Evening star., 1911-08-24
INCIDENTS OF NIGHT
OF MURDER ARE TOLD
Severe Cross Examination Then Be-
gun by Attorneys for Defense.
BLOOD STAINED AUTO ON HAND
Prisoner Views Machine as It Ar
rives at Courthouse-Today
Anniversary Of Cou-
ple's Marriage.

CHESTERFIELD COURTHOUSE
August 4.-The blood-stained automobile
in which Louise Owen Beattie met her
death was driven into the yard Of Ches-
terfield courthouse early today just be-
fore the trial of Henry Clay Beattie, jr.,
| indicted for wife murder, was resumed.
The prisoner was on the lawn when the
| machine arrived and he calmly inspected
1t. His father raised the cushion of the
front seat, revealing a mass Of coagulated
blood on the wooden work.
The court convened at 1880 o'clock and
the prisoner took his seat promptly To-
| day was the first anniversary of his mar
| riage to the woman he is accused of mur-
dering.
More than sixty witnesses subpoenaed
by the commonwealth were called from
the lawn, sworn in and instructed to re-
main outside near the courtroom, but not
near enough to hear testimony through
the open windows. With a few excep-
tions both sides agreed to exclude all
witnesses from the room while not testi-
flying.
Uncle Takes. Stand.
Thomas Owen. uncle of Mrs. Reattie, to
whose home the prisoner brought the
body after the tragedy, took the witness
stand at 11:2O.
While the prisoner gazed fxedly at
him Mr.. Owen told how Beattie drove
up to the house on the night of the MUIR
der. took his young wife for a ride in
the car and returned an hour later with
the dead body beside him. He said
Beattie cried. My God! My God!" as he
drove up, and that Beattie shouted,
They have killed Louise.
Briefly and simply Mr.. Owen told how
the body was lifted from the car but
said he did not examine the body at the
time. When It was prepared for burial
check, which ne described as being as
big as half dollar AS the witness
said this Beattie mumbled half dollar
loud enough for those near him to hear
Beattie.s blood-soaked clothes were un-
identified them. The singie-barrel shot
gun, with which the commonwealth says
the shot was fired. then was exhibited.
Mr. Owen identified the gun as the
one shown at the coroner's inquest. at
which time Paul Beattie swore that he
had purchased 1t for his cousin Then
the witness described the scene of the
crime on the night of the murder.
Beattie watched Mr.. Owen like a hawk
as the testimony proceeded, and now
and then shook his head as if in con-
tradiction
seemed 70 BE Gr1eved.
did you observe the conduct Of the
accused at the house after the murder?'
Owen was asked.
He seemed to be grieved, and 1 tried
to keep him out of the room where the
body was,'' said the witness. He
asked me for some whisky. and 1 sent
out for some, and several times he in
quired if his wife was dead He also
requested several times that I phone
to his father"
ITO what extent did Beattie use the
whisky" asked counsel for the COM
monwealtn.
II am pretty certain 1 saw him take a
half-pint bottle empty" He could not
swear, however, that the prisoner had
drunk it all.
The witness described the bearded
highwayman" pictured to him by Beat
tie as his wife's murderer, repeated
Beattie's story of the alleged encounter
and told of a scratch on Beattie's face
which the prisoner had said the man on
| the road inflicted.
Did the accused render you any aid in
| an attempt to identify the assassin
| Owen was asked.
! His description of the man was his
only aid replied the witness.
Witness Gets Confused.
| When the commemorative counsel an
nounced that 1t was through with the
witness Attorney H. NJ. Smith, jr., for
/ the defense began the cross-examination
Beattie toyed with pencil, but closely
| followed the testimony. Under the ordeal
the witness became bit confused as to
several incidents on the night of the mur-
der. With view to showing that If
Beattie had contemplated murder he
| would not have selected the Midlothian
] turnpike. the witness was asked to de-
scribe the highway. which he admitted,
| was one popular with automobilists
who first suggested bloodhounds to
| trace the assassin" asked Mr.. Smith,
! II think / did, said Owen
do you not recall Henry having said
| Get the hounds and spare no expense ?'-''
| 81 remember nothing of the kind