The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-11-30

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brother of the doomed man, had been
made in the superintendent's office
but Douglas did not appear.
The failure of any member of the
family to be present was welcomed
by the prison authorities, for they
feared their charge might break down
at the last moment.
Nearly Breaks Down.
For few brief moments yester-
day, Beattie broke down and it was
feared his remarkable nerve and sto-
icism were about to desert him. This
was when he took leave of his father
and brother, Douglas. When the
parting came, the son laid his head
on his fathers breast and sobbed con-
vulsively. One arm was flung across
his fathers shoulders, the other hand
gripped that of his brother. But ne
recovered quickly.
The fortitude of the elder Beattle
had more to do with the recovery
than the soothing words of the Rev.
Benjamin Dennis, who has labored
with the doomed prisoner. With
Spartan self-control, the father tried
to keep his sons emotions in check,
although the tears raced down his
cheeks and his lips twitched pathetl-
cally. No words were spoken, but the
young wife-murderer must have felt
the stern repression of his father, for
his sobs were strangled and straight
ened.
''Good-bye."
"Good-bye," he said, and turned
away. Neither father nor brother
trusted to make reply, but made their
way from the penitentiary. When
they entered it again, it was claim
the body of their kinsman.
Hazel, the 18-year-old sister of the
prisoner, and his two aunts, drove
to the prison in a closed carriage IN
the middle of the afternoon. They
were in the death chamber a trltie
more than an hour. When they
emerged, Hazel was on the verge OF
collapse while all three were mucA
agitated and weeping.
Their entrance and departure were
observed by a morbid crowd of sew
eral hundred persons, gathered to
witness the rumored visit of Beulah
Binford to the prison. The report
proved to be untrue, the girl whose
subtle power over young Beattie Il
said to have driven him to the kill
ing of his wife, having been discov-
cred in New York.
Expiates for Terrible Crime.
The crime for which Henry Clay
Beattie, Jr., was executed to-day was
one of the most sensational in the
criminal history of Virginia. Interest
in the murder was countrywide oW-
ing to it's unusual features and the
swift movement of justice. On the
night Of July 1S last, Beattie drove
his automobile into Richmond, carry
ing with him the body Of his wife
which had a gaping shotgun wound
in the head. He declared that a tall
bearded man had accosted him on
the Midlothian turnpike, five miles
from Richmond, and when he re-
quested the man to make room fol
him in the road, the stranger with
out warning had fired the shot which
killed Mrs. Beattie. He added that
he had grappled with the man, but
was overpowered and that the muir.
derer had fed, leaving the gun be-
hind. This story of the crime was
maintained by Beattie to the end.
For a brief time Beattie's story
was given some decree of credenoe.
but within a day or two suspicion be-
gan to point to him and he was kept
under the closest surveillance. Blood
hounds, taken to the scene of the
crime, refused to leave the place.
circling around the bloodspot on the
road.
Gun Leads to Conviction.
Beattie, it eventually transpired
had thrown the shotgun into the ton
neau of his automobile after the
shooting, but in passing over some
railroad tracks not far from the
scene it had been jolted out and was
picked up later by a negress. This
gun, which Beattie alleged had be-
longed to the mysterious highway
man, proved the means of sending
the young man to the electric chair.
At the coroner's inquest the weap-
on was identified by Paul Beattie, a
second cousin of young Henry, as the
weapon he had purchased for Henry
with money furnished by the latter.
Beattie was arrested Immediately af-
ter the inquest. This was on July
21, and on August 10, one month and
a. day from the time of the murder,
the trial was begun before Walter A.
Watson in the picturesque little Ches-
terfield county courthouse, .16 miles
from here.
The jury was made up almost en-
tirely of farmers, and on this fact
Beattie based his claim that he had
been convicted, not for the murder OF
his wife but because of his relations
with Beulah Binford, a notorious
young woman. He insisted to the
last that jury composed of city men
would have freed him. Beattie was
defended by H. H. Smith, Jr., and
Hill Carter. The prosecution was
conducted by L. o. Wendenberg and
L. NJ. Gregory.
Jurors Quick to Decide.
The trial moved swiftly, though