The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-09-21
THINKS BEAITiE
WILL WEAKEN
Tendency Is Against Confessions.
Beattie Not Believed TO Have
the Slightest Idea Of Suicide.
McCue, Cluverius and
Phillips.
RHO MOND. VA-Special

RI c II MO n d, VA-Special.-l
Although interest in the Deatie
case, TO a noticeable extent. has sub
sided, thousands OF people still are
specializing on the possibility OF the
prisoners confessing.
Some think that in the event he
gets no satisfaction from the Supreme
Court or clemency from the Cover
nor, he will go to the chair with his
lips sealed.
Luther L. Scherer is of the con-
trary opinion. He believes that after
the last hope has been removed from
the breast Of the prisoner he will tell
all he knows about the crime.
Mr.. Scherer is Of the opinion that
the prisoners attitude viii change a
great deal when once he realizes that
there is no chance of his escaping
the death sentence.
The secret service man thinks Beat
tie has been buoyed up by excitement
and the wonderful publicity that has
come to him through the newspapers.
He also believes that the young
husbands seeming courage and nerve
are due to his confidence in his faith
er's money to save him from the
clutches of the law.
once these props are knocked from
un6er Hmm, the prisoner, according to
the Surmises- of Mr.. Scherer. viii tell
everything he knows.
My people incline to the belief
that attic will reveal nothing to the
public through a fear lest a confess
sion plunge his fanny into disgrace
Othela mink that in his last moments
4 he would experience a sense of relief
in laying bare his soul and admitting
everything.
"Preccdents'' Against It.
The "precedentS" of the past in
Virginia have not indicated a ten
dency on the part of murderers to
make frank and open confessions.
To this day no one appears to know
whether or not Cluverius confessed.
Certainly he gave out no formal state
ment to the public although il has
always been said that he pointed out
20 the Rev. DR.. Hatcher, his spiritual
adviser, a certain scriptural quotation
which indicated his guilt.
Samuel McCue, who had several
preachers to attend him during his
Incarceration, did confess in a fash
ion, but not in a formal way.
On the day he was hanged-in fact
Immediately after the trap had shot
from under him-the preachers au-
thorized the reporters TO announce
that the prisoner had admitted his
guilt.
that is. he told a little one day and
a little the next until the whole Sc
cret was out. And about all the con-
fession amounted to was a statement
that McCue had been prompted by
the devil" Details were withheld.
AS reporters were constantly in
Charlottesville during the imprison-
ment of McCue. he could at any time
have satisfied public curiosity by g
circumstanual statement, but this he
did not choose TO do.
Evidently he did not find honest
confession good for his soul.
Possibility of Suicide.
1t is not going too far TO say that
the public also has INDUCED in many
speculations as TO whether or not
Henry Clay Beattie. Jr., will attempt
suicide.
- To judge by his conduct up to the
leresent time, he does not entertain
the slightest idea of self-destruction
Indeed, one might be justified in say
ing that life today seems as dear &c
him as il does TO any man in Virginia
OF course solitary confinement and
the loss of hope might change his
mood and make him collapse, but the
signs do not point that way at present
And besides. il is the business OF
those keeping the death watch 20 keel
prisoners from cheating the law
McCue, in order to make people be-
lieve that his wife had been murdered
by a burglar. and that he himself haC
been attacked, inflicted small scratch
on his face-one that merely Scrapeo
off a little skin.
Beattie, in order to make people be-
1ieve that his wife had been murdered
by a man with a scraggly beard,
and that he himself had been attack
ed, exhibited a trivial wound on his
nose-one scarcely perceptible a week
afterwards.
Neither trick was the act Of a truly
brave man-one unafraid of physical
pain.
And McCue certainly made no at
tempt to end his life while awaiting
his final trip to the gallows.
Reasoning by analogy, Henry Clay
Beattie, Jr., will be even slower &c
contemplate suicide.
The wife murderer, Jeter Phillips
who was hanged in Henrico, had al
least two pportunities-good ones
toto escape jail, but he awaited
himself of neither. Nor did he ever
attempt self-destruction.