The Cairo bulletin., 1911-08-25
Taking Of Testimony Starts on Date
Of Anniversary Of Marriage to
Woman He Is Charged with Hav-
ing Murdered.
ne SHOWS NO EMOTION
Suppresses Smile When Witnesses
Are Cross-E Examined - Blood
Stained Clothes Offered in Case
by Commonwealth

Chesterfield Court. House, yir-
fginia. Aug, 24,-On the anniversary
of his marriage to the woman he is
accused OF numbering. Harry clay
!, Beattie. Jr.. sat In the couM room
To-day and heard seven witnesses
called by the Commonwealth give
testimony on which the prosecutor
expects to send him to the electric
chair. On the Court House lawn. a
flew feet away, stood the blood-soak-
ed auto In which the young wife
met shor death Beattie only In
spected the car when ii arrived and
not once during the proceedings did
he show signs OF blanching.
Twice during the cross examina-
tion OF two detectives he flushed
with amazement and appeared TO
, struggle to hold back his laughter.
OF the seven witnesses, two were
physicians--Dr Herbert Mann and
DR.. Wilbur Mercer, who examined
| Mrs. Beattie's body the night of the
murder, testified
The others were were Thomas
Owen. court stcnographer, and un-
| Gle OF Mrs. Beattie; Detectives Wren
and Wiltshire OF Richmond. who in
vestigated the case; Coroner Loving
OF Chesterfield County, and May
Stuart, who told of Beattie's asso-
Citations with Beulah Binford.
Displayed No Grief.
None of the witnesses, except
owen, recalled that Beattie had dis
played any grief over the tragedy.
iothcrs said they had not seen him
to shed tear.
| With the first witness called
merely to establish the death of Mrs,
Beattic, their testimony was large
| ly review of what came out of the
inquest and 1t was not until the
1 Stuart woman took the stand that
the prosecution began its attempt
to disclose the motive for crime
She swore to being proprietor OF
questionable resort in Richmond
and testified that Beattie had ap-
peared there with the Binford girl
four times within the two months
proceeding the murder. and for the
last time on July ~, the night be-
fore the crime. Beulah Binford, she
said, she had known for several
years.
After her testimony, the Common
wealth introduced Ia evidence h let
ter written by the defendant to the
Binford girl and identified as such
at the inquest
Letter Is Introduced
Penned on his fatfief's business
stationery Beatsie wrote:
Dear Kid: Pay this on fur
niture and make him give you
itemized account of what you
must pay each week. Well, be
good. with oceans of love.
brimming with kisses
Yours,
(Signedl III. O. NJ"
Beattie showed no emotion when
the letter was read but his father
held palm leaf fan in front of his
face.
Detectives Wren and Wiltshire
told in detail of their visit to the
scene of the crime the morning after
the murder Both insisted the blood
stains In the road could not have
been made by blood dripping
through the automobile and they
were at loss to explain how they
came there unless the victim was
out of the car.
The Commonwealth pursued this
line with a view to showing that
Beattie shot his wife after he had
Knocked her down and then lifted
her body into the car.
Detectives Not Experts.
Neither detective was an expert
on wounds. however, and each was
entangled In an examination by H.
M. Smith, Jr... Of the defense.
Finally Judge Watson said the
matter of whether blood could run
through the car should be determine
ed by Jurors themselves by expert
ment with the machine itself
Wren testified Beattie was very
cool" as they went over the ground
near the scene of the murder
The detective described the stump
at the road side and tracks leading
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