Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-09-08
THE bEAT1IE
MURDER TRIAL
Proceedings of One Of Vir.
Ginia'S Most Sensational
Trials From Day to
Day to Date

Chesterfield Courthouse, Sept. l.
1t was about an even break today
for the defense and the prosecution
in the case of the Commonwealth
against Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., in
dicted for wife murder. When
court adjourned this evening prac
tically all of the witnesses for the
defense he been heard, with the ex-
ception of Beattie himself. and the
session had passed quietly and with
but one small sensation, which was
produced by the testimony of Doug
lass Beattie, brother of the accused.
Henry Beattie will certainly go on
the stand tomorrow to tell how his
young wife was killed while motor
ing with him on the Midlothian turn
pike on the night of July 10. The
jury will then have Sunday to rest
up from their labOrs of the week be-
fore listening to the evidence of re-
buttal and the arguments of counsel,
and the case will probably be turn
ed over to them for their verdict
about Wednesday.
More character witnesses were in
PRODUCED by the defense today, also
!: numb O. aut. $40 III, experts who
eyami:e! the car n evi1eEce, and
testified that they .ad found blood
stained woman's hair beneath the
right seat of the Beattie auto, and
who also swore that blood could
have flowed from the murdered wo-
mans head to the break band, and
could then have dripped on to the
ground without getting into the drip
pan.
This was in refutation of the
States contention that Mrs. Beat
tie could not have been shot while
she sat in the car, as her husband
told, for had such been the case the
blood from the wound, instead of
finding its way through the floor OF
the car and forming the pool which
was found on tbe. ground. would
have been caught by the drip pan.
Douglass Beattie On Stand
The one sensation of the day came
when Douglass Beattie, brother OF
the prisoner, gave testimony that
must have injured rather than help
ed the case of Henry. 1t was poor
judgment combined with youth
full desire to attract to himself some
of the attention which has been cen
tered on the other members of his
family that caused Douglass to tell
the jury that had he known the Off
GERS were winding web around
Henry he would have destroyed the
blood stains on the auto, and would
not have driven the car on the sew
eral trips of inspection that the Off
;ers made. Having relieved him
self of this information Douglass
went on to add that If he had known
what the outcome of the officers in
vestigation would. be there would
have been no evidence left by which
he detectives could have fixed
Henry's connection with the crime.
Douglass Beattis also told of
Henry's relations with his wife, tes-
tifying that the couple were per
fectly happy" that they always
kissed when they met and parted at
home, and that their married life
together was in all respects ideal.
Douglass Beattie described his
first visit to the scene of the tragedy
a few hours after it happened and
his discovery of the big blood spot.
He related how he motored back
and forth that night, on six trips.
carrying different persons to the
scene. Then Douglass told of his
brothers. relations with Beulah Bin
ford, ending his recital by testifying
to the effect that he had carried a
message of Don't forget me" from
Henry to B. ulah, following their
Incarceration.
Several women, friends of the
Beattie's, were introduced by the
defense, and testified that Henry
and Louise lived happily to-
gether, one of the witnesses describ-
ing the manner in which the young
couple got along as lovingly"
Important New Witnesses
The prosecution promises to in
.rOduce a witness before the trial
is brought to a close who will swear
that Ernest Neblett saw Paul Beat
tie with stick in his hand, and not
a gun, at Mayo Bridge on the Sun
lay preceding the homicide. In fact
the whole day was filled with ru-
mors of new witnesses to be brought
forward by both sides before the case
Hally 60 IS to the jury. 1t is GER
ain that the prosecution will put on
the stand a witness, said to be a
thoroughly reputable man, who will
testify that he was on the bridge
The Sunday morning at the same time
Neblett was there He will testify
hat Neblett himself knows he was
here, and that he (the new wit
ness) stopped and talked to the
party.
He will testify that he quite dis
tinctly remembers that Paul had
n his hand, not a gun, but heavy
stick or piece of scantling.
This mysterious witness will chal-
lenge comparison of his integrity an0
standing with that of Neblett it is
said.
Jury Visits the Scene
The jurors today were taken on a
visit of inspection to the spot on the
turnpike, where Mrs. Beattie was
killed. This was in preparation for
u