Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-12-01
BEATT|E OWNS UP,
THEN MEETS FATE
BRIEF SIGNED CONFESSION OF
GUILT CONTAINS NONE OF
MOTIVE FOR ACT.
LAST MESSAGE TO WORLD
Slayer Said "Mueh That Was Publish
ed Concerning Details Was Not
True, but the Awful Fact
Remains"
eEATTIE's CONFESSION.

Richmond, Va,-Aenry Clay Beattie,
Jr., before his death In the electric
chair confessed to the murder of his
wife. The statement which was given
out In the rotunda of downtown
hotel follows:
~, Henry Clay BeattIe, Jr., deslr-
Gus Of standing right before God and
man do on this the 23d day Of Novem-
ber, 1911, confess my guilt Of the
crime charged against me. Much
that was published concerning the de-
tails was not true, but the awful fact,
without the narrowing circumstances
remains. For this action, am truly
sorry, and believing that | am at
peace with God and am soon to pass
into his presence, this statement Is
made"
The confession was followed by the
following statement by the attending
ministers:
"Thls statement was signed In the
presence of two attending ministers
and Is the only statement that can
and will be made public by them.
MIR. Beattle desired to thank the
many friends for kind letters and ex-
presslons of Interest and the public
for whatever sympathy was felt or
expressed"
Henry Clay BeattIe confessed to the
Rev. Mr.. Dennis on November 9, but
requested that the clergyman keep
secret his admission of guilt from his
white haired parent. Then, when he
dictated and signed his public state
ment November %. he said:
"Don't tell Dad about It now. Keep
II from him until after I am dead.
Then show It to him and tell him
will meet him In Heaven, for | believe
! am going there and know that he
is. He's already saint, II ever a
human being was"
Richmond, Va.-Confessing to the
inhuman and brutal murder of
his wife, Henry Clay Beattie., Jr.,
went to his death in the electric
chair without a culver or a sign of
weakness, taking his place in the an
nails of crime as one of the most as
founding criminals the world has ever
known. With the calmness that mark
ed his planning and commission OF
the crime, Beattie, in his last hours or
earth, wrote and signed his confes
sion in the presence of his two spir
itual advisers in his cell. He ad
mitted that in cold blood he made VI
his mind that The beautiful wife who
had just borne him a son, was in the
way of his enjoyment of life as he
liked it. He admitted that he had de
cided life with Beulah Binford, ol
some other such girl, was the kim
of existence he calmly decided was
best fitted for his ideas of enjoyment
He did not intend to marry Beulat
Binford. In his frame of mind he de
liberately planned to murder his wife
Planned "Bearded Man" Before.
He had planned the story of the
mysterious bearded highwayman" il
advance, and it was true that hi
threw the body Of the woman acros:
the seat behind him as he sped will
the blood-stained automobile back tt
the home of her uncle.
His nerve and calmness were suffi
cient, but he lacked cunning. Hi:
story of the bearded man was to-
fiimsy, and on it the fabric of hi
crime first began to crumble.
He was not a good actor, for h,
knew but one part-the part of th
sneerer. He could not feign the grie
that would have marked man who's
wife had been murdered.
Then Signs Brief Statement.
Beattie was glad his wife was dead
He believed that he was about to b
what he thought was free" All thes
things he admitted in an astounding
confession made to the Rev. ]. ]. Fl
and the Rev. Benjamin Dennis. The
in their presence he signed brie
statement for the public.
The confession was the final crush
ing blow to the grief-torn gray-haire
father of the murderer. Yet in tn
frenzy of his grief, that father sa,
clearly the duty to society that re
manned, and said; 1T is right that
should be known. 1t is my wish tina
it should be made public"
Then the ministers handed out tn
formal statement of the confession.
Just Plain "Baby."
The last vestige of the case is tina
unknowing atom of humanity, tn
Beattie baby. The child, who now
an orphan, it's mother slain by it
father, its father executed by the Law
is with it's grandparents, Mr.. and Mri
Henry Owen of Dover. Del, At tn
time the young mother was slain tn
infant, then only six weeks old, ha
not been named. or christened. Th
ceremony was to have been perform
ed on the following Sunday. Th
fathers name was to have been b,
slowed upon the son. But the TRACED
halted that. And so from then unit
now the orphan has been, and is jus
Baby"
Ex-senator Dryden Is Dead.