Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-08-25
BEATTTE ON TRIAL FOR LIFE
Uncle of Murdered Young Woman is
the First Witness.
STORY OF BLooD-sTAINED BODY
Defendant Returned to His House
with Corpse an Hour After He
Had Left It-AutOmObile Is
Brought Into Court Yard.


CHESTERFIELD. Court House, Aug
A-The bloodstained automobile in which
Louise owen Beattie met her death was
driven into the yard Of Chesterfield court
house early today Just before the trial OF
Henry Clay Beattie, jr., indicted for wife
murder. was resumed The prisoner was
on the lawn when the machine arrived and
he calmly inspected it. His father raised
the cushion of the front seat, revealing a
mass of coagulated blood on the WOODWORK
The court convened at 10SO o'clock and
the prisoner took his seat promptly. Today
was the first anniversary Of his marriage
to the woman he is accused Of killing.
More than sixty. witnesses subpoenaed by
the commonwealth were called from the
lawn. sworn in and instructed to remain
outside near the court house but not near
enough to hear testimony through the open
windows. with a few exceptions both
sides agreed to exclude all witnesses from
the room while not testifying.
Mrs. Beatte's Uncle First Witness.
Thomas Owen, uncle 81 Mrs. Beattie, to
whose home thhe prisoner brought the
body after the tragedy. took the witness
stand first.
While the prisoner gazed at him. Mr.
owen told how Beattie drove up 10 the
house on the night of the murder took his
young wife into the car and returned an
hour later with the dead body beside him.
He said Beattie cried My God! Ny GodH'
as he drove up, and that Beattie shouted
They have killed Louise" Briefly and
simply Mr. owen told how the body was
lifted from the car, but said he did not ex-
fha
prepared for burial, however, he saw the
wound in the left cheek, which he de-
scribed as being as big as a half dollar "
As the witness said this, Beattie mumbled
half dollar" loud enough for those near
to him to hear.
Beattie's blood soaked tclothes were un-
rolled before the jury and the witness iden-
titled them. The single barreled shotgun
with which the commonwealth says the
shot was fired was then exhibited
Mr.. owen identified the gun as the one
shown at the coroner's inquest, at which
time Paul Beattie swore that he had pur-
chased It for his cousin. Then the wit
ness described the scene of the crime on
the night Of the murder. Besttie watched
his uncle-in-law like a hawk as the testi-
mony proceeded, and now and then shook
his head as If in contradiction.
Defendant seemed Grieved.
Did you observe the conduct Of the &C
cused at the house after the murder?"
owen was asked.
He seemed to be grieved and 1 tried to
keep him out Of the room wnere the body
was" said the witness.
He asked me for some whisky and
sent out for some, and several times he
inquired II his wife was dead. He also
requested several times that I phone to
his father"
TO what extent did Beattie use the
whiskyT' asked counsel for the common
wealth.
II am pretty certain l saw him take a
drink" said owen, and later l found
half pint bottle empty"
He could not swear, however. that the
prisoner had drank 1t ALL The witness de-
scribed the bearded highwayman" pic
tured to him by Beatte as his wife's muir
derer, repeated Beattie's story of the alleged
encounter and told of scratch on Beat
ties face which the prisoner had said the
man in the road inflicted.
Did the accused render you any aid in
an attempt to identify the assassin Owen
was asked.
His description Of the man was the only
aid" replied the witness.
When the commonwealth counsel an
nounced that it was through with the
witness Attorney Ii. NJ. Smith. IT,. for the
defense began the cross-examination Under
the ordeal the witness became a bit con
fused as 10 several incidents on the night
Of the murder.
MIR. owen CrOss-Examined.
who first suggested bloodhOunds TO
trace the sssassin?" asked Mr.. Smith.
II think ! did" said owen.
DO you not recall Henry having said;
Get the hounds and spare no eIpenser Z"
i remember nothing OF the kind"
Taking the witness in hand again the
commonwealth attempted 20 show that
Beattie refrained from inviting any mem
bers Of the owen family 10 ride In the
automobile the night OF the murder in
order that he might be alone with his wife
But the court ruled out questions along
m paga