The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-04
Goes OVER CASE
WITH ATTORNEYS
IN COUNTY JAIL
Climax of Defense's Efforts
Will be Reached With
Him in Chair
YOUNG MAN HOLDS
FATE IN HIS HANDS
Must Stand Up Under Severe
Grllling by Mr.. Weden-
burg-Many Witness
es in Rebuttal

Ready and almost eager for the
supreme effort of hts life. Henry Clay
Beattie. Jr., viii sit in the witness
chair facing twelve jurors in the cir
cult court OF Chesterfield county to-
day and tell his own story OF the
murder OF his wife on Midlothian
turnpike on the night OF July is.
He VIII take the witness stand as
the last witness FOR the defense and
1t Is expected that in his words Will
rest the weight which viii decide the
trial, either favorahly or ungavorabiy
TO himself fer at the present status
OF the hearing no one can predict
with certainty what the oatcome VIII
be-
Beattie Is to occupy the position OF
one who holds his own life in his
hands To him. mistake may be
fatal. Success in his endeaSor may
mean fife. The task confronting him
is hard but he IL ready lar Il. Ihruugn
the past two weeks OF the trial he
has been preparing himself and now
he Is ready.
Reach Climax Day.
To-day which marks the beginning
of tho third week OF the trial. aiso
seems destined 10 mark the climax.
for to- day Is expected TO witness the
turning point and IN Beattie viii be
placed the responsibility 81 turning
the battle in his own favor. His
lawyers, having done all IN their
power Will. for the time. shift The
task OF saving his hfe TO beattie
own shoulders.
IL II ia to be within the power Of
Reattie to save his own life. he viii
succeed in the opinion of those who
have watched him daily since ne he
gan the night FOR his earthly eXIs
tence. In their opinion few men ha
have been arraisntd before the bar
of Justice for "a crime punishable
with death have proven themselves
more able to testify in their own be-
half.
1T IN 10 be remembered that Beat
tia ha.a heen preparing himself since
he first began consultations with At
torney Harry NJ. Smith. Even before
the trial Beattie lent all hts assistance
10 his attorney In framing the de
fense and since the hearing was he
gun the prisoner activity has been
a noticeable and the cause OF much
comment each day. The accused mas
conferred In whispers with his at
torneys many times during each SEES
sion Of court
He has watched each witness who
took the stand, listened to their tes-
tlmeny ana made notes on paper and
mental notes, apparently estimating
the extent to which he was aided
or damaged by the testimony or each
witness, Barely "a word of testimony
has escaped the accused and his IN
innate knowledge OF all testimony
thus lar ad1aress IN asi 6es ot -inesll-
mahle aid when he takes the stand
uokis Final Conference.
Final instructions were given the
prisoner yesterday afternoon by Al
no Ion "a
TO Chesterfield Jail about o'clock
and conferred with his client for near
ly half an hour, In this time the
prisoner had his last word with his
ettorney. for Mr., Smith has promised
Judge Watson that no delay viii be
asked for this morning in order To
consult Beattie.
From physical standpoint Beattie
Is in prime condition to breast the
ordeal, and none who have watched
him anticipate collapse From time
To time during the trial his face has
shown what appeared to be indica-
tions of sleepless nights. but II Is be-
lieved that there has been a gradual
improvement in the physical condi-
ton of the prisoner Further his
courage or nerve has been such as
to be termed almost abnormal.
Beattie has already told his own
story Of the murder Of his wife sew
erai times. To detectives, policemen
and others investigating the crime be-
fore his arrest Beattie told the story
time and again. and he also gave his
own account to relatives and friends
The prosecution has sought to show
that Beattie's stories have differed
but the success Of the Commonwealth
has not been notable in this respect.
The defense has succeeded In show
Ing there was a stranger. big man
with a gray, scraggly beard. such as
Beattie described, in the vicinity of
the scene of the crime shortly before
the murder was committed. Even
Attorney Wendenhurxs admitted In.
court Saturday: We'll, at last you
have succeeded in finding the man
with the beard"
Will Stick to Story.
1t is regarded as certainty that
Beattie will stick to his story of the
bearded assassin. Look which way he
may there Ia no other course to pur-
sue, with the exception of the insanity
plea, which has been discarded by the
defense. for the time at least. The
prisoner Ia sure to tell the story OF the
bearded highwayman.
He has heard descriptions OF the
stranger by other Witnesses, and he
cannot go wrong in this direction. He
has heard nearly all OF his relatives
and many Of his friends tell of his
Ndeal and Supremacy happy relations
With his wife. He also has heard
many Of his relatives and many of his
friends discredit his cousin. Paul.
whose testimony probably has been
the most damaging.
Beattie has heard his relations with
lcantinusd o. Fourth Paxe.l