Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-11-24
stepped back.
shock Kills Quickly.


! stantly Beattie's body stinened with
such violence that the straps creaked
with the strain, the clamps ratified as
Of death, and then that which once had
been Henry Clay Beattie, Jr.. relaxed.
1t was just 1923 a. M. when the
shock was applied. one minute later
Beattie was dead. The surgeon had
had listened for another faint beating
of the heart that less than sixty sec
onds before had lived. He stepped
back.
"He is dead.' The witnesses filed
they stepped into the early morning
light and seemed relieved to breath the
fresh air.
History Of the Crime.
The crime for which Henry Clay
Beattie, Jr.. was executed today was
one Of the most sensational In the
criminal history Of Virginia. Interest
in the murder was countrywide owing
to its unusual features and the swift
movement Of Justice.
On the night Of July IS last. Beattie
drove his automobile into Richmond,
carrying with him the body of his wife.
which had gaping shot gun wound in
the head. He declared that a tall,
bearded man had accosted him on the
Midlothian turnpike. Ave miles from
Richmond, and when he had requested
the man to make room for him In the
road the stranger without warning had
fired the shot which killed Mrs Beattie.
He added that he had grappled with
the man but was overpowered and that
the murderer had fled leaving the gun
behind. This story of the crime was
maintained by Beattie to the end.
For a brief time Beattie's story was
given some degree of credence. but
within a day Or two suspicion began
to point to him and he was kept under
the closest surveillance. Bloodhounds,
taken to the scene Of the crime, refused
to leave the place. circling around the
bloodspot on the road.
Lost Gun Proves UndoinQ.
Beattie 1t eventually transpired had
thrown the shotgun into the tonneau
Of his automobile after the shooting
but in passing over some railroad
tracks not far from the scene 1t had
been jolted out and was picked up
| later by negress. This gun, which
Beattie alleged had belonged to the
mysterious highwayman, proved the
means Of sending the young man to
the electric chair.
At the coroner's inquest the weapon
| was identified by Paul Beattie, Sec
ond cousin Of young Henry. as the
weapon he had purchased for Henry
with morey furnished by the latter.
Deattie was arrested Immediately after
the inquest This was on July 21, and
on August 19, one month and q day
after the murder the trial was begun
before Judge WalterlA. Watson, in the
picturesque little Chesterfield county
courthouse sixteen miles from here.
Jury Of Farmers Convict.
The jury was made up almost en-
tirely Of farmers, aand on this fact
Beattie based his claim that he had
boen 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.
The trial moved swiftly, tho many
witnesses testified, and on Sept 8, af-
ter fifty-eight minutes of consideration
and prayer the jury. in chorus instead
Of thru its foreman. declared Beattie
to be guilty Of the murder Of his wife.
Motion for new trial was denied and
Nov. "a set as the day for the execu-
ton.
On Nov. 13 the Virginia supreme
court Of appeals refused to grant an
appeal on write of error, and two
days later Governor Mann, who had
been appealed to for communication or
reprieve, issued statement declaring
that the interests CT the people OF Viz
ginia demanded that Beattie should
die In the electric chair