Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-08-30
BATTLE FOR LIFE or BEAITIE.
Trial Begins in Earnest OH His We'd
ding Anniversary.

chesterfield &. H., Va, Aug, 24.---
with the jury selected and witnesses
for both sides subpenaed, the trial of
Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., OF Rich
mond, indicted for wife murder, be-
gan in earnest here to-day with the
opening Of the prosecutions case.
The first witness called for the
Commonwealth to-day was Thomas
Owen, uncle OF the murdered young
wife, summoned to testify how Beat
tie brought the body to the Owen
home, with his story of man in the
roadway firing into his automobile
and killing Mrs. Beattie. DR.. w. +.
Mercer, a physician, who examined
the body on the lawn of the Owen
home, will be called to further es-
tablish the death Of the victim. The
prosecution had ready Its list Of more
than seventy other witnesses, most
Of whom will be used in sketchlng
Beattie's past life and in an effort to
build up motive for the crime.
The Jury Selected.
The twelve men as they remain af-
ter the defense exercised its four
peremptory challenges on the panel
are:
n. w. Farley, Quarryman, 81 years
old; E. L. Wilson, 80; AL Fetroff,
contractor, "a; Irving l.. Bass. Jr,
30; V. w. FnGna, 81: w. l.. Bur-
CESS, So; NJ. e. Purdy. 27; Nj. d.
Robinson, As; Thomas Hancock, 81;
Lewis Robertson, "a; w. P. Rocks,
As; M. e. Blankenship, assistant SUI
perintendent of silk mill, 2S.
All of the foregoing are farmers,
except the three otherwise stated.
Father Visits Beattie.
Henry C. Beattie, Sr., came to the
court house to-day in q public carry
all and visited his son in jail before
court convened. No relatives of the
murdered woman except the uncle,
called as witness, appeared.
Counsel for the defense have dis
closed but a meager suggestion of
their plans, but they will rely main
ly on an endeavor to break down
Paul Beattie's testimony, with em-
phasis on the fact that no one saw
the crime committed
Beattic Inspccts Blood-Staincd Auto.
The blood-stained automobile in
which Louise Owen Beattie met
death. was driven into the yard of
Chesterfield court house this morn
ing just before the trial was resum-
ed. The prisoner was on the lawn
at the time and calmly inspected the
machine as his father raised the
front seat cushion, revealing a mass,
Of coagulated blood on the work un-
derneath.
Court convened at 1890 a. H.,
and as the prisoner took his seat,
spectators recalled that to-day was
the first anniversary of his wedding,
Just year ago he was married to
the woman he Is accused OF having
murdered.
More than sixty witnesses, sub
penaed by the Commonwealth, were
called from the lawn. sworn in and
instructed to remain outside near
the court room, but not near enough
to hear testimony through the open
windows. With few exceptions
both sides agreed to exclude all wit
nesses from the room while not tes-
tifying.
Of the seven witnesses examined
to-day two were physicians, Dr.. Her.
bert Mann and DR.. Wilbur Mercer,
who examined Louise Beattie's body
on the night Of the murder. The
others were Thomas Owen, a court
stenographer and uncle of Mrs. Beat
tie; Detectives Wren and Wiltshire,
Of Richmond, who investigated the
case; Coroner Loving, of Chester
field county, and May Stuart, a stout
middle-aged woman, who told Of
Beattie's associations with Beulah
Binford. None of the witnesses, ex-
cept Mr.. Owen, recalled that Beattie
had displayed any grief over the
tragedy. Others said they had not
seen him shed a tear.
State Builds Up Motive.
With the first witness called
merely to establish the death Of Mrs
Beattic their testimony was largely
a review Of what came out at the
inquest, and 1t was not until the
Stuart woman took the stand that
the prosecution began its attempts
to build up motive for The crime.
She swOre that she was the propric-