Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-25
THE BEATTIE TRIAL.
Rapid Progress In Sensational Vir-
ginia Murder Case.

There has been no unnecessary de-
lay in the Beattie murder trial which
was commenced at Chesterfield court
house, near Richmond last Monday.
The empaneling Of jury was a COM
paratively simple matter. Most of the
talesmen had read the papers; but at
the same time they were willing to
swear that their opinions were not
such as could not be changed by the
testimony. Quite a number seemed
anxious to serve, rather than other
wise; but mainly through a desire to
do their duty. The panel was COM
pleted by Wednesday and the case
was we'll opened up yesterday.
Seven witnesses were examined
during the day. OF these two were
physicians. DR.. Herbert Mann, and
DR.. Wilbur Mercer, who examined the
body of Mrs. Beattie on the night Of
the murder. The others were Thorn
as Owen, a court stenographer. uncle
of Mrs. Beattie; Detectives Wren and
Wiltshire Of Richmond, who investi-
gated the case; Coroner Loving Of
Chesterfield county, and May Stuart,
middle-aged woman, who told Of
Beattie's associations with Beulah
Binford. None of the witnesses ex-
cept Mr.. Owen recalled that Beattie
had displayed any grief over the trag-
edy. Others said they had not seen
him shed a tear.
With the first witnesses called
merely to establish the death Of Mrs.
Beattie, their testimony was largely
a review Of what came out at the
inquest, and it was not until May
Stuart took the stand that the prose-
cution began its attempts to disclose
the motive for the crime. She swore
to Beattie's relations with the Binford
girl. She had seen them for the last
time, she said, July II, the night be-
fore the crime. Beulah Binford, she
years.
The commonwealth introduced in
evidence a letter written by the de-
fendant to the Binford girl.
AS far as could be determined from
the nature Of the testimony yesterday.
it appears to be the purpose Of the
prosecution to show that Beattie had
grown tired of his wife, because Of his
great fondness for other women and
that he took her out in an automobile,
got out of the vehicle, took position
on the side of the road and shot her to
death. Because of blood stains that
were found in the road, however, there
was some confusion Of theory as to
whether Mrs. Beattie was in the auto
mobile at the time she was shot. The
prosecution seems to have the idea,
however that Beattie commenced the
murderous work while his wife was on
the ground. That he first knocked her
down with the butt Of the gun, then
lifted her into the automobile and shot
her
Thomas Owen, uncle of Mrs. Beattie,
to whose home the prisoner brought
the body after the tragedy, told how
Beattie drove up to the house on the
night Of the murder, took his young
wife into 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"
He 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, however, he saw
the wound in the left cheek which he
described as being as big as a half
dollar" AS the witness said this Beat
tie mumbled half dollar" loud enough
for those near him to hear. Beattie's
blood soaked clothes were unrolled be-
fore the jury and the witness identified
them. The single -barreled shotgun
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 Paul Beattie swore that he had
purchased il for his cousin.