The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-16
Condemned Man Will be
Executed on Friday,
November "a.
NEWS CONVEYED
BY M | MISTER
Rev. Benjamin Dennis Tells
Beattie of Governors Decision.
Executive Convinced Appeal
Was Taken Merely to POST
pone Judgment-Declines
to Set Precedent.

No earthly hope remains to Henry
Clay Bcattie. Jr. lie will be taken to
the death chamber in tho Stat Peni-
tertiary early in the morning of Fri
day. November "a, and viii there NV
the extreme penalty of the law which
he has outraged. For him there ia
only the prayer of Judge Walter
watson: May the Lord have mercy
| upon your soul"
NO statement could be more positive
ana uhequiVocal than that issued by
mann Yesterday morning. Not
only did he decline in the most all
solute terms to grant even a resn,ta
put he expressed himself in such Ian
Suusc as to shut off any further an
peais FOR mercy. Analysis of the da.
cislon reached by him shows that If
would be an affront to the Governor
10 present to him an additional plea nm
less based on evidence which 10 m
known at this time. He leaves M
loophole, evidently being determined
10 avoid demands upon his time nnd
ms sympathies in the face OF his con-
N1~uons. and of his immutable decision
not to interfere with the due ana or.
Lefty execution of tho mandates of
that law which he is in ofIice 70 -
force. " en-
Familiar with Case.
S.a,e chief executive has fully
tniormed himself of all the essential
t IN the case. He has carefuIlv
fnr h,' gu me trial, and has weighed
.o' hiinselt the evidence adduced at tbat
.l"e' He has noted the points raised
,he DIS of exceptions and has
read the arguments OF counsel for. ~.
ueiehse In the petition for a writ -
l: lie has noted the PROMPT and
rs I've uenial of an error writ nv
the supreme Court of Appeals ofF1yi.
ginia pPeais Oh VIZ
besides. he has seen the paul Re.+,i,
ut, secured from somebody In I
w aSnln ston.-r- He has read thfssfy1a,,n,.
uafeLuiiy' and has deliberately made
o op MS mind that 1t is unworthy OF
consideration in connection wifi az
appeal for clemcncy -
me attorneys who have fought On
W., n!sofousiy and SO faithfully for the
me Oh their client can do notbins-
MI save only In the exceedingly re-
mote possibility of the production ~
new and material evidence. They "a VI
exhausted every tribunel, judicial ana
| eAteutiVe. They have made overv
polht whch their knowledge of tho
iaw ana which the decisions and pre.
suehts or virginia pleadings and
nothing more to do
"knows He Is Guilty.n
Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., took HI.
appeai to the Supreme Court. the Gov
a. 10 convinced. with the purpose,
possible OF avoiding the consa,
Guences of a crime of which n. l.nns'...
ne Is guilty" Nothing could he ,nnre
oppressive OF the attitude of Governor
Mann In the case. The verdict of tba
Jury TO mis- mind. was unquestionably
ec.. ne mas seen or heard moth
hs since the day when the fatefuI
word Guilty" fell from the lips or
,he clerk in the little courthouse NJ
oheSterfeld county to modify his con-
.ietion. 10 interfere. then, would be
20 temporize with the law" Again.
from his own pen comes the commenr
mat executive clemency In the form,
vi respite would be Ito encourage an
pears TO the supreme Court with the
sole purpose of Gaining time"
Disnisslng the Paul Beattic affidavit
with single clause, the Governor
says that 1t is not sufficient to create
in the mind of a reasonable monTfa
substantial doubt of the guilt of tho
prisoner.
.Ahidnvits Lack Force
Not In connection with this case, tho
Governor has frequently, as q matter
OF interest TO him IS u LAWYER comment
ca on the insuifciency of atfidavits as
] evidence lie has no information as to
thc one IN question, and throws no
doubts upon 1t, but he has often said
that they are exceedingly unsatfsfac
torS papers. They stand in the form
or dispositions taken in the absence Of
tue attorneys for the opposite litigant
with no opportunity for cross-examI-
nation. no chance TO observe the de-
meanor OF the witness on the stand.
mere Is no way to shake the evidence
by questlonings.
1t is hardly to be wondered at, then.
/ argue those who discussed the action
OF yesterday, that he prefers to con-
slider the testimony OF Paul Douglas
Beattie on the stand at the trial ns
! approNimating the truth This OF
course, is presuming that he considers
4 this mans evidence as l. aterial to the
case
Judge watson Comncndcd
| 1t may be further noted that thu
Governor paid especial attention to III,
| rulings OF Judge Watson, for he takes
occasion to comment on the fact that
the presiding judge was careful to
\ give the bcncht of every reasonable
! doubt to the prisoner; that his in
i slTuctions were as favorable as the
counsel for the defense could have ex-
! pectcd. and that tho refusal by tho
court OF last resort to find error In
the record shows that he did not err
in the admission or exclusion OF evi.
dencc or in instructing the jury.
In view. probably, OF statements
that have been made TO the effect that
4, arguments against capital punishment
/ would be presented TO aim in Beattie's )
behalf, the Governor says that he does
not question it's necessity. He himself
would not hesitate TO vote as jury
1 (Cnntfnued on Third page i-7l1-