Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-09-08
EVIDENCE AGAINST
BEATTIE is ENDED
BY PROSECUTION
Young Virginian, On Trial fol
Killing His Wife, VIII Now
Have His Inning.

Chesterfield Court House, Aug.
30,-W. r. Rowland. a quarryman
said on the witness stand today
that he saw a bearded man with a
shot gun on the afternoon before
the murder. Rowland lives near
She scene Of the tragedy. Eugene
Eenshaw, another farmer, gave
similar testimony.
Chesterfield, va, Aug. 3f.-The pros
ecution rested its case at noon today
against Henry Clay Beattie, jr., under
Indictment FOR the murder Of his wife
and the defense began the introduction
OF its witnesses.
Before any witnesses for the defense
were summoned court recessed for q
few minutes to permit the defendants
counsel to argue q point with Judge
Watson in the absence Of the Jury con-
corning the striking out OF certain evil
dence introduced by the prosecution.
The commonwealth had occupied a
week ia placing its case before the jury.
Today the prosecution produced IA wit
nesses, mostly county detectives, TO
"contTovert the testimony yesterday Of
young Alexander Robertson as to the
presence of more than one blood spot
or the Midlothian turnpike, where Mrs.
Beattio was killed.
The state had contended that the big
blood spots where the murder occurred
were o caused by dripping from the
machine in which the husband alleged
his wife was seated when shot. De-
claring that no blood whatever could
have oozed through the bottom Of the
car, and the grease drip pan beneath
1t, was detail in the case, but by con-
centrating attention or the single spot
OF blood, the commonwealth intended
to show that the woman was murdered
in a different manner from that de-
scribed by the husband.
Denies Boys Story.
Detective Scherer testified that he
had made several examinations of the
road on Wednesday and also on GER
tain portions on Friday morning and
found no blood spots. He said he had
looked especially between telegraph
post 200 and close to the telephone post
100. 1t was at the latter pole that
young Robertson said he saw the adj
ditional spots. Detective Scherer said
he accompanied a newspaper man, a
brother Of young Robertson, to the
scene of the supposed new spots and
found one.
Major James d. Patten, c~orroborated
Scherer's testimony, having ac-
companied the detective in an automo-
bile in his search. Ben p. owen,
another uncle of the murdered woman,
who assisted in the search for blood
spots testified:
II made q careful examination Of the
road from the scene OF the crime to my
brother Toms house and saw no blood
except the first spot"
Thomas Wrenn, another detective
gave more corroborattye testimony OF
absence Of additional blood spots.
Defense Calls Paul Beattie.
After the state had rested and a re-
cess had been taken, court reconvened
at 1880 p. m. Judge Watson an
nounced to the jury that q motion had
been introduced by the defense to re-
move from evidence all testimony re-
lating to the hairpin and the court had
sustained the motion. Judge Watson
added that q motion of the defense had
likewise been sustained to eliminate all
evidence concerning the action of the
6i-GGaEcunds At the scene Of the crime.
Just before court recessed II. NJ.
Smith. r., counsel for the defense, was
shown q report that one OF the jurors
was q friend OF the prisoner.
Its all a lie" said Mr., Smith, and
the prisoner himself leaned forward
and denied the report emphatically.
THE story Of the juror" said Henry
Clay Beattic, ir., t. newspaper men
sitting below him, was started just to
keep up the prejudice against me
There's nothing in it."