The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-31
Remarkable Proposition is
Made by Man. Dying of
Consumption
HOPES TO SAVE HIS
FAMILY FROM WANT
Upon Receipt Of IS. 900, He
Will Come Forward, Con-
fess and Fill Part Of
Tall Highwayman
BY j. j. rNEILI..

An offer to save thn life of Henry
Clay Beattie, accused of numbering
| his wife because he loved Beulah
Einford, a beautiful hayward child,
has come from an entire stranger,
who offers his own ife---''useiess and
nearly gone" he calls tin ex-
change.
more startling. more tragic prop
osition than the ono which the stran-
ger has made has never, perhaps. been
recorded outside OF fiction
The man who wants to he the vic
tim or the executioner is not Il mad
man not crank, not even a loving
| friend of the youth who IL in jail
here awaiting trial for what Is pro-
nounced one OF the most amazing
crimes this country ever knew So
far as he can recall. ne has never
even spoken a word 10 Henry Clay
Beattie.
Would Sacrifice Self
Yet his motive Is Hinged with a
| high nobility. an almost unhe lieve-
able spirit of self -sac rif'ce.
The story Is thiss
When young Beattie. son " a rich
family, raced up In HIS automobile
to the home Of HIS wtfes uncle, with
the Young wife beside him, shot dead,
and hts arm around her. stained with
her blood. he said that a highway
man had held him up. and In firing
at him had shot the girl
"A tall man. he CAPPED; tall
SIX feet. pale--with a stubhy beard
He Killed her--he eot avay---ionk for
him
At first the story was believed
Search was rnasle for the tail man.
But no Tracks t.rss fund no frages
Iof him could be got when Beat
ties own gun was discovered. he was
arrested, and his story pronounced
a fiction.
So much for explanation. Now the
strangers offer
A man, two days ago. sought A
person who Is extremely Interested
In the welfare of the accused SLAYER.
He hesitated for time about de-
clarfng his mission. Then he asked
timidly for a description of the high
wayman who, young Beattie had de-
clared. shot his wife, 1t was given
TO him.
The stranger shook off his tinidity.
With strange vehemence he exclafrn
ed:
Look at me. Look at me close
iy ] am tall, I am pale I have
sfuhhy heard | am exactly like
the man he described"
Motive in Offer.
The friend OF Beattte thought the
Visitor ls2Ssss.> &. ssSsgst&s&, unbalanced
There are persons who from CON
slant reading Of tragic stories main
tain strange ideas of personal assoc
citation with them. Young Beattie's
friend Thought this man ssicf8 ard
sought to Quiet him. But- th.4 man
laughed quite sanely and said:
No, I'm not that. sir have q
motive In declaring myself like this
highwayman who could not he found
ask YOU. quite calmly, II the Reat-
tie family would give $4,000 If Young
Henry Is cleared Of this charge and
set free
Still in doubt, the man interess Cd
In the young prisoner said that SURE
iy the family would give 5000 Beat
ties father ts rich. He would sfve
$50, ooo-would give his whole for
tune. which might total 1900. 1000 tn
save his boy,
Then, listen" demanded tho
stranger r want s5,o0o--not FOR nv
self. for my family. For that sum 7
Will step forward at anv hour you
name and confess myself the slayer
OF Louise Owen Beattie. T will do II