Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-08-01
MAY HAVE CHANGE Of
VENUE IN BEAT TIE CASE.
Difficulties Anticipated in Securing
Jurymen to Try Beattie- e---More
Damaging Evidence.

Richmond, Va, Aug. 1.-What tn
prosecution regards as the strongcs
link in its case against Henry Cla
Beattie, ir., charged with the murdc
OF his wife, was developed this after
noon when two residents OF the segre
gated district OF Norfolk, Va, brough
on here, told detective Scherer tha
they heard Beattie promise Beulal
Binford, the Other Woman, in resor
at Norfolk, that he would get rid 0
his wife.
The two witnesses were Ida Hildretl
and Mabel Shafer. The latter tolt
Scherer that one evening last April :
party CT two men and two women, Que
couple Of which she identified as Beattit
land the Binford girl, came to her place
at Norfolk.
The man, whom she asserted was
Beattie, urged the girl to leave Norfolk
and return to Richmond, and accord
ing to her story, the girl, whom both
women swore was Beulah, answered
that there was nothing in it for her ut
Richmond" long as Beattie's wife was
living.
According to the two women, the
man answered that he would get rid
of his wife," They said they then be-
lieved that the man meant quit" by
get rid Of. ;"
When taken to Jail, both women were
said to have positively identified both
Beattie and the Binford girl. They
will be returned to Norfolk this evening.
Both signed sworn statement today,
and promised to ret urn to testify.
Richmond, Va, Aug. THAT a
change Of venue will have to be secured
to remove the trial OF Henry Clay
Beattic, jr., to some other county than
Chesterfield, was the opinion privately
expressed by counsel for both sides
here today.
Beattie's indictment on the charge OF
numbering his wife is expected with
in the next two weeks. Justice moves
swiftly in Virginia, and the trial
on the indictment is expected be-
fore the last OF the month. In getting
ready for the court battle, counsel
have discovered that practically every
person in Henrico country who has
not formed an opinion on the case-and
nearly everybody has-is related in
some way either to Henry Clay Beattic,
the accused man, or his dead wife.
That there will be great difficulty in
obtaining jury was admitted today:
and related closely or distantly to 4
hundred or more families in the county.
The accused man was in sullen
humor today because the authorities
deprived him of his guitar, which has
been the soacc Of his idle days in
Richmond jail A report that Beattie
bad told his brother that he
would make away with himself rather
than go the electric chair" caused the
fear among the Jail authorities that the
prisoner might attempt suicide with the
steel strings on his guitar. He was
accordingly deprived of The instrument.
1t was bitter loss TO Beattie, as he has
spent most OF his time heretofore in
strumming rag-time.
Today, however, he devoted his time
to cheap novels OF the Dick Dead-eyc'
type, several score of which were pur'
chased for him at his urgent request,
Tbs sullen, stoical attitude OF tn
man, and his craving for lurid litera
ture are combination unexplicable tc
the guards.
Beulah Binford, the sevcnteen-year
old "Other Woman" will be removed
to another jall today. The prosecution
desires to prevent all chance OF com
municatiOn between the girl and Beattie