The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-18
Gives Story of the Horrible Crime Which Shocked
 the Country TELLS CHARACTERS OF THE PRINCIPALS Says Beattie Is Modern Dr. Jekyll and MT. Hyde-The Vanity
 of Beulah Binford Is
 Described

I ceptionally shallow, withal that Mrs.
 Beattie was plump and affectionate, but lacking in point of beauty; that the father of the defendant is good, ia pillar in the church. sensitive. weak in that he has never been able to appreciate the villainy | Of his son, and that he is possessed of only s10O,00O over and above his indebted ness; that Judge Watson is of fine men, 1 telty. just in his rulings; and was pos l sessed of a charitable hope that some-
 thing might intervene to disprove the charge against the defendant; and that Sheriff Gill has chin whiskers and em- ployes the ejaculation, By hek!' (re- calling the constable of the bucolc stage), but whose fearlessness was proved in | Pickett's charge up Gettysburg Hill-these and other facts in connection with the notorious Beattie case were brought to | Birmingham yesterday by John Max | we'll a newspaper correspondent, who re- ported the proceedings of the trial for the New York Times.
 Beattie's Guilt Believed MT. Maxwell is absolutely sure that | Beattie is guilty and absolutely certain | that the supreme court will not save him from the electric chair. According to | the correspondent the jury was composed Of young men of good minds and fine characters. Of the features of the crime and trial, Mir Maxwell talks interesting ly. brings out in bas relief the facts that Beattie did not love his wife of one year, was absolutely unaffected by her horrible death, and that his soul and body were possessed by love for Beulah Binford and hatred for his cousin Paul. The correspondent believes that the testimony of the defendant was enough to convict him, but declares that with out this testimony, the verdict would have been one of guilt He does the de- fendant, however. the justice to believe that it was not his original intention to dispose of his wife in the clumsy manner that was employed. but that the failure of his confederate to carry out a. criminal pact. made the alternative neces- sary. Fear lest his father, learning of the really horrible crime which he had committed against Mrs. Beattie, might cause his disinheritanee, and that with out money he could not provide for Beu- lah Binford, were Beattie's reasons, ac- cording to MT. Maxwell, for hastily. and clumsily murdering his wife. That the gun, bought by Paul Beattie, was hidden away in the house of Beulah Bin ford until the hour of it's need, is true, Maxwell declares and he gives as a rea- son why the state did not put the wom- an on the stand, the fact that by such prominent people of Richmond. not in volved in the tragedy, would have re- ceived notoriety, unjust and unnecessary, through the lips of the witness.
 That, finally, no one connected with the tragedy and crime are prominent as far as birth and rearing are concerned, is another observation of the correspond ent. who gives as reason for the trials wide publicity. the unusual dullness in newspaper circles of the months of July and August.
 Indifference of Defendant
 ''EEenry Clay Beattie, Jr.,'' states MT. Maxwell. "strikes you favorably when you look upon his front face. From the side. however. the true character of the man protrudes. From an angle, there fore, one is impressed by the idea that he is a sneak, and probably crook By day. he was suave and a good bus mess man. He was prowler by night and in the shadows altogether bad.
 ''I was at the house when the corpse Of Mrs. Beattie was removed to the cem- etery. Beattie was smoking. He looked at the coffin moment. and in most indifferent air. looked away again. I was present too, when the scene of the mur- der was visited by the court. While there someone told humorous story. Beattie laughed immoderately. The jurors seri- ousy eyed him. He was convicted on the spot.
 q visited Beattie often in his cell. He was comfortably situated. When re- marked one day that he had many con- forts about him he replied with a smile. Why, yes. All that Is lacking is Beuah and case of beer
 "He was not feazed when the jurors, each speaking positively. declared him guilty. Just as he turned to receive the sentence the harvest moon arose over through the window. In its glow Beat ties countenance presented a pallor which 1t did not possess. With three fingers resting on table, he listened to the beautiful talk of the judge No tear came He was cool and indifferent.
 ''in case tne supreme court uOes not grant Beattie new trial he will pre- parc a statement. believe He will con- fess the murder. He vii involve another, criminal the man believe who was enl- p!oyed to kill the wife for sum of money and whose nerve, when the hour came, failed. This is merely predic- tion. It is a general prediction, how ever, in Virginia" "
 Bulah Binford's Vanity
 At the Country club, where Mir. Max well told the story of the crime to a large circle of listeners, he was ques- tioned often concerning Beulah Binford, the woman In the case
 "Beulah Bnford" stAted Mir. Max we'll, lis not pretty at all. She is typi- ca! woman of her class She has a mar velously clear and brilliant blue eye, but nothing further to commend her to the stage-save her reputation.
 There is nothing good about her. She is as vain as woman ever gets to be. She takes great pleasure In posing for photo graphers. and was much chagrined that she had no opportunity to figure more prominently in the case. She would have taken rare delight In telling hcr story 10 the jury.
 She would not he interviewed by re- porters until she had made complete toilet. 1 remember we called at the lit- tle jail one afternoon. and started to the department in which she was con- fined ~ She cried down. Don't come up