New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-30
STARTLING TURN
IN bEATT|E TRIAL
Boy Tells CT Finding Many Blood
spots in Road Where
Young Wife Died.
PAUL BEATTIE KEPT IN JAIL
Judge Makes Unexpected De-
cision Following Testimony
Crogs-examination Fails to
Shake Evidence of Cousin.

Snnhn liVluCntc vi SOOSAh'
Chesterfield Court House, Va. Aug 20.
An auburn haired boy. talking swiftly
but clearly, revealed on the witness
stand to-day to the surprise of both de-
fence and prosecution in the trial OF
Henry Clay Beattie. jr., for wife murder
that he had observed several blood spots
along Midlothian Turnpike. where the
crime occurred. Hitherto il had been
presumed there was no blood spot ex-
cept one near the place at which Mrs
Beattie is supposed to have been when
she was shot.
Alexapder Robertson was the boy ana
what he told the jury. unexpected, In re-
sponse 70 question Of counsel for the
defence, entirely upset the plan OF the
commonwealth 10 rest its case to-day.
Prosecutor Wendenburg announced that
il would be necessary for him now TO
call at least seven or eight witnesses to
controyert the boys testimony.
on direct examination by Prosecutor
Wendenburg when the latter was seek
ing 10 show where the boy found GER
tain yellow hairpin similar TO those worn
by Mrs. Beattie. Robertson referred to
its distance from the first blood spot
Several Blood Spots in Road.
Were there two blood spots?" asked
Harry NJ. Smith, jr.. counsel for the de-
fence, in apparent surprise, and the boy
not only told OF a second blood spot but
of several other smaller spots near II.
he revelation concerning the presence
Of more than one blood spot is in line
with the contention of the defence, that
all blood on the road oozed from the car
in which Henry c. Beattie, jr, alleges
his wife was shot. The prosecutions
theory has been that the large blood
spot in the road at the place where Mrs.
Beattie is alleged to have been killed re-
suited from a murder committed outside
the machine and not in the seat, as the
accused husband alleges.
The prosecution has pointed out By
witnesses and statements that no blood
was found on either running board Of
the car. and that the dustpan under
meath the car would have caught any
! blood that trlckled through the front
| part of the machine from the seat, and
that all the blood visible had hardened
on the floor Of the car just beneath the
steering wheel
Robertson was summoned as a witness
by the prosecution only for the purpose
of stating that ne had found a hairpin.
but his testimony as a result OF the
questions for counsel for the defence
soon established that he would be an im>
portant witness for the defence, and he
subsequently will be called by the de-
fence If necessary. In the mean time
the prosecution will gather overnight
witnesses TO show that many people
looked for other blood spots and found
none.
The prosecution announced just before
adjournment Of court at 4:30 o'clock to-
day that after the introduction Of sew
eral witnesses along this line tomorrow
1t would rest its case
Alexander Robertson is a brother Of
a reporter on one OF the Richmond news
papers He has been employed about
the courtroom in carrying his brothers
manuscript from the courthouse to
telegraph Office near by. and as he fin
shed in the witness chair he grabbed
several sheets OF matter written by his
brother about his own testimony and
dashed TO the improvised telegraph Of
fees in barn, about seventy-fye yards
away.