The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-28
Father of Victim Was on His
Way Here in Response
to Her Letter
FEAR OF HIS PARENT
IN BEATTlE'S HEAR T
Thought He Would be Cast
Off by Him When His
Conduct Was Brought
to Light
(By International News Service

(By International News Servfce.)
To-day the State viii conclude the
first part of case against Henry Clay
! Beattie--the establishing, circumstan-
TALLY, that he killed his young wife
out on the Midlothian turnpike-and
lit VIII then devote itself 10 proving
the motive.
While this is being done. il was
said to-day. some interesting facts
hitherto unknown Will be shown, chief
of which. according TO rumor. is that
+ his bride of a year was about to ia
stitute divorce proceedings against
/ him.
Her father. Robert V. Owen. Of
/ Dover, Del, was on his way down TO
/ Richmond 10 assist her in this. il Will
be shown, at the very time she was
slain. A long letter which she wrote
10 him. IN which she told all about
! Henry's relations with Beulah Bin
ford. viii be put into evidence. The
father himself may take the witness
! stand.
The Motive
i The State will contend that young
Beattie feared his rich father would
cut him off after hearing the evidence
upon which the divorce claim would
be based and that that was his mo-
tive in killing his wite--so that his
father might not know Of his unfaith
fulness. The elder Reattie. II viii lie
| shown, Is severely religious man, ab-
i horring divorces, bitter against al
flnities' and the like, and Will con-
tend that ii was extremely likely he
/ would have cut the boy off and made
him shift for himself had a divorce
action been begun.
The story of Paul Beattie, the cou-
sin, who bought the gun with which
the killing WAS done, will probably be
told this afternoon. following the
cross exa mination OF Detective Lu-
Their l.. Scherer. Paul's narrative Will
wind UP the first part OF the States
case.
First Wanted Revolver.
A significant point in the cousin s
story, which just became generally
| known to day. Is that he will testify
that Henry first tried to have him
purchase a revolver. He endeavored
TO buy one..- bat learned that pistols
cannot be sold in Richmond without
the purchaser having permit from
| the police. Then Henry had him
buy the shotgun. Paul Beattie's wife
| will swear that Paul told her about
both weapons at the time he pur-
I chased them 9 .'' 'g' '
The State viii use Beuah Binfords
mother before the girl herself 10 tes-
tify as 10 the love affairs of Beulah
| and Henry. There is considera BILE
fear that Bulah. despite her re-
nunciation the other day. may still
love the boy and in trying to shield
| him may prove poor States wit
ness
The Day in Jail.
Henry spent day in large, cool
comforta Bile cell in the Richmond
city jail. He was brought in from
Chesterfield last evening because a
| large number Of rats. attracted by
his food. bothered him in the tiny
old-fashioned lookup out there. He
got up early. read all the Sunday
papers and later chatted With his
father his cousins Fred and Alice
Beattie, and with his lawyers, Harry
Smith and Hill Carter. He was
cheerful and confident, his visitors
said
Bulah Binford amused herself
by playing lacks" frolicking about
with little white kitten which some
unknown person sent her for mas
cot, and by sketching. She draws
rather well, and with training would
perhaps make a good illustrator. She
is altogether unworried and is wait
ing eagerly for the automobile ride
she will have when she is taken out
to Chesterfield. within the next
couple of days to tell her life story
hasn't taken away any of her good
looks. Her complexion is just as
pretty as ever. She never did make
up"-nor need to.
Speculation on Result
Sabbath though IL was. and fear
fully hot Richmond still buzzed with
talk of the trial. with endless dis
cussions about Its probable result.
Most people believe that the jurors
Will take but little time in deciding
TO send Beattie to the electric chair
but a growing number seem to think
that hung jury" may be the out
come. That opinion Is based on the
possibility that some hard-headed
Chesterfield farmer In the box may
conceive an aversion to sending
| man to death upon circumstantial
evidence, which Is all there is In this
case. No one can be found who be-
lieves there is a possibility of &C
quittai.
Manager Mckee Return. to Post.
| Manager Charles l. McKee, Mrs
Mckee, Miss Margaret Mckee and Lit
tie Johnnie, have returned from the
| nn.ut~x, uxhAra tbav hava hQep u1Nkt