Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-08-25

HAS NERVES OF IRON
Dress Of Mrs. Bcattie and Crimson
Splashed Onto Brought In-Phy-
Sicians Testify For State.
(By ]. j. ONeil.

10y j. j. " Nell
Chesterfield Court House, Va, Aug.
4-About noon today, toward the con-
elusion of the first session of court
at which testimony was taken in the
trial of Henry Clay Beattie on the
charge of having murdered his Young
wife, Louise Owen Beattie a suitcase
was brought into court and from it
were taken some crimson stained gar
ments-a waist and one thing or an
other which the girl had worn when
she was shot TO death
About the same time an automobile
was driven up the narrow road, lead
ing 10 this tiny, ancient temple of JUS
tlee, with red marks upon its cushions
and forward flooring
Two men bowed their heads in sor-
row as the lawyers inside the court
house fingered the linens and passed
them from ole 10 another. and curl
Gus crowd half White, half black, sur
rounded the motor ear and stared at
its ominous markings The men were
Tom Owen, the young victims uncle.
and Beattie himself
Just a year ago today said the
boy who is on trial for hi lie we
We're getting ready to Ste aNay in
chat old boat cold boat is the most af-
fectionate term an antomoaife owner
can apply to his caro- Yes lust "A
year ago Things have turned out
pretty tough since then. It's not much
of an anniversary"
He meant that ON August 25, 1910.
he and Louise Owen were preparing
to start on their honeymoon. He look
ed at the machine and kept his eyes
away from the spotted garments.
But Tom Owen, the uncle, gazed at
them, rather than at the car and said:
Just year ago, at this very time,
Louise was showing her pretty wed
ding gown to her girl chums. I re-
membered how they fingered the stuff.
And now these attorneys and jurors
are looking over her clothing to help
decide whether or not Louise's hus-
band shall go to the chair.
Not only these chief characters but
spectators and even jurors, knew
about and commented upon the ami
versary. Recollection of it seemed to
have considerable effect upon the
young defendant, for there was little
of his usual jauntiness manifest.
Yet the day did not go badly against
him. The state presented seven wit
nesses; but they brought out nothing
that had not already been known
through the coroner's inquest or
through public gossip. Tom Owen, the
uncle, told how Young Beattie had
driven to the Owen home on the night
of July Is with his wife's body in his
automobile and had told the story of
having been held up by man, angry
because the motor had nearly struck
him, and how this man had shot at
him and hit his wife. The most dam
aging part of Tom Ovens testimony
was that the boy had not exhibited any
pronounced signs of grief, but had ask !
ed persistently for drink of whis-
key.
While Tom Owen was talking Prose- /
cutting Attorney Wendenberg was ex-
perimenting with the single-barrel |
shotgun, with which the state charges
Beattie shot his wife. The lawyer
cooked it and pulled the trigger. The
hammer came down wit ha loud click
not two feet behind the boy defend
ants neck. He stared for moment;
then turned and smiled pleasantly at
Wendenberg. He has nerves of steel
If he is allowed an instant to pull
them together.
Three doctors, Herebert Mann, T.
Wilbur Mercer and Coroner J. B. Loy-
ing-gave medical testimony about the
nature of the wound which killed Mrs.
Beattie. There was a hole in her head
the size of half dollar, they said.
Within it they found. with their for
ceps, Quantity of No. shot and cot
ton wadding of the shell, indicating
it had been fired from very short
range. The course of the shot was
slightly upward and to the right, con-