Omaha daily bee., 1911-08-27
JURY IN BEATTIE
CASE SEES AUTO
Panel Examines Closely Machine in
Which the Woman Was Shot
to Death.
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS ON STAND
They Tell of Seeing Car Near Scene
of Crime While on Way Home
from Party-DetectIve
Begins story.

CHESTERFIELD COURT HOUSE, Va,
Aug. 2e.-Six high school boys returning
from u dance at Bon Air, eleven miles from
Richmond, gave testimony today indicat-
ing that woman, presumably Mrs. Henry
Clay Beattie jr., was standing on the left
running board of a machine which they
passed and that man crouched in front
of the car. The prosecution endeavored
to shatter in this way the contention OF
Henry C. Beattie, jr., at the coroner's in
quest that Mrs. Beattie was on the left
hand seat when she was killed.
The commonwealth by it's witnesses
sought to prove that the blood near the
machine marked the spot where the muir
dered woman fell from the automobile and
that the blood could not have trickled
through the bottom Of the car, as the de-
Tense argued.
The jury. at the request OF Prosecutor
wendenburg, examined the car carefully
as ii stood on the lawn outside of the
court room Several OF the jurymen in
spected the portion Of the car underneath
the seat where the prosecution claims a
grease pan would catch the dripping blood.
Incidentally the mornings testimony Of
the six boys brought out the fact that one
of their number, f.. B. Adams, who went
alone to the dance at Bon Air, saw man,
unaecompanied. standing by a macGtne
near the scene where the murder was three
hours later committed. This was in line
with the idea Of the commonwealth that
Beattie placed a gun in the bushes nearby
so that it would be available when he was
ready for the deed of which he stands ac-
cused.
Boys Tell Clear story.
Beattie listened lntently to the declara-
tions of the boys. leaning over the bench
while he nervously fingered some papers
All the youngsters were well dressed and
between the ages of IS and 81, sons of some
of the best known families in Virginia.
Each bore up well under cross-examination,
telling practically the same story in an
swer to a profusion OF questions from both
sides.
The prisoner continually prompted Harry
NJ. Smith, jr., his counsel.
Today was the first time the jurymen
had seen the Beattie automobile. Beattie
followed the iurymen sharply at every
move. He assisted them In prying open
parts OF the seats and strolled confidently
around the automobile, chewing un-
lighted cigarette. his straw hat tilted to
one side and portfolio OF papers under his
arm.
The inspection was carried on in silence,
no comment being made by anyone 1t
was ended at l o'clock.
Before returning to the court room Beat
tie ooolly called attention TO a punctured
tire and Judge Watson ordered the chauf-
feur to have II fixed before returning to
Richmond.
w. B. sydner was recalled by the pros
ecution when court reconvened at ESQ
o'clock. He was asked II he could Identify
the machine outside the court house as
the one he saw when returning from the
dance. He said 1t was identicslly the same.
Detective scherer on stand.
Detective scherer. who has been active in
working up the case of the prosecution,
was called next. Scherer described in de-
tail his work the day after the murder.
I'VE had been at the scene of the crime
hut a short time" he said. when someone
came up with a slngle-barrel gun 1t was
Identified by Henry c. Beattie, jr., as the
gun. l am not positive whether he stated
It was the gun used in killing his wife.
We took the gun to different parties to
see II II could be identified.
II discussed the case with Beattie and
asked him TO give me as near as possible
all the facts concerned with the shooting,
We had only spoken few words when re-
porters interrupted U.S. We walked away
to the blood spot l and others who gath
cred asked Beattie to place the car in the
position It was at the time of the shooting,
''Mr, Beattie then placed the car, my
recollection is. first on the left hand side OF
the bloodspOt going towards Richmond
about twenty or thirty inches from il. with
the front seat about opposite the bloodspot.
He had already stated to me that the
bearded man was in front Of the car and
that It Was necessary for him to stop the
car TO keep from running over him and
had also stated that the man had shot
from In front OF the car"
soherer said some one in the crowd got
In the left seat OF the car and that ne
placed himself in front OF the machine
(Continued ON Second PaRal