The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-09-13
MURDER IN FIRST DEGREE
VERDICT OF BEATTIE JURY
In Less Than an Hour They Agree
to Give Death Penalty to
Wife Murderer

CHESTERFIELD COURT HOUSE,
Va, Sept S.--Twelve Nirginians. most
ly farmers, knelt at dusk tonight in
the obscurity of small jury room
and PRAYED ferveuuy that they might
pass Judgment Alright ON Henry Clay
Beattie, Jr They arose from their
knees, deiherated nearly an hour and
silently one by one recorded a verdict
of guilty" After Weighing carefully
the meaning of their decision and
once more on Bonded knees beseech-
ing divine assistance against possible
error at the end of ffty-eisht minutes
the jurors fled into the crowded
courtroom and with startling sudden
ness twelve voices instead of the US
ual one Of the foreman spoke the
word guilty in a chorus. 1t was
almost a shout
w. L. Burgess was elected foreman
of the jury. They baloted and it was
no surprise they afterward declared.
that All voted alike They PRAYED
that they might not take life
wrongfuly and opened their con-
science to one another for nearly an
hour. SO that they might 60 back in
the court room firmly convinced Of
their duty and that they were Of one
mind.
Dramatic SCcuc in Court Room
In the court room sat Reattie with
the sporting page of a newspaper boz
fore him, lie folded the paper and
concealed his face i'm it, Those who
sat near the "hoy OF iron nerve" oo-
served the tWitchmg Of his lips As
thoueh they were moving in PRAYER.
AS ne sat with closed eyes awaiting
the verdict he whispered once or
twice to his father or brother.
1t was nearly dark Ia the room
when the jury returned. Three oil
lamps added to the gloom Of the
scene The last RAYS of the setting
sun strcakcd through the windows.
ON every sill rested telegraph in
.strumcnL the operators awaiting tho
verdict The court asked the pris-
oncr to rise
Have Nou gentlemen agreed upon
Verdict?' asked the Judge I'VE have
said Burgess and almost at the sam
instant that the court asked what is
your verdict all twelve shouted
guilty" IMMERSED in the form Il
Ia murder trial the Jurors did not
specify what degree of murder Tn
der the Virginia practice murder is
presumed to be of the second degree
unless otherwise specified. In seven
minutes the iurymcn who were sent
back by the Judge, returned with a
verdict Of murder in the first ds.
gree"
The prisoner stood erect and mo-
tionless. Ills face yellowsh green
throughout the day, was immova BILE
The light of the lamp cast a dreary
shadow ON his upturned chin as l1s
faced the jury His eyelids saggcd
but did not sink When the court
asked if he had ANYTHING to say he
replied. II have nothing to say" and
sat down.
Sentenced for Fiectrocution
The jar, held Beattie guilty in the
first degree for murder in putting MS
wife to death on the night of JulV
is, last, The penalty is electrocu-
zion.
The counsel for thu defense
moved to set aside the verdict on thu
grounds that it was contrary to law
and the evidence and Of misdirection
by the court and because Of various
rulings ON the evidence excepted TO
by the defense The court overruled
the motion for new trial Judge
Watson stated that the trial consisted
amlst entirely Of questions Of fnct
and that no questions Of law entered
materially into the decision Of the