul Beattie Confesses
to Priest.

Chesterfield Court House, Va, Aug.
2l.-siightly pale, putting neryously
at his eternal cigarette, but with no
other outward sign OF emotion, Henry
Clay Beattie today faced trial for the
murder OF his wife.
Chesterfield Court House, hid away
in its thicket of oak and hemlock, was
noisy and gay in preparation for the
morbid fete-the biggest murder trial
in its history. The stringy. bearded,
tobacco-chewing farmers, come to
Cot Day" as if it was county fair,
wagged their shaggy chins and dis
cussed crops and the weather as the
pale Rnemic youth, who has spent the
past month in Henrco county jail, was
unloaded from an automobile, under
heavy guard, to take his place at the
dock.
Beattie was as debonair as he has
been since his arrest, when detective
Scherer led him from the automobile
to the courtroom. Seemingly enjoy
ing the gaping.mouthed attention be.
slowed by the countrymen be swagger.
ed through the lane of men, formed
for him, smiling in a superior way.
Doemiug the presence OF Beulah
,, Biniord, the Other Woman, "unneces-
sary today, the authorities left her in
Henrico Jail. Her place i'll the tri-
argle OF tragedy was vacant when
Henry Beattie took his place with his
gray-haired father at the narrow counsel
table, beside attorneys Smith and
Carter.
Paul Beattie, star witness for the
prosecution, bore himself like the
central figure of gloomy play.
Through the riffs OF sunshine that
trickied down between the leafy trees
sheltering the little brick courthouse,
the strange trio wended its way, bear.
ing 10 trace of the grim triangle OF
murder that binds him together. OF
all the joyous hundreds who travelled to
Chesterfield Courthouse for the morbid
fete, none were more happily calm
than the central figures Of the horrible
plot.
One hundred earnest prospective
jurymen. gathered from the further
most receases Of Chesterfield county
lounged among the gay refreshment
stands, clustered about the courthouse,
grim evidence of the relish which Vir.
ginia takes i'll its gruesome business OF
Justice. There was not room for the
full panel of jurymen in the tiny
courtroom and the talespen gathered
about on the broad court house lawn,
within sound Of the voice OF tbs court.
crier who shouted his noisy summons
from doors and windows. Despite the
gayety and animation Of the crowd the
bearded jurymen looked upon their
mission seriously, talking among them
selves in earnest whispers.
The farnl-boy conducting livery SER
vice from Centralia, to the courthouse,
four miles away did rushing business
again today. Even taxicab company
of Richmond saw the revenue possihlll-
ties in the throng OF uorhidly curious
bound for the scene OF Henry Beattie's
fight fer life, and regular Taxi Scrvlce
was established, the honking. pufiug
autos astonishing Chesterfield couuty's
quiet mules and horses.
Baked by the toy size OF the court
room the hundreds Of spectators
amused theuselve. about the lawn,
passing as closely as possible to the
court room windows.
It became known here today that
nervous, epileptic Paul Beatte will be
the weak spot 10 the case of the prose-
culiou, a. which Harry NJ. Smith anu
Hill Carter, two OF Firg;nia's ablest
lawyers, will aim the big guns OF their
defense. The fact already established
that Paul did not tell the whole trath
in his storyo of buying the secondhand
shotgun with which the killing wss
done, for Henry. will form the basis
for the case OF the defence.
A sombre black-clad Catholic priest
NAV become the lawyer with which
the defen:e will try to pry Henry Beat.
tie loose from the dealt, clasp OF the
electric chair. 1t became known today
that the day bis cousin WIS indicted,
Paul Reattie, who is Catholic, sum
moned q priest to his lonely cell in
Hellrico county jail.
Locked in his black clad bosom that
priest carries the secret ior which tie
attorneys for the defense would give all
the wealth they could command. The
heavy pail Of the confessional surrounds
the siorY that Paul Beattle told the
priest, and it il beyond the pale OF the
Law. But the lawyers for the defense
may call the blackrobed priest to the
stand and place before the jury the
moral effect OF the priests refusal to
tell the story related by Paul Beattie in
confession. The strength OF this course
with jury of earnest farmers can only
be conjectured.
Judge Watson called court to order
shortly before eleven o'clock. Argu-
uents were submitted by counsel for
the defense urging postponement.
The court overrrled all requests for
stay and decided that the trial should
begin at once.
Judge Watson denied an application
for another weeks delay and ordered
Beattie to the bar. Pale and wan as
result OF his months Imprisonment,
but otherwise light and debonalr, Beat
tie took his place in the dock.
Then followed the usual motion to
quash the indictment which Sa: purely
formed and which vas quickly over
ruled
Henry Clay Beattie, jr., stand up,"