The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-26
BY JOSEPH F. GErs1NGER.

Somperly spread the future Tor
Henry Clay Beatte. Jr.. yesterday.
while a midsummer storm battered tho
ancient little Chesterfield courthouse,
and Roland Sydnor, a peppery dairy
man. sat upon the witness stand.
The tide had turned. Out of tho
wreckage OF the preceding day the
Commonwealth emerged smiling and.
with II strength and seeming careless
ness born of assurance in knowl-
edge which 1t shared with none, sud-
denly dealt the defense a smashing
blow. When sunset brought the hear-
ing to halt IT was still in the thick
OF 1t. The real attack, as all now see,
has in fact no more than begun
To-day the State goes back upon the
field heavier armed than ever. for an
other blow and yet another. Filing
Its high cards up and up, 1t Will end
with flnal move that for sheer start
| ling sensation Will send all that has
gone before into the shades OF in.
| significance.
Must Fight Hard for Life.
Thus II says. The defense has not
yet spoken and cannot for some days,
except by scourging the Common-
wealth's forces, but ii has its task set
| for II now beyond a doubt. Even
should no more come than the compile
ton OF the present assault. the prison.
err must fight desperately for. life
from this time on. But more will
come-probably to-day, Behind the
| curtain the scenes are being shifted
again Holding to the last its strong
est card of all. the State, wise in n
| silence and caution that none untiI
yesterday suspected. is preparing 4
climax hitting for such a stage Rumor
flew abroad in many forms. but could
not be traced to its lair. One thing
| alone appears certain, and that thing
| this-that the public will have its
sensation, of which many. II not most.
had begun to despair. Wholly UNI
| heralded. completely q surprise the
| new move Will bring upon the scene
| new and mysterious figure of whose
existence the public have not dreams
| ed Who or what he is or whence
he comes or what he knows cannon
be said or even approxima ted Moth
ing. however adroit, could prize tho
secret from the lips of Commonwealth
| lawyers yesterday. Silent but satis-
| fed they went their way to another
nights hard work and carried the
burden with them. denying all willing
| bearers. Where many, curiosity seek
ers. stated with details OF the crima.
had ventured to criticize the outsroken
prosecutors harshly they turned about
now TO bitter complaint. The State was
suddenly petrifed. frozen image that
yet will have life enough to-day.
Enter Holland SydnOr
| For the morning hours of the second
! day the defense continued its stubborn
and brilliant fight. but even then tho
| sailing was not smooth as in the
| opening session. Witnesses continued
to rehearse the story OF the Midlothian
| Pike tragedy, and now and then the
! prisoner scored point But there
was little wavering in the line now.
! and few fell into the traps strewn
along every step of the path across the
stage ccasionally stumble would
| come to break the steady march, and
In one or two instances a strasgler
! fell completely cut OF the ranks But
+, these things were rare. and the red
| flag, vigorously enough waved. though
! II drew to many a sharp test of wits,
| never seriously disturbed the eauanim-
| ity OF the witness chair In one issue.
however, and that a very important
one. the defense won a step forward,
/ distinctly. BY admissions from COM
| monwealth witnesses 1t materially re-
| Gucei the distance between the poine
at which the automobile took tile Belt
! Line crossing and the point at which
! the gun was found. showing with more
reasonableness than heretofore that
the murderous weapon might In fact
/ have been jolted from the machine as
II bumped over the rails.
His Bed afternoon.
[ Had it gone nj this the odds might
st!l have been with the prisoner But
! the afternoon brought Roland Sydnor
! and those who followed and Will con-
/ tinue TO follow him, and with them
came another turn of the wheel OF
! life and death II had been noted hero
yesterday that the defense held its own
( at the outset, and this was true beyond
question fha 10
plainly said that the crucia, rest had
not vet come, and the issue proved this
/ assertion likewise true The test ca me,
/ and s,ill comes and it is now the
| Commemorative day--at least for tha
) Continued ON Seventh Pagol la