The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-08
FILE EXCEPTIONS
IN BEATT|E CASE
Judge Watson Approves and
Certifies Bills to Clerk
of Court.
WAY CLEAR FOR PETITION
Few Objections Raised to Rec
ord by Judge and Prose-
cutting Attorneys.

Ono month ago to-day-September
S:.Henry Clay Beattie. Jr. was con-
vitted OF the murder OF his WIFE,
Louise Owen Beattie One month
preme Court of Appeals Of Virginia
| will begin Its autumn session IN this
city.
Preparation OF the record for tho
appeal which Will be taken from the
| Judgment of the Circuit Court of tho
county of Chesterfield has progressed
with reasonable Dispatch. Seventeen
! bills OF exceptions. representing so
| many objections to rulings of the trial
! NJ. Smith. Jr.. and Hill Carter. the
attorneys for Beattle. At meeting
! held between NIL the attorneys in the
case and Judge Walter A Watson.
these exceptions were gone over care
fully.
Few Corrections Made.
Louis o. Wendenburg. of counsel for
| the prosecution. voiced few objec-
lions to some of the points raised in
the bills OF exceptions, or rather 10
| the language employed. as not repro
ducing with absolute correctness the
points ruled on at the trial. Judge
| watson also called attention to sundry
| shades Of meaning. There were. how
ever no iserious criticisms to be made
! of the work of the attorneys for tho
! defense. and tho agreement OH the
| points involved was fairly general.
| Following this meeting Judge Wat
son signed the bills of exceptions and
certified them to tho clerk OF the CIR
cult Court. This was done on last
| Wednesday. The transcript of the
evidence, as prepared by John c. Win
! ston. the official stenographer, was
also examined and approved by the
judge and filed with the clerk
The next step will be an application
to the clerk for a transcript of the re-
J cord Of the case In his Office. and thi.
| VIII be done at once. The clerk must
make copies OF all orders issued, in.
! Guiding the summonses to the grant
and petit talesmen. the finding of tn,
Indictment. the constitution of the tria
Jury, tho adjonrning orders from da,
TO day. the verdict and the bills of eN.
ceptions.
VIII Prepare Petition.
preparation of the petition to the
Supreme Court for a new trial has not
yet been begun. the time having beer
| occupied in constructing the seventeen
bl!ls OF exceptions Inasmuch as the
attorneys have copies of the proceed
inEs before them, It will not be ne
cessary to have the official record while
writing the petition, but the record
must be hled with the petition when Il
Is presented to II. Stewart Jones. clerk
of the court OF last resort. The pet.
| ton Will review the bills of exceptions
! giving the reasons why tho attorney.
think the trial judge made mistakes IN
| rulings which should entitle the pris
| oncr to new trial. Law and prece
| dents will be cited. and the petition
VIII conclude with the plea that tn,
Judgment of the Chesterneld court b,
| reviewed and reversed
| The petition may or may not be pre-.
scented prior to the meeting of the
! court. II a writ of error is granted. n
is probable that a hearing cannot b,
mad before the January term. On the
olher hand, should the writ be refused
IL Is feit by many people that the
court will DO what IL rarely does-os
sign its reasons in writing on its frst
! opinion day-Novcmber IS