The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-19

ma 2 few days ago from an uneX-
o-ad source. It was not intended as
commitment to them at all-qulte
+ha oontrary-and was a tribute from
ono who had felt the force Of their
devotion to justice and their ondem
,ation Of the Wanton relations OF a
5ooannrate son of a worthy rich man.
Henry c.. Beattie, Jr., was talking
about the verdict that will send him
a. the electric chair and the Asso-
ciated Press thus sends the interview:
Chesterfield Court House, Va, Sept.
Q-ceVere reputation Of Beulah Bin
fard as a girl from whom he vainly
tried to detach himself and the direct
imputation hat the jury judged him
more for his indiscretions than the
tragedy itself came today from the
Inns of Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., con-
yicted last night Of wife murder.
Anv other jury composed Of city
folk with mundane views would nave
been more merciful, was his bitter la
ment.
sFearfully UNFAIR he muttered in
his cell when asked his opinion of the
verdict.
"Beulah Binford," he added, fig
ured largely in the erdlct more
than testimony Of the killing.
These country folk cannot understand
how a woman Of the underworld can
be crazy about you. They don't know
woen that happens how very hard 1t
is to get rid of her.
Il have drifted along, hoping
against hope hat something would
occur to enable me to rid myself of
that Binford girl. And once a woman
Of that kind feels that you no longer
take interest in her she usually seeks
sOlace in suicide. SO [ drifted along
waiting for a chance to break off re-
lations with her without having her
hart herself. I tried hard to persuade
her in the meantime to live a proper
life.
Had the ease been tried in any
court where these things are not I'M
common this morning / would have
been a free man. Interpreting Judge
Watson's Instructions to the jury |
cannot see how the verdic could have
been any other than not guilty j
believe the jury was Influenced by the
one-sided newspaper reports before /
had a chance t. present my side or
the case. [ wanted to give out a
statement as soon as I was arrested,
but Mr.. Smith, my lawyer, advised
against this"
The meaning. Of course, Of Beattie's
complaint is tina the farmers lead a
simple life of virtue, are true to their
marital relations, n have a horror
Of the sort of life that Beattie led
with the woman of the under world.
"These country folks cannot under
stand" he said. how a woman of the
nn6ar-WOrjI can no crazr ahO11t Won
Had this case been tried in any court
where these things are not uncommon
this morning I would be a free man
Beattie means hat in cities these
things are common and hat they are
not looked upon as wrong or criminal
But the country folks cannot under.
stand. What a tribute to the old.
fashioned honesty and virtue of "these
country folk" It is to such virtuou:
men the country must look to serve i
g was true in the War of the Revolu
ton, when "the embattled farmers
saved the cause of liberty. May tn
day never come when the countr.
folks. deemed Ignorant by men o
Beattie's type, wiz "understand' sue
Vile associations and such moral laps
es; And may it always be true tina
country juries will uphold the Law
and render righteous verdicts whe1
husbands are SO untrue to their vow
that they commit murder.
Beattie's remark, an uncOnsciOu
tribute to the virtue Of Country folk,
was unjust to city folks. Most Of then
believe in old-fashioned standards an
I'VE up to them. Beattie had refer
ence to men of his type who are to
numerous in cities. These "leWd fel
lows Of the baser sort" congregate i
the cities. If there are such low me-
IN the country-(and they are some
times found there(-they find the at