The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-12

ty and Magistrate Jacob. aided by
Special Policeman Flynn were head
ing the search. Detective Wren en-
tered the house and talked with Hen
ry Clay Beattie, Jr.
He told how he had thrown the
shotgun in the rear seat of his auto
mobile before starting to return To the
owen home and how he supposed the
gun had jolted from the machine
during the rapid ride to the house. The
posses In the automobiles searching
the road probably would find the gun,
said Beattie.a There WAS an exasper-
atiug delay before the two automo-
biles returned. Those at the house
said probably the men in the machines
had caught the murderer and likely
would bring him back. it was sup
posed that they had found trace OF
the fugitive and We're pursuing him.
DOGS Find No Trail.
just before the break of day, De-
tecttve Scherer with the two care
takers from the State penitentIary
and the state hloodhounds and Depu
~ Sheriff Syduor with the Henrico
hounds started from the owen home
for the scene Of the killing up the
turnpike. Tn" story of the man hunt
and the peculiar action of the D1ood-
houuGs has been told and retold and
all WAC are familiar with the case
know that the dogs could not find
the tran Of the murderer
ttrciing time and again around the
blood spots W. the dust oT the road
showing where the shooting had oe-
CURED. the hounds whitfield tne air and
looked puzzled and still sought FOR
the scent Of tran without success.
Gradually the significance OF the
queer actions Of the dogs forced it.
self upon the brina brains OF the men
watching the animals. They Cau-
not find The trail" said the men aloud.
and then they thought there is no
trail to be found
Detective Sergeant Wren soon was
Joined by another city detective. Ser
gednt " iltshlrC and Captain AIeXan-
der Wright Of the Third Police sta
ton took Il hand in. the investigation.
DuL there in the early morning, these
men began 10 form theories of the
killing, each arriving at one conclu-
sion but all keeping their thoughts
secret until the time should come
hen they must speak.
Gun is Found.
" hlIe the hours passed and the dogs
stiu circled. word reached the detec-
lives that the shotgun wlth which Mrs.
leattle had been killed. was found by
an old negro woman on the Belt Line
Railroad track, about twenty i've feet
from the road. This Was the track
over which Beattle had driven his au-
tomobile when bearing the body of his
wife back TO the owen home The
detectives went to the spot where the
gun had been found and the second
strange fact to come to light strength
eued the theory which eacn one had
tailed to speak.
Beattie had said the gun had been
joltcd from the rear seat of his au-
tomobtle, That was likely but could
the gun had been jolted d distance of
twenty five feet Was ii possible that
when the gun fell from the automo-
bile as 1t passed over the railroad
/ tracks that the weapon had landed
ut Il spot nearly ten Yards from the
side Of the road If the gun had been
1ulted from the machine would it not
have fallen on the road and been
found there? Wasn't it more likely
the gun had been thrown from the
+ automobile!
husband Suspected
! Slowly but unfalterIngly the suspi-
/ cion formed, took shape. became tan
eIb!et malignant, INTERCHANGEABLE
suspicion which soon was to tx it
self in the minds of the people Of
! Virginia and the whole nation, the
1 suspicion that the husband, Henry
{ Clay Beattie, Jr., had lied, had told
falseaood alter falsehood, had invent
ed fabrication OF events to SHE d
! himself from the suspicion that his
I hand, and not the hand of a drunken
I farmer or highwayman had pulled
/ the trigger which ended the lie OF
I Louise owen Beattie.
Let him show us Just how his wife
was tllled and then We can see
whether IL was possible for the woma II
to have met her death as he de-
scrlbeS' said the detectives and at
once they summoned the young hus-
4 band from the owen home, telling
him 10 drive his automobile to the
spot whore the fatal shot was fred.
Beattie complied with an alacrity and
complacency which temporarily led
the detectives to believe they were
following the wrong theory
No man guilty OF such a crime could
conduct himself with the sang froid
ne exhibited. argued the detectives II
Beattie had murdered his wife he
couId not prevent showing some ner-
vousness, some evidence of the fear
that he'wouid be discovered and pun
/ tShed for his wrong-doing. But Beat
/ tie was calm, cool and self possessed d.
t talking ana acting as though the in
Vestigation. the excitement, the bus
/ tie and activity, the talk and the
I W hob affair UStred NM t6*tte break :
| ing point.
/ He cranked his touring car. still
stained with dark red splotches, and
( drove il up Midlothian turnpike To
/ the spot where his wife had breathed
/ her last, Dark red stains in the
white dust OF the road showed the
spot and Beattle turned his automo-
/ bile cityward, In the same direction
he was driving when the fatal shot
/ was fired. The machine was stopped
| directly over the blood spots in the
/ ROAD and then Beattia told how the
/ crime was committed.
( The Net Closes.
Ihen the detectives questioned
/ beattie closely to learn If he was
sure that the end Of the muzzla Of
the gun had been six feet from Mrs
Beauties face when the shot was fred
/ Beattie was sure OF Sathe fact. no
said, and the detectives reasoned that
there were no powder marks on the
/ fare of the slain woman. II tina,
end OF the muzzle had been six fee,
away. powder certainly would have
been trnbedded in the skin around
the wound in her cheek. lust below
/ the left eye.
Beattie was asked at what angh,
NE gun was held when the trleaer
Z was pulled. Beattie said that the
angie was such als would result from
/ tall man holding the old shotgun
70 his shoulder, standing in the mid
/ die OF the road. and pointing the
/ weapon at the face of a person sit.
ting on the right hand side of the
! car. The detectives had examined the