The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-09-09

tumbled ont Of the court room 10 learn
! if the prisoner had committed suicide.
! Then he was locked up and the day was
done.
| GREAT CROWD FOR LAST DAY.
| The fact that this was to be the last
| day in the trial brought the greatest crowd
of all that have focked over the converg-
| ing roads Of the Wilderness Prominent
lawyers and politicians came out from
Richmond There were State Senators
and Judges from Norfolk, Petersburg and
| Roanoke in the jam that tried TO wedge
| its.elf between the narrow walls OF the
court room. Judge Watson allowed men
to squat tailor fashion on the floor where
the witness stand had been. His friends
! he packed in u close row on frail bench
| behind his chair.
| thomas Nelson PAGE tells in his stories
Of the fame and the wonder of lawyers
plradings in Virginia. The crowd that
| gathered an hour before court opened
| this morning was one that knew the
Potency of that attraction.
| The morning belonged TO Harry Nj 4.
Smith. Jr.. who was to say the final word
for the defence. Smiths task was rot
easy. His colleague, Hill Carer, had used
nearly whole day trying 10 strengthen
the admittedly weak defence.
! He hammered consistently at one
thought: the jury must realize the dan
ger OF finding verdict Of guilty on cir
! cumstantial evidence alone. Smith re-
cited a grizzly tale Of how circumstantial
| evidence had once sent an innocent man
to the gallows.
The defence's pieader tried valiantly
10 throw dscredit on the dete ctives who
had built up the case against the young
prisoner, He lkened them to blood
hounds and declared with high pitched
emphasis that they had tried TO fasten
tho crime on Henry Beattie az the easie st
method Of solving a difficult problem.
! Smith also built up deliberate hypoth-
esis 10 account for the commission of
the murder by Paul Beattie, the cousin
and scape goat OF Henry Beattie. He
called upon the jury TO witness how strong
| a chain of circumstances he had built
about Paul. If Paul was not guilty could
Henry be any the more surely guilty on
evidence no more conclusive?
The lawyer closed with a peroration
| that brought quick tears to the eyes Of
| Henry Beattie. Sr.. The son did not
seem to be touched by emotion.
Wendenb,irg couched his Introduction
in a manner phrased to hit the religious
story Of Abel and the Lord = condemna-
tion Of him through the voice that cried
ont from the blood drunk up by the
ground 10 fit the scene on Midlothian
turnpike and the pool Of Mrs. Beattie's
blood that had been found there.
MTEDFRFR AND FOOL.
Every bit Of this young mans life that
has been brought out in the examination
Of this case that ia not murderer is fool"
the lawyer suddenly exclaimed with
passionate gesture. You cannot test
his mentality by the standards Of other
mems actions. This is the cheapest
murder in many respects that have ever
heard of. the lawyer continued when
no buys a gun ne orders his cousin Paul
to buy second hand gun. On the night
he planned to blot out his wife's life he
bought her Is cents worth Of candy
Is cents worth Of candy 10 send woman
into eternity rejoicing On this night he
wears clothes that he has not worn for
three years" Wendenhurg looked in the
pocket Of the coat and read the date Of its
tailoring because he does not want to
smear his good suit with blood"
The lawyer continued 10 build up the
case on the evidence against the prisoner
eXcorlated him for having kissed the lips
of his wife one night and those of his
mistress the following night. BY in
ductions startling in their clearness he
pictured to the jury the inspiration for
every step that had been taken by the
| prisoner Leading up to the crime.
Old Virginia lawyers who sat through
| the whole two and half hours of Wen
denburg's speech said nothing like il
bad been heard in Virginia in twenty
| five years.