Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-08-15
INDICTED
FOR MURDER OF WIFE
by VIRGINIA JURORS
Morbid Crowds Pack Historic
Chesterfield Court Room to
Witness First step In Sensa-l
tionaI Murder Trial


CHESTERF1ELD COURT HOUSE.
Va. Aug. IA true bill charging muir
der in the first degree was returned by
the grand jury of the Chesterfield cir
cult court today against Henry Clay
Beattie. Jr., of Richmond.
He will be tried for his life as the
alleged murderer of his young wife.
the victim of the Midlothian turnpike
tragedy Of July Is last.
The court room was packed when Cir
cult Judge Watson took his seat at II
o'clock. The aisles were ordered cleared
before the roll of the grand jury was
called. All spectators except old gentle
men," were ordered to stand during the
proceedings. There was not woman in
the court room.
Beulah Binford "the other woman IL
the case sat smilingiy in an odjoining
room. waiting to be called as q witness.
She was dressed in a becoming blue
dress and wore a light blue picture hat
The day afforded her the first glimpse
of the outside world since her arrest
She appeared to be thoroughly enjoying
her temporary liberty from squalid jail
surroundings
JURY rs DRAWN.
Litele time was consumed in the seIec-
ton Of the jury, and George E. Robert
son was chosen foreman. After the ju-
rors had been instructed and the oath
administered the court said;
ut is painful to announce that since
the court last sat domestic tragedy
OF unusual cruelty has stirred, not only
this community but the country at
large"
He deplored the notoriety drawn to
Richmond and vicinity by the crime and
after reviewing the case briefly he In
structed the jurors to consider the evi.
dence to be placed before them with
charity for all and malice toward
none"
The jury retired at His O'Clock and
four witnesses were called They were:
Thomas E. Owen, uncle of the murder
ed woman; L. L. Scherer, a detectives: T.
E. Pettigrew, who Witnessed the discov.
cry of the gun with which the crime was
ALLEGED to have been committed, and Dr.
J. G.. Loving. the county coroner.
Morbidly interested crowds filled pic.
turesque and historic Chesterfield court
house, Is miles from this city, today, to
witness the first, and purely perfunctory
step in the trial OF Henry Clay Beattie,
the Jr.. 26-year-old son of a well-to-do
Richmond merchant, charged with the
murder of his wife.
Today's proceedings constituted solely
the indictment by the grand jury of
CAtaA ing bI1C DOy WIN nlH
wifes murder. He was found guilty
by; the coroners jury three weeks ago,
and since that time has been held in
Jail, pending the formality of indict-
ment and the setting of his trial. Just
what date will be fixed is problematicaI
but it likely will begin within a week.
for the prosecution is ready and anxious
to go into court, and will resist vigor-
ously any move of the defense for long
continuance
EXPECT EARLY VERDICT.
Few witnesses-possibly only three
were heard by the grand jury before the
Indictment was returned. Beulah Bin
ford, the pretty 17-year-old girl for the
love of whom the commonwealth viii
charge that Beattie killed his bride of
less than a year, will not be called, nor
will the defendant be present in court
until arraigned on later date.
Paul Beattie, the cousin who swore
at the inquest that he purchased for
the prisoner the gun with which Mrs.
Beattie was shot. will be the chief wit
ness, and the others who probably will
testify before the grand jury are per-
sons who were present when Beattie.
bloodstained and excited, brought his
wife's lifeless body beside him in the
automobile, to the residence of Thomas
Owen, her uncle, whence they had set
out earlier on the evening of the MUIR
der.