Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-08-31
PROSECUTION
RESTS IN THE
B:|E|A|TT|E ! CASE
Last Evidence Submitted is
Intended to Offset Lads
Story Of Finding More
Than One Blood Spot.
DEFENSE WILL CALL
PRISONERS COUSIN


Damaging Testimony for
State, to be Summoned to
the Stand Again.
Chesterfield Court House, Va, Aug.
80. The prosecution rested its case
at noon today against Henry Clay
Beattie. Jr., under Indictment for the
murder OF his wife, and the defense
began the introduction Of Its wit,
nesses.
Before any witnesses for the de-
tense were summoned court recessed
for few minutes to permit the de
fendant's counsel to argue point
with Judge Watson in the absence of
the jury. concerning the striking out
of certain evidence introduced by the
prosecution.
The commonwealth had occupied a
week In placing its case before the
jury. Today the prosecution produced
fourteen witnesses, mostly county
detectives, to controvert the testi-
mony of young Alexander Robertson
as to the presence of more than one
bloodspot on the Midlothian turnpike
where Mrs. Beattie was killed.
The state had contended that the
big blood spot where the murder oc-
Cured was not caused by dripping
from the machine In which the hus-
band alleged his wife was seated
when shot, declaring that no blood
whatever could have oozed through
the bottom of the car, and the grease
drip pan beneath. It was a detail in
this case, but by concentrating atten-
ton on the single blood spot, the
commonwealth intended to show chat
the woman was murdered in differ
ent manner from that described by
the husband.
The defense announced early in the
day that it would call Paul Beattie
to the stand again.
Court convened at 1926 O'clock and
Harry M. Smith Jr., counsel for the
defense, announced that several OF
his witnesses were excused as he said
certain phases of the cases antici-
pated had not been touched upon by
the prosecution"
Miss Louise Reams was the prosecu-
tion's first witness for the day. She
said she was maid Of honor at Mrs.
Beattie's wedding. Miss Reams identi-
fled as the property Of Mrs. Beattie
hair pin alleged to have been worn
by the dead woman the night Of the
murder Under cross-examination she
admitted the hair pin was of kind
worn by hundreds of women.
,5ts na% Iorpo11 focfifiod ~ fhof ho
had searched for blood spots between
the owen house and the scene Of the
crime the night OF the murder and
the day following, Wednesday He
said there was but one blood spot and
he searched the road carefully, he de.
clared.
did you know that Alexander Rob
ertson claimed there were any more
blood spots?"
mo; hadn't found any, and I had
looked so carefully that paid no at
tention to what anyone said"
"After the machine was brought to
Tom Owens, how long before 1t was
moved?"
1T stood there until after u
o'clock"
"Did any blood drip on the ground
IN front of the house?"
NO
..It is in the testimony that an
eliptical blood spot twenty by eigh-
teen inches was In front of Mr.. Rice's
house on Midlothian turnpike. Was
such spot there on Wednesday,"
Witness swore there was not. nor
was there Thursday when he exam
ined the road agoin.
On cross examination witness was
asked why he repeated his search for
blood spots He said he heard Of a
story and a diagram in Richmond
paper concerning the discovery OF
other blood spots.
Detective Scherer testified that he
had made several examinations Of the
road on Wednesday and also on GER
tain portions of Friday morning and
found no blood spots. He said he had
looked especially between telegraph
post 200 and close to telephone post
100. It was at the latter post that
Young Robertson said he saw the ad.
ditional spots. Detective Scherer said
he accompanied a newspaper man, a
brother of young Robertson. to the
scene Of the supposed new spots and
found none.
Major James D. Patten corroborated
scherer's testimony, having accom-
panied the detective In an automobile
In his search.
Ben P. Owen, another uncle of the
murdered woman, who assisted In the
search for slasd spots testified:
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