Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-08-23
.BEATT|E's ALLEGED
MOTIVE FOR MURDER.
Murderer's Narrow Escape---Cries of
MOtherless Babe May Save
Wife Slayer From Chair.

murder OF his wife.
| The auto in which Detective Scherer
was bringing the prisoner from Rich
mond to Chesterfield Courthouse mar
rowly escaped being struck by an At
lanic Coast line railroad train at Cen
tralia, four miles from the courthouse.
The chauffeur blinded by the dust of a
proceeding machine had failed to see
the train and the auto dashed across
the tracks at speed Of fifty miles an
hour. The pilot of the engine missed
the rear tires of the machine by few
inches. Had the auto heen moving a
second slower, Henry Clay Beattie and
his guard OF detectives would have
been thrown to death With their auto.
The narrow escape never bothered the
cody indifferent prisoner, however,
although the nerves Of the rest of the
party we're badly shaken.
/ don't want another escape like
. that" declared Detective Scherer, with
i a shudder. For just second l
though. that we were going straight up
/, in the air l felt the rush Of wind from
the train as it passed US.
Chesterfield, Court House, Va,
Aug. 23.-The low cry OF a motherless
babe may save Henry Clay Beattie
from dying in the electric chair for the
murder OF his wife.
Not since the July night, when be
rode home with his wife's dead body,
has the cody Indifferent youth 80 =,
single inquiry abUut the chiiu'
his and the dead man'S-left. moth
erless by the crime. But the clasp OF
of the fingers of that ten weeks
old babe and its whimperiug
cry may keep from Chesterfield
court house witness upon whom the
|. prosecution has based large part nf
the case that was planned to force ika
payment ofReattie's life in exchange -:
that Of his young wife That witrrss
is Mrs. r. Y. Owen, mother Of the dead
woman. While Beattie devGurs his
cigarettes aud reads his newspapers in
indolent indifference in bis cell she has
crooned comfort lula bye at tie cradle
of the little mite of humanity that is
her last bitter reminder Of her murder
ed daughter.
And the love that the helpless infant
has awakened in the five weeks since
the tragedy may prevent the stricken
mother from returning 10 Richmond u
testify against the child's father, H..
husband Of his dead mother
Mrs. Owen since the tragedy has re-
turned to her home in Dover, Della
ware. She is beyond the jurisdiction of
the court and no subpoena can force
her to appear. If she comes, she will
come voluntarily, and the prosecution
learned today that it is very probable
that she will refuse to come.
In the mass OF circumstantial evi
dence upon which the prosecution de-
pends to send Henry Beattie to the
electric chair, Mrs. Owen is an import
ant link. Upon what she was expect.
ed to tell OF the domestic life of her
daughter the prosecution contemplated
building a motive A horrible motive,
based on revolving physical facts that
The prosecution had plan ned the
story of selfish, debauched husband,
bringing home to his young wife,
from his wild orgies. a loath-
some disease They had planned
to show that the husband feared that
his wife's disclosure of his infamy
would result in his enlargement of his
father and himself, consequent cut
ting down of his financial resources
and would thus deprive him of his II
year-old paramour, who was held only
by money. With this as motive for
the killing of the wife, the prosecution
saw strong case in their hands.
Mrs. Owen, the prosecution has been
informed, possesses letter from her
daughter written shortly before the
killing which bears out this story. But
both Mrs. Owen and the letter are in
Delaware and without them the lawyers
for the Commonwealth believe that it
will be almost impossible to prove this
phase OF their case.
The aged, grayhaired father of the
prisoner was late in arriving, and
when he finally entered the court
| room be threw his arms about his son
and kissed him earnestly. The two
then took their accustomed seats, side
by side at the counsel table. The
father, his face lined by his cares OF
the past six weeks, kept his arm about
the shoulders OF the accused man.
As soon as court was opened At
torney Hill Carter. for tke defense,
moved TO quash the Few venture.
| The motion was promptly overruled
by Judge Watson and the examination
of talesmen was begun. A newspaper
opinion excused the first man cues
toned.
| The second talesman called vas ex-
cussd because OF fixed opinion as
to Beattie's guilt and the third was
allowed to go because OF illness. An
other opinion eliminated the fourth.
| W. P. Rocks, farmer, As. the first
talesman examined after the noon re-
cess was accepted as the fifteenth juror.
The final and sixteenth place in the
jury box was taken by NJ. E. Blanken-
ship. farmer, 3S. The defense was
then prepared to eliminate fodr OF the
sixteen by premptory challenge.
| The jury called, each answering to
his name, Immediately after olanken-
ship took his seat Judge Watson
asked each juror if he had discussed
the case or read anything about II
| n;nna ha anfarnd tha hnr Each an.