Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-11-25
Ministers Issue Statement.
lBy Morning Journal Special Leased wire.l
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IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire.I
Richmond. Va, Nov. 24.-Henry
CLAW Beattie, Jr, went to his death at
dawn today, the confessed murderer
o. mis- youns We, although the con-
fession was not made public until
four hours after he had paid the toll
exacted by the law.
He maintained to the end the re-
markable nerve he had exhibited
since first he was accused of killing
his wife last July. His last express
sion was a sneer when he observed
the chair that was TO launch him in
to eternity.
The confession was made public In
the rutunda of a downtown hotel by
the Rev. Benjamin Dennis, one OF
the ministers who mad labored with
Reattie to repent. AS a matter OF fact,
it was acknowledged by the minister,
Beattie first admitted his gullt NO
yember 9, the day after he entered
the death cell and before the fruitless
appeal for a commutation oc sentence
was made to Governor Mann.
1t was not until yesterday that ne
would agree to its being put in writ
ing for his signature. Then all hope
that the governor would interfere
was gone.
Beatties attitude throughout the
trial and his Imprisonment was a
study for a psychologist. lie read the
newspapers with avidity. Every ref
erence to his iron nerve and to the
fact that he was going to the chalr
without acknowledging his crime III
the hope of saving his aged father
further sorrow according to those
who were with him to the end, seem
ed to afford him supreme satlstac-
ton Apparently he gloated over tht
notoriety his crime had brought him
Even after his confession he nam
tanned his air of bravado.
What had, since November >, been
considered stoicism, now Is recoghH-
ed as cynleism His remarkable nerve
now seems to have had it's basis ana
support in the knowledge that he WaS
being applauded as a man of spartan
courage and inflexible will.
The secret of his confession was
held involate by the ministers unu
today Not even the broken-hearte'
father knew of it's existence trlend'
of the family, declare. Not until toul
hours after he had been pronouheee
dead In the death chamber IN tn'
state prison, were the murderers at
torneys eognizant that he had mau'
clean breast of his guilt. With IN
same intrepidity that had marked hi'
conduct from the beginning Beattl'
went to the chair and brought th'
sordid story to dramatic end.
The shock that killed Beattie wa
given at exactly 7:19 o'clock TIM
morning Three times the curreh
was turned on and at 1928 1t was shu
off. Doctors w. T. and st. Jullai
0ppenheimer, a minute later, an
nounced that death had been instan
taneous.
In addition TO the two physician
there were gathered in the deatl
house when Beattie appeared tn
twelve witnesses to the electrocution
as required by law, the Revs. John j
FIX and Benjamin Dennis, MaJo
James B. Woods, superintendent o
the penitentiary. the electrician AM
lour deputy wardens.
The room was flooded with ign
from a group of incandescent lamp
set in a low ceiling and a light ina
swung on its cord Immediately abov
the chair.
There was no conversation, al
present seeming anxious to be done.
The electrician brought a boar
studded with electric bulbs and lal
1t across the chair arms. The lamp
blazed brightly. Then the instrumeh
of death was tested and finally al
signal attendants went over the ap
paratus. attaching the deadly elec
trodes and testing every strap an
clamp.
When the preiminaries were owe
superintendent Woods, accompanie
by two deputies, threw back an iro
studded door and started for Tn
death cell. Instantly the death cham
Der was plunged in blachness win