The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-09-12
HENRY CLAY BEATTIE
GUILTY, DECLARES JURY
SENTENCED TO DEATH IN CHAIK
ON NOVEMBER "a.
Jurors Fairly Shout Verdict OF Guilty.
as Result of PrayerfTi Delibera.
tiOns Lasting IS Minutes.

Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., drove =
y his motor car into Richmond,
Va, on the night Of July 1S and
unloaded the dead body of his
wife.
The young husbands story
4 that the murder was committed
by a rough-bearded stranger,
and that he wrested from the
= murderer single-barrelled
shotgun, was discredited by =
prosecuting attorneys.
Jury decided that Beattie kill
ed in order that he might be
+ free to continue his relations,
+ with Beulah Binford, girl Of
the under world.
Meanwhile, Beulah Binford,
after her release from jail, hur-
ried to New York to appear on
the stage.
Jury September 8 returned
4 verdict of murder in first de-
gree.
Beattie was condemned to .
death by electrocutlon, and No ..
vember "a fixed for the electro .
cution. ..
>;
*** < ***:* ****
Chesterfield C. H., Va, Sept s.,
Twelve Virginia farmers knelt at dusk
tonight in the obscurity Of the small
jury room of the Chesterfield court
house, praying fervently that they
might pass judgment Alright upon
Henry Clay Beattie, Jr, indicted for
the murder of his wife. They record
ed an unanimous verdict of guilty.
In a short ffty-eight minutes they
weighed carefully their decision and
once more on bended knees they in-
voked Divine assistance that they
might not err in their decision. -.
It was almost shout when the
spokesman spoke the single word,
"Guilty."
The prisoner returned the gaze Of
the jurymen unswervingly.
Appeal to be Taken. ...
The court of appeals, to be sure,
will be asked to grant a writ of error
and new trial. Young Beattie, cog
nizant Of law weapons yet at his dis
posal, did not surrender. Instead he
consoled his broken doy.n father,
white haired and wrinkled, and COM
forted him as he whispered, 81 haven't
lost yet, father.". .
Not man of the twelve jurymen
hesitated when asked what was his
opinion as to the verdict. 1t perhaps
was the dramatic climax OF Virginia
justice, which in the last century has
swiftly sent to death such famous
murderers as Cluverius, Phillips and
McCue.
At the close of powerful argument
by L. O. Wendenburg, the voluntary
assistant of the Commonwealth in the
case, the suspense was felt not alone
in the court room, but in Richmond,
where thousands awaited the outcome.
The jury had for eleven days heard
evidence; for two days, speeches, but
the words of Wendenburg rang in
their ears as they left the court room
to find their verdict.
"Let that man go Free" he cried.
"What? Le4 that man 90 free.
Outraged WomanhoOd.
"Why the motherhood Of Virginia,
the womanhood of this nation will
shudder in terror as the security Of
its life is threatened. Let this man
go free? The man who basked in the
sunshine of another woman's eye,
while at his home a young wife nursed
his child? Gentlemen, I merely ask
you in the name of justice to do your
duty"
In vivid detail the prosecutor de-
scribed the wife as she started On her
innocent automobile ride. He told Of
how Beattie stepped into the dark
,t:cket, found the gun which he had
earlier concealed and deliberately slew