The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-31
,.v vASt IN HE
 BEATT|E TRIhl. Attempts to Corroborate Story of the Bearded
 Highwayman
END PAUL BEATTIES
 CROSS EXAMINATI0ss
Witnesses Introduced to Prove Henry Beattie's Version of His Wife's Murder and Dispr0ve Paul
 Beattie' Testimony

Chesterfield Courthouse, Va. August 70. Testimony. corroborative of the story told by Henry Clay Beattie. Jr., that beard- ed hghwayman killed his wife with shotgun was introduced by the defense in the Beattie trial today when ". R. Holland, who lives in the vicinity of the Midlothian turnpike, where the mur- der occurred, declared he had seen a bearded man with shotgun there about five hours before the tragedy.
 It was the first move of the defense after the prosecution rested it's case at noon today to establish the veraoity Of the prisoner and besides Hollands state meni concerning man with shotgun, Eugene Henshaw. farmer who travels the Midlothian turnpike daily, testified he saw strange looking man proving around on three different days before the murder
 It is reported tonight that the prose- cuton is ready when it's time for re- buttal arrives, to put on the stand the man who passed along the railroad tracks where Holland said he man wilh a shotgun and that the new witness will say he was squirrel hunting that day.
 
 The defense summoned many witness ss. Besides the testimony regarding t.te bearded man, expert testimony was il7 troduced as to the bouncing qualities of an automobllet similar to that driven by Beattie thereby accounting for the jolt ing out from the car of the shotgun placed in a rear seat by Beattie after the en- counter with the alleged hiehwa. man. The prosecution attacked this line of eu- dence on cross-examination. II eontendea that the railroad crossing where Beatiis claims the gun must have been elected from the raf was sinaoth one and that the iolt which might have resulted from erogsing the tracks where the rails are exposed. necessarily would have tossed the weapon forward ef the crpssing in- stead of directly sideways, parallel with the track. where the gun was found Ths idea of the prosecution has beer to inal- cate that Beattie himself sion sd aeNr sA < ts ssur an th " the g,H to one side oil his way to the Owen home with his dead wife.
 Dangerous Neighborhood 1 The defense sought to show that being held up by hghwa ymen while motoring Ii oocurrence and put on the stand a chauf- highwayman year ago.
 The commonwealth attorneys objected to the testimony irrelevant. Judge Watson ruled that unless d great many instances could be pointed to, showing holdups of a similar character to the one described by the prisoner, evidence as to a single incident would be ruled out The defense announced it intended to give other instances later.
 Beattie's counsel attacked the declara- ton of Sam Talley that he heard the night of the murder a shot and the scream of a woman on the Midlothian turnpike. Several witnesses testified that the morning after the murder when Beat tie talked with Talley and others nothing was said about hearing woman scream.
 An amusing incident occurred when the defense put on the stand William Penn berton 45 years old. to attack the truth fulness and character of Talley. Pember- tons own mentality was questioned by Prosecutor Wendenberg
 Are you right in your mind?" asked the prosecutor.
 What do you mean, am I crazy?" Pemberton asked.
 Well no, didn't you have nine cats chained in one room in your house once?" hSheu eHN pioSeSaNoA.
 No"
 well, weren't there pictures taken of those cats?'
 Maybe"
 Here the witness fidgeted and began to show signs of embarrassment He turned on Mir Wendenberg savagely, exclaimed:
 Look here. man, are you trying to cross examine me? You are talking out of your head
 The witness continued talking rapidly. but his remarks were drowned in the laughter of the court room and even af- ter Judge Watson had restored order the witness talked on in lightning like speed until the court ordered him to stop. Even the prisoner joined in the laughter and was the last in the room to regain his composure.
 Robertson Controverted
 Today the prosecution produced four witnesses, mostly county detectives, to eontroyert yesterdays testimony of young Alexander Robertson regarding the presence of more than one blood spot on the Midlothian pike where Mrs. Beattie was killed. The state had con- tended that the blood spot where the murder occurred was not caused by dripping from the machine In which the husband alleged his wife was seated when shot, declaring no blood whatever could have oozed through the bottom Of the car It was detailed case, but oentering attention on the single blood spot. the commonwealth intended to show the woman was murdered while in another position from that which the husband declared she was. The de- fense announced it would call Paul Beattie to the stand again.
 Nasty preparations were made over night to combat the testimony given by 15-year- Alexander Robertson. The significance of the lads declara- tions is that if 1t should be proven that there were many blood spots on the road 1t would support the contention of the defense that the first pool of blood dripped from the machine from the bleeding woman, who was alleged by Beattie to have been shot while in the front seat On the other hand the prosecution wished to show that there was but one blood spot that no blood could have oozed from the machine. and that the large pool resulted from the shooting of Mrs. Beattie while she was standing either on the running board