The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-29
DEAD GIRL SPEAKS
THROUGH MOTHER
Motive OF Murder Indicated by Testimony of Mrs Robert v
Owen, Whose Coming Was One Of YeserdaYs SURPRISES

Yesterday marked the beginning
OF the end in the Beattie trial. the
end OF the hopes OF his friends and
dear ones Tor favorable outcome
Of the case.
Unbiased minds had long since ar
fiFed at the conclusion that nothing
short Of the appearance of the nlrs-
ferrous midnight murderer himself
with some indisputabIe evidence that
the gun found at the Belt Line was
his instead Of the one bought By Paul
Seattle for his cousin, Henry, would
clear the accused of the awful crime
placed at his door.
The cry Of the defense thus far has
been motive, motive! They have
summoned long list Of good pao-
pie whom they expect will swear that
the marital lils- Of Henry Clay Beat
tie, Jr.. and Louise owen Beattie
was one long dream that they never
had cross word, but Louise owen
Seattle spoke from the grave yester-
day through her mothers voice and
fastened brand upon the prisoner
as horrible, as vicious. as obnoxious
20 every clean souled man or woman
as the very brand Of Cain itself which
the law now seeks to pat upon him.
The surprise Il Sprung.
The surprise that the prosecution
promised fer yesterday was sJr-
prise indeed. 1t came when. at the
conclusion of the cross-examination OF
Special Agent scherer. when a taxi
cab drew UP In the court yard at the
| back door Of tho courthouse and
lady heavily yelled was escorted into
the room,
With the exception Of some close
friends the Commemorative repre-
sentatiyes and Henry Clay Beattis
Jr.. There was hardly n soul in the
room who knew who the lady was
and whom Il was announced that
Mrs. Robert V, owen. the bereaved
heart-broken mother of Louise owen
Beattie, would he sworn, there was
Il genuine sensation.
Mrs. owens arrival here last night
at O'Clock had been carefully kept
from the public ard the iCure or more
newspaper representatives later in
the day congratulated MI Scherer
/ upon the scoop he had scored on
them.
Benttie loses Nerve.
The minute he recognized his moth
er-in-law Henry clay Beattie seemed
! To lose that wonderful control over
1 himself which l. had up TO that
time shown, His eyes dropped to the
table and the rope that he had long
had that the mother Of his slain
wife would not come t. Virginia TO
testify against him was swallowed up
in grim forebodings as TO the out
come of 1t ail.
!. Never once looking In the direction
Of the man whom she knew had
wrecked her daughters happiness and
firmly believes had deprived her Of
her life, this gentle, refined. delicate
tlady. With all the deliCacY of EXPIRES
Ia M a ~
lions IF counsel. told ali she knew of
the horrible physical condition Of her
dead daughter husband as the dear
one gone. in the bitterness of her soul,
had described and proved 70 her
| AS in low voice the bereaved
mother told of the awful results of
the sin of her son-tn law there was
tenseness in the atmosphere OF the
| courtroom distinctly felt by every per
! son present. Il WAS felt that lust
1 50 sure as thts good woman was
| speaking the truth, a she had sworn
! to do speaking only those things that
she did know. tust 50 surely was the
| fate Of Henry Gay Beattie, Jr., being
Nather's worsis- Few
| VI words were few. The exami-
t|tion was not prolonged and the
>crOss- exam nation was even brtffer at
I t0FHeSs i'' P'th SlucS 7'tp"iiS tHF
greatest possible consideration for the
! witness and COUGHING the inquiries
relative to unpleasant matters in the
most delicate language possible
{ Mrs Owen, being sworn testified
! that her home was In Dover, Del.
where she had lived since last May.
Are you the mother OF tho late
Mrs. Henry Clay Beattie, Jr - asked
MIR Wendenburg.
"I am"
did you pay a visit TO your daugh-
ter prior TO her death"
YES. sir