The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-09-21
INVESTIGATE MAN
WHO SAW MURDER

RICHMOND, VA, Special =
Special Agent L. L. Scherer, of the
Chesapeake and Ohio, who. by re-
quest of the State executive depart
ment, had charge of the detective
work in connection with the Beattie
murder case, frankly admits that he
is somewhat puzzled by the strange
communication Of the man in Chi
cage who says he witnessed the crime
MT. Scherer is not a person TO run
after false trails, but the letter in
question, coupled with his subsequent
Investigations, leads him to think that
the matter is worth looking into, al
though 1t can in no way affect the
verdict of the jury now.
The individual who wrote Mr..
. Scherer does not appear to be an ed
ucated man, but his communications
| nevertheless, shows remarkable ia
miiiarity with the locale of the muir
der and with all the details Of the
case.
He says that on the night Mrs
Beatue was KILLED he was looking for
stray COW, and on approaching the
Midlothian Road saw a man and a
woman in an auto.
The two were Quarreling and the
man finally struck the woman and
then shot her. When the cow hunter
approached and made known the fact
that he had witnessed the dreadful
deed, Beattie, according TO the writer
offered him $500 and a suit Of clothes
TO keep quiet and get out of Virginia.
This the man, according to his own
statement, was prompt to do. He saws
he called at the Beattie store next
day. Beattie kept his promise about
the money and the clothes, and the
night after the murder the supposed
eyewitness of the crime was speed
ing towards Chicago.
The statement about the store is
regarded as the one doubtful point
about the letter The store was not
opened the day after the homicide.
and the fact that the man declares
he called at the store would indicate
that the whole letter is composed of
manufactured, but ingeniously pieced
together, circumstances.
In order to ascertain how much the
writer Of the letter actually knew Mr.
Scherer got friend in the Windy City
TO interview him. The report on this
interview, while by no means estab-
fishing the fact that the letter writer
is telling the truth, leads to the belief
that he at least knows a good deal
abou Virginia and probably resided
here at one time.
Business of another sort than that
connected with the crime will take
Mr.. Scherer to Chicago in a day or
so. and while there he will himself
have a talk with his strange CORE
spOndent.
BY this means he will be able to
form an accurate opinion as to the
worth of the information offered him.
The special agent is far from Jump
ing at the conclusion that he has
come across a new clew, but he un-
heSitatinSly says that the letter writer
has put up a good tale-one well
worthy of further looking into.
But as has explained, the mans
statement, even should it subsequently
turn out to be based on fact, would
not in way help the accused. Ii
would only tend to confirm an opin-
ion already firmly imbedded in the
public mind.
Didn't Go Up the Pike.
1t is stated today on the best OF
authority that Beattie, on the day he
IS alleged to have murdered his wife
ana not so up the Midlothian Pike
when he took that early evening trip
TO conceal his gun.
He went up the Forest Hill Road
to the Bon Air Road and turned in at
the right by Daniel BHley's place in
order to reach the pike
Had the Commonwealth desired to
add to its evidence it could have es-
tablished this fact by the testimony
of two ladies who saw Beattie on the
evening in question.
No one has ever publicly expressed
an opinion as to what the prisoner did
with the gun Immediately after he got
Z
before the crime.
The theory. however, is that he hid
it in his garage until he took it out
to hide it behind the stump. He could
easily have slipped it unnoticed into
the garage, as it had been taken apart
and made comparatively small pack
age.
Remove Bette to Richmond.
In all probability the prisoner will
be taken from the Chesterfield prison
and put in the Richmond Jail within
the next two or three days.
1t is no easy job to look after him.
as the law requires in Chesterfield. as
the Jail there is small and already
contains fifteen or twenty prisoners
Beattie is now under the constant
surveillance of a death watch, and
even after he is brought to Richmond
he Will still be guarded in the same
fashion.
The statute pertaining to electro
cution provides that a man condemn
cd to die in the chair shall be taken
to the penitentiary at least fifteen davs
before the date set for his death.
1t would seem, therefore. that it will
oe long time yet before Beattie goes
20 the death chamber, as Judge Wat
son allowed the accused husbands
aVyers until November cath in which
20 prepare their appeal. And should
a writ or error be allowed that will
operate as stay of execution until
the appellate court finally decides the
case.
Paul Beattie. the cousin of the pris-
oner,' whose evidence about the gun
more than anything else helped to
convict the accused, is still taking a
sort of holiday. He was at the office
OF Mr.. Scherer this morning, but will