The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-08-08
The Touch of Path0S.

II IS CuS exception TdCu6r LQdQ LQ6
rule that sensational criminal cases,
like that of the murder near Rich
mond, Va, of the girl wife of Henry
Clay Beattie, Jr., does not bring to
the public from one to a dozen un-
usually =. touching human interest
stories. Even the McCue case, from
/ the same locality, wherein the mayor
of Charlottesville murdered his wife
and was hanged for it, had it's feature
of the same kind. Indeed, it would be
hard to find a murder case which has
been given any particular amount of
publicity that has not brought to the
surface one of these appealing stories.
The Washington Herald, in a spe-
cial from Richmond, under date of
Saturday, prints a particularly ap-
pealing human interest story, in con-
nection with the Beattfe murder case:
The story is this: When young Beat
tie, son of a rich old Virginia family,
raced up in his automobile to the
home Of his. wife's uncle, with the
young wife beside him, Shot dead,
and his arm around her, stained with
her blood, he said that highwayman
had held him up, and in firing at him
had shot the girl.
4 Answers the Description.
"A tall man." he gasped, 'tall-six
feet, pale--with a stubby beard. He
killed her-he got away-look for
him. ...
At first the story was believed.
Search was made for the tall man.
But no tracks were found, no traces
cotrld be got When Beattie's own gun
wes discovered, he was: arrested, and
his story pronounced fiction. :.'...:
So much for explanation. Now the
strangers offer. @.-". .,.'.- =
A man two days ago sought a per-
son who is extremely interested in
the welfare Of the accused slayer. He
hesitated for a time about declaring
his mission. Then he asked timidly
for description of the highwayman
who young Beattie had declared shot
his wife. It was given to him.
The stranger shook off his timidity.
With strange vehemence he exclaimed: q:
'<Look at me. Look at me closely.
I am tall. 1 am pale. I have stub
by beard. I am exactly like the man
he described"
The friend of Beattie thought his
visitor might be mentally unbalanced,
There are persons who, from constant
reading of tragic st(-ies, gain strange
IDEAS of personal association with
them. Youn Beattie's friend thought
this man was such and sought to
quiet him. But the man laughed quite
sanely, and said: ..... -.. i
"No, I'm not that; I have motive
in declaring myself like this highway
man, who could not be found. I ask
you quite calmly if the Beattie family
would give $4,000 to see Henry clear
ed of this charge and set free?"
Wiling to Give $1,000.
Still in doubt, the man interested in
the young prisoner said that surely
the family would give $4,000. Beattie's
father is rich. He would give $4,000
would give his whole fortune, which
might total s3OO,oO0, to save his boy.
t'Tha-, lie+eD." demanded the stran-
ger. "I want s5,O00-mot for. myself,
but for my family. For that sum I
will step forward at anv hour you
name and confess myself the slayer
of Lo1Sse Owen Beattie. I will do it
within an hour after the money is
placed in my hands.
"Why, here's why. I am a con-
sumptive. Look. (He> pointed to his
protruding cheek bones, to the telltale
; flush on his face, and, opening his
coat, to his. shrunken chesD. I have
less than a year to live. don't care
about that. I'm better off dead. But
I have a wife and children. have
all I can do now to support hem.
When I die they will be penni!css.
And they are dearer to me than life
or name or reputation or anything
else.
"Give me $4,000, so that they may