The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-09
Opinion as to His Guilt
Quickly Formed Rig hit
after M urder.
NOBODY LOOKED
+ K t1IGHW AYMAN
Husbands Account of Battle
With Giant Accepted as Poor
Attempt of Real Murderer to
Shield Hinself-Brief
History of Brutal
Crime.

All Richmond was stirred late on
the night OF Tuesday. July Is, by the
announcement that q young wife. who
mad .oT the first time lett her i've
"eeks-oid baby. mad been murdered at
her husbands side. Officers OF the law.
volunteers and newspaper men Rocked
TO the scene on the first alarm. ana
| TO them the young husband told his
story-told 1t without a trace Of ex-
element. without a quirer and cour-
icously invited his visitors to use his
blood-stniaed motor car on their way
! back 10 town.
Henry Clay Beattie. Jr. age &c, son
Of q prosperous merchan: and banker
OF South Richmond. went for a spin in
| his automobile that July night. carry
ing his Wife the mother OF their in
fant child. ! scant half-hour later he
racedback TO the home OF the girls
uncle with the dead body OF his wife,
crying My God. she dead my God.
she's dead"
Benttic's First Stors.
To those who gathered AT the first
alarm Beattie still in the clothes
stained with the blood OF his wife.
Midlothian Road. returning to the
Owen home shortly before ii o'clock
on star-lit summer night. he had
seen before him man in the middle
or the road The car was brought
suddenly TO a stop. The unknown
from the darkness started the con-
versation: why the he'll don't YOU
run over me" The road is a wide
pike, we'll macadcmiZed. giving ample
room for passage on either side of an
object in the centre. Beattie replied
i ought TO have done it-you took the
whole road" He then reached for
ward 10 put in the clutch and start
the car. The man said: Start and I'll
shoot YOU" and then for the first
time II was noticed that he carried Il
gun, and that the gun was pointed
straight at the motorist.
Henry gave the machine all its gas.
1t started with iunge. and the charge
from the highwayman's shotgun en-
| tered the head of his wife, just unde,
the left eye. causing instantaneous
death
The highwayman. after the meresi
scuffle. went off in the woods. leaving
the gun with which the deed had been
done in the hands of the outraged hus'
ba nd. who then raced to the owen hons
in the hope that medical aid might still
avail for the bleeding woman.
Did Not Look Far.
Such was the story Henry Beattis
told Such was the story that shocked
the countryside. that in all Virgins
I there could have been man who could
| have done such deed
The Southerner's first thought when
woman is attacked is OF the negro.
Henry was not certain. His assailant
might have been white or colored, but
he wore beard, a stubby beard OF
several weeks growth, and was a pow
erfui man. The search was taken up
promptly and in good faith. Sworn off,
GERS of the law OF Chesterfield and
nearby counties and of Richmond, and
experienced men from the railway SER
vice were prompt with offers OF aid A
woman had been shot down a her hus.
bands side. All Richmond would have
turned out to avenge the deed. Had
negro been found with a gun that night
near the blood spot on the Midlothian
Road, no power of law could have kept
him from swinging to the nearest tree.
Tom Owen Took Hold.
Tom owen. uncle of the murdered
woman, and her nearest Virginia rel
ative. took hold promptly and with cool
head. The police were notified. His
old friend, Luther Scherer, who had
traced baggage thieves to London and
arrested post office robbers under the
eyes of the New York police. was
asked to come out and advise Blood
hounds were called from the neighbor-
ing county of Henrico and from the
state Penitentiary Farm The machin-
cry OF the law was promptly in motion
20 apprehend the iend.
Tom Wren veteran of thirty years
in Richmond's Police Department. was
the hrst trained man on the ground
Magistrate Jacob. County Oficer Jar.
rell and Coroner Loving were already
organizing search for the missing
gun. and had located and roped off
great puddle OF blood in the turnpike,
which showed where the crime had
been perpetrated At daylight the gun
was found, far down the railway track
from the turnpike crossing. At day
light also came the dogs-blooded an
finals of keen scent. who worked
| faithfully and well-who were them
selves out in the search. but found no
trail No footsteps led further from
that pool of blood than to stump be-
side the roadway and back again.
Scratch Was Suspicious.
Doubts of the good faith of tho
A..Eo lr1