The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-11-28

witness labOred under too great a
strain and all, even the prison at
tendants, seemed i'll at ease and anx-
ious to be done The electrician
brought a board studded with electric
bulbs and laid it across the arms OF
the chair. The lamps blazed brightly.
Then in other ways the instrument OF
death was tested and finally at a sig
nal attendants went over the appara-
tus, attaching the deadly electrodes
and testing every strap and clamp.
When the preliminaries were over
Maj. Woods, accompanied by two de-
puties, threw back an iron studded
door and started for the death cell.
Instantly the death chamber was
plunged in blackness with the eXcep-
ton of a vivid circle of Il It from the
hooded and powerful lamps above. the
chair. The chair, an oaken bit of fur
niture, which, except for straps and
steel bands, might grace any library,
was on a rubber mat. All but it was
obscured, the dazzling rays from the
low swinging lamp throwing every
thing else into darkness so dense as
almost to be felt.
Death Warrant Read.
The little party in the chamber
heard the superintendent a few feet
away droning out the death warrant.
Beattie listened to it with intensity,
but did not finch. T>e stood during
the reading, as is the custom, and
when it was ended he swayed just a
trihe, but quickly recovered.
Then, without assistance, he took
his place between the guards and be-
gan his march to the unknown.
His entrance to the death chamber
was as dramatic as anything he had
done since first he commanded the
public eye. He halted for a moment
on the threshold, looked on the chair
with an inscrutable smile that had in
it the hint of a sneer, and then walked
briskly forward. Not once did he deign
to strive to pierce the blackness out
side his circle of glowing light.
It had been feared that the prisoner
would finch when the moment came
to seat himself in tne chair. There
was no trepidation and not hint OF
hesitation in Beattie's attitude. Still
wearing his peculiar smile, half anus
ed and half cynical, he stepped lightly
into the seat, settled himself as though
he had been looking forward to the
rest and assisted the attendants in ad-
iusting the straps and clamps by plac-
ing his arms and hands in the proper
position. The only indication that he
was under nervous strain was dis
closed by his tightly clenched teeth.
During the few seconds preceding the
turning On of the current Beattie mov-
ed once. While the attendants were
stepping back, he squeezed his feet
back as though to seek a still more
comfortable position. At the same
time he raised his head, now almost
completely hidden by the leather he'll
met that covered the upper part of
his head and face. The next second
the shock came.
Taken to Morgue.
When the law was avenged and the
witnesses were gone the prison at
tendants removed the body to the NOR
tuary room which adjoins the death
chamber. There it lay for four hours
until an undertaken, authorized by the
Beattie family to prepare it for burial,
removed it to his mv1gue.
Later it was taken to the Beattie
home, where funeral services attended
only by the family, will be held. In
terment in Muary cemetery will follow
Sunday.
When the funeral cortege moves to
the cemetery Sunday afternoon the
morbid will not fnG places near the
grave to satisfy their curiosity. The
police have received orders to clear
the cemetery during the service, and
to permit no one to enter the burial
ground save the Bea>lies and their
dead
Tonight the Beattie family is lone
with grief. The window shades in the
residence are drawn tight and no
movement is seen about the place.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,