The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-06
Taking Of Testimony in the
Beattie Case Closes.
The Defendant Expresses Con
fidence in His AcquittaI.
JURORS SING HYMNS
While Waiting for Court to Be.
gin Days Session.
State Is Relying on the Story of
Paul Beattie.

Chesterfield, Va, Sept. 6--"I expect
to be home Sunday. I feel that my
story has impressed the jury and be-
lie - they will give me square deal"
This was the confident remark of
Henry Clay Reattie, Jr., indicted for
the murder of his wife. as he sat in
lis cell here today gazing in RETROSPECT
tion at the eleven days of evidence tax
ing which was brought to a close last
night. Uneasiness or nervousness
were not visible in his countenance or
manner. Fle possessed the same out
ward calm that has characterized him
either in the prisoners bar as he heard
winess after witness testify against him
or in the witness chair when he him
self recited in a matter of fact way
the story of his association with Beulah
Binford and the alleged brutal attack
of the highwayman which caused the
death of his wife of a year. The court
house and it's pastoral vicinity were
clothed in peaceful quiet today.
The II men o impassive face in
whose minds is locked the secret of
Beatties fate rose as usual with the
break of day and after breakfast in
the tiny hotel here strolled on the green,
singing, not a song of mirth, however,
but the strains of religious hymns and
the prisoner, not far away, heard them.
Their friends call them Earnest, God
fearing and declare they are of the
kind to weigh evidence carefully. They
now have heard all the evidence and
it remains only for counsel of both
sides to knit together the relevancy of
the various testimony il to consistent
argument. Upon the argument it is
generally conceded mucn will depend
as the defense expects to make its
strongest Plea on the dangers of ac-
cepting circumStantial evidence.
States Line of Argument.
The prosecutions main address will
be delivered along the sane line as
ton of the prisoner and viii center
about the one question-How lid the
sa me gun VIII oh Paul Beatiie bought
for his cousin Henry on Saturday, July
Is, come to be in the hands Of the al
legged highwayman on Midlothian turn
pike on the night of Tuesday, July 18?
The defense has admitted by it's wit
resses that Paul purchased the very
gun which was later identified by Henry
as the one that killed his wife but his
only reason for the admission was that
there was blood on it, and it was
found not far from the scene of the
crime. He has denied, however, that
he saw or knew of the gun before the
highwayman leveled it at him on Mid
lothian turnpike because Beattie's car
almost collided with him.
The defense has attempted to pune
tlIre the story Of Paul Beattie, the
cousin of the accused, who not only told
of the purchase of the weapon, but of
the alleged confession of the prisoner
to him of having committed the crime.
I he defense, by numerous Witnesses en-
deavored to impeach the veracity of
Paul as to his having transferred the
gun to Henry on Saturday night July
Is and by one witness, E. H. B. Neb-
litt charged that Paul had a shotgun
with him son Sunday, July 16, at the
Bridge where he was employed as
watchman. The commonv e. lth intro
duced several witnesses to combat the
testimony If Neblitt. Other points in
Paul's story of his meetings with Henry
have been attacked but the common
wealth considers that his story never
theless remains intact in its main fea-
lures