Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-11-28

presence Of the two attending min
listers and Is the only statement that
can and will be made public by them.
Mr. Beattie desired to thank the
many friends for kind letters and
expressions Of interest and the pub
lie for whatever sympathy was felt
or expressed"
The attending ministers would not
| discuss the case in any way until
they had visited Beattic's parents in
South Richmond and had secured
their permission to make the confes-
| sion public.
The confession evidently was made
| at the eleventh hour, when Beattie
finally became convinced that all
hope of escaping the electric chair
| had passed. Two days ago Rev. Dr..
Fix announced that Beattie had said
he would not confess. This was as
cribed to the fact that Beattie de-
sired to spare his father the blow of
| admitting guilt after his many pro-
'So'"'ioiio VI lHloCcuCo 10 the aSCQ
parent.
In Beattie's mind there was
struggle between f1lial devotion and
! desire not to go to his death with
lie OH his lips.
He was urged to confess by his
spiritual advisers, and at last broke
down.
The Death Chamber.
Young Beattie's death chamber
| was below ground. 1t has no win
dows. Because Of it's isolation and
the death cells adjoining, the cham
Der Is silent as an abandoned tomb.
black cable dropped. 1t was the
heavy main wire leading from the
dynamos Of the city lighting plant,
half-mile away. The prison au-
thoritics do not depend on their own
dynamos for the fatal shock.
Over this cable poured 2,2O0 volts
OF electricity. 1t was as silent as it
was deadly. There was no purring
power. When the cxccutioner turn
ed on the full voltage and the body
responded to the fearful shock the
witnesses gasped. There was no
warning.
For full minute the current raced
through the body cells OF the con-
demned youth. For five seconds it
was kept at its maximum power and
then was diminished slowly during
about twelve seconds. When the
needle on the indiactor pointed to
1000 volts 1t remained stationary
there three seconds and then slowly
through another twelve seconds
moved around again to maximum,
where 1t remained vibratory for
three seconds. Then back to the
maximum twice again it took it's
course, until, at the expiration of a
full minute the current was shut off.
Bcattic's death was instantaneous,
according to the prison surgeon. The
utmost care had been taken in the
preparing the straps and clamps to
withstand any strain.
There was no slip. The murder
ers exit was as painless as modern
science could provide.
The Witnesses.
The witnesses were seated. six
abreast, in an agile OF tho room. They
Shufiicd their feet uneasily, and when
one leaned forward to speak to ano-
thcr his action was received with
frowns. Major Woods, with two
deputy wardens, addressed the wit
ncSScs, going through some small
formalitics demanded by the law.
Then, with his two men tro0ping be-
hind, he passed out into the building
where Bcattie waited the summons
in his cell adjoining.
Scene in Death Chamber.
In the death chamber the voice Of
the warden could be plainly heard
reading to the doomed man the final
summons. The wardcns voice dron.
ed on, 1t scmed to the witnesses, in
terminably. In reality the compl-
ancc with the law occupied only a
brief moment. Then, with Bcattia
between them, the deputy wardens
began their progress toward the chair
, only few feet a way.
When the procession, followed by
superintendent Woods startnd q
signal was given which. plunged the