Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-08-15
beattie Faces
Fight for Life
YOUNG ViRGlNiAN TO GO TIC
TRIAL NEXT MONDAY.
ACCUSED OF. WIFE MURDER
Aged Father to Stand by Him
woman in the case"t Appears in
court-Judse's Charge to Grand Jury

Chesterfield Court House, Va, Aug
14--Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., a young
Virginian of good birth and breeding,
will be placed on trial for his life here
next Monday in the little red brick
court house built more than one hun
dred and sixty years ago. A grand
jury today returned against him a true
bill charging him with wife murder,
and if convicted in the first degree he
may be sent to the electric chair.
Judge Wants Speedy Trial.
Counsel for the defense fought hard
Judge Walter A. Watson of the -Ches-
terfield circuit court held that the in
terests of the commonwealth demanded
a speedy trial, and accordingly set the
case for week from today.
Jurors DeIiberated Two Hours.
Already held guilty by a coroner's
jury of having shot his bride in mo-
tor car on the night of July Is, the in
dictment of Beattie today was purely
perfunctory. Only four witnesses were
heard. but the jurors deliberated for
two hours before they returned the
broad Indictment covering all degrees
of homicide.
Cousin and Paramour Did Not Appear
Neither Paul Beattie. cousin of the
defendant, nor Beulah Binford, for the
love of whom the state will charge that
IoSdltle hlliSu Ills Wlle. appeared DeIOrS
the jury. although both We're brought
here from Richmond. The Binford girl,
now only II years old, was prettily
dressed in a blue tailor suit and a big
picture hat. She appeared unruff1ed
by the stares of the curious, althoug
she shielded her face from photogrd :
piers with her fan.
Father to Stand by Accused.
Not only was the defendant not
Snrof in n11y~f %nCc hut
Der of his Immediately family put in
appearance. His aged father had Sa.
that he will stand by him to the end,
but he avoided the notoriety Of at
tending today's proceedings. Thomas
Owen, an uncle of Beattie's wife, was
a grand jury witness and was the only
relatives from that side of the ease.
No Women in Court Room.
A striking feature of the day was
the absence of, women. There was not
one, black or white, in the court room
The little court room holds normally
only so persons, but perhaps $50
crowded into it today, while others
gWarmed about windows and doors
Perhaps to discourage further attend
ance of curiosity seekers at the trial
Judge Watson commanded all disin-
tereSted spectators to remain standing
He discouraged many in this way, and
several of the less curious retired dis
gruntled.
Counsel Plead for Delay.
HI. II. Hall and Hill Carter, both well
known criminal lawyers, appeared in
Beatties behalf. Both pleaded that the
case be started not earlier than the
first Monday in September, but L. O.
Wendenburg and L. NJ. Gregory for the
prosecution argued that the sentiment
of the people demanded swift justice
and won their point.
The Judges Charge.
In charging the grand jury Judge
Watson said that the Midlothian turn
pike, where the crime was committed
had become as well known as Wall
street. He lamented the brutal fea-
lures of the case without referring to
Beattie by name and deplored the no
toriety brought to the community. he
said in conclusion:
II charge that you diligently inquire
at whose hands an innocent and de-
fenseless young lady came to her death
and with reasonable certainty to idel-
tify the perpetrator, that we may place
him on his trial.