The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-25
....s.st he mar hey believed 70 be guilty. In.

Eathe man they believed to be guilty, the
3afor3 nd the court which tried and
Y 60 rliemne ed him. and higher appeilst tie
& 1rtttp,anals called upon to interfere, can
SSsftoolWSgb be absolutely assured that thay
d We're correct In their Judgment and
ISShat they have only aided in carrying
FSs the mandates of the law and in
rejecting society against criminals
oamiSht otherwise have hopes OF
II esndtng punishment
virginia has won golden opinions
" from the press and people of the en-
{; TIRE continent in the celebrity with which
Y This case has been handled. 1t is the
Il senerally expressed opinion that the
# example has done much as a deter
: rent to lawbreakers and as q beacon
Light Tor other States to follow.
Work of MIR. Dennis.
The public now knows that not the
q slightest injustice has been done. 1t
N satisfied. No small share OF COM
< mendation Is heard for Mr.. Dennis,
who. realizing the situation, prevailed
y on ii. Z. Beattie. Jr, to confess his
h guilt before the world. In reply to u
s contentton that II Is not q religious
5. requirement 10 have public confessions
n OF Sins. 1t Is recalled that Beattie swore
e that he WAS innocent and that his Of
tense was a public one. Tho horrors
%of a forctble taking of life by the
lS processes of law. at which the city and
y the confession of guilt.
Sts Relying on what he thought was the
lack of convincing evidence and on the
81 plauslbility OF his initial story of an
attack and shot by an armed stranger
e on the public highway. Beattie believed
Z that he would escape the death penalty.
! He maintained this conviction through
4 out his incarceration during the weeks
which followed the conviction and The
passing OF the sentence. He believed
IL when under some impulse he made
Wis early confession to Mr.. Dennis. He
. believed it when the Supreme Court
refused him writ OF error. He be-
tfHeved It even when Governor Mann
x declined TO interfere in any manner
with the execution of the judgment
by that time the Paul Beattie episode
had arisen. giving the prisoner hope.
When this revelation fell fiat, and
the Governor announced last Saturday
that he stood on his public statement
and would do SO unless something un-
,icreseen occurred. Beattie gave up for
the first time and refused to eat his
meals. From that moment he began
Z earnest preparations for death and
sought TO compose his mind for the
final ordeal and to prepare his soul for
.SHs Hight into the unknown.
5sfa Grim Tragedy In Prison.
1t was then not ditficult to prevail
upon him to sign Il confession which
would set the merits of the trial and
the death penalty right before the
rourts and the public forever.
< Nothing whatever occurred in the
grim tragedy of yesterday morning TO
I, distinguish it from the other electro
tcutions which have preceded IL save
only the intense public interest. Beat
tie arose ut the usual hour was dressed
In the partial array which is most con-
Senient, and spent the remaining min
'ntes OF his life In religious devotion
with Mr.. Dennis and Mr.. Fix. Tho
& twelve witnesses summoned by Super
tntendcnt Wood were all at the peniten-
t'ory by o'clock, the appointed hour
They were conducted to the death
chamber and there seated.
Work Quickly Done.
But nine minutes elapsed between
the entrance of the Jury" and the
moment when DR.. William r. Open
Sheimer. the prison surgeon, pronounced
J il enry Clay Benttie, Jr.. dead. He
died as he had lived-with self-control
and undaunted demeanor.. The wit
fnesses quietly flied out OF the cham
Der, and the body was removed from
The death chair to the adjoining NOR
ftuary room. At $40 1t was taken from
the prison IN an undertakcr's vehicle.
a iSeTe men to whom. in consid-
GRAFTON of certain circumstances, the
Governor might have listened had they
united in an appeal for Il reprieve of
thirty days. They stood ready to take
ouch action under certain circumstances
Indeed, consultation regarding this
matter was held as late as o'clock
on Thursday night. but 1t was deter
mined that no end which was desirable
could be subseryed. Beattlc had al
ready confessed, he was prepared to
die. and he had said he wanted no re-
prieve If there were no chance of a
communication OF sentence.
Inv Complied With.
Superintendent Wood, understanding
the intent of the Legislature to sur
round the details of an execution with
the utmost secrecy, took especial pains
to prevent the dlsseminaton of inior-
NATION. He admitted no newspaper
men, in accordance with q determine
ton pravieMsly''announced, and no en-
ploye OF the prison was permitted to
make any statement,
She first word OF any sort which
came from the death scene was n mes
sage telephoned by Major Wood TO the
office of The Times Dispatch. for the
use OF the Associated Press. announc-
ing that the death took place at 1928
Other news services, 1t was stated
were served with n guess, but the As
rociated Press had the first facts. A
special representative OF the organiza-
ton was in waiting In The Times
/. patch office, and Immediately sent out
bulletin. This information was es-