Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-20
EXPECT AN ARREST
Virginia Officials Prepare to
Act in Auto Murder.
HOLD SECRET CONFERENCE
Apparently Have Reached Definite
Theory Concerning the Crime.
MRS. BEATTIE BURIED TODAY
Expected Arrest Said to Have Been
Purposely Delayed Until
After Burial.
HOLD SECRET CONFERENCE
MRS. BEATTIE BURIED TODAY

Special Dispatch TO The Star
RICHMOND. Va. July 2O-An arrest
by the officers of Chesterfield county in
the Beattie murder case is momentarily
expected. The fact that the detectives,
the police and the bloodhounds have all
quilted the scene Of the crime, and the
various ends Of the case have been gath
cred in. all pointing to some one conclu-
sion; the further fact that all the officers
Of the county, the detectives and all
others, including the coroner. the attorney
for the commonwealth and the magis-
trate, have gone into conference behind
closed doors, warrants the conclusion that
they have about decided to act, and that
in the course of the next few hours
The funeral OF Mrs. Beattie took place
at 10 o'clock, and there is belief that
the officers postponed action till after the
burial.
Whole Community Excited.
The whole countryside has been
wrought up over the crime, owing as
much to the prominence OF the persons
concerned as to its remarkable features.
Beattie has given thrilling account of
the murder. After the murder Beattie
said he drove his automobile fifteen miles
lhlOu6h tHc HiSHt Will OIl6 MAUI, carly
ing his dead wife on his free arm. A
baby, scarce two weeks old, was asleep
when the Beatties started on their auto
mobile ride, which was taken, he said,
to give his wife some fresh air. If the
baby had not been asleep, he said, it
would have been taken along. This is
Beattie's own story Of the shooting.
The Husbands Story.
1--WE had been out in the country as far
as Warwick road and were on our way
back, and, while going at about fifteen
miles an hour. 1 discerned in the dark
ness man ahead OF us. He entered the
road from the left and stopped about the
middle of the road. 1 damned the brakes
down hard, which stopped the automobile.
What are you trying to do-run over
me?' the man asked. and / replied that
there was room enough for both OF u.s.
The man appeared to be drunk. and his
attitude was surly and defiant. l noticed
q shotgun in his hand.
Without moments warning he raised
the gun and fred. He was standing not
over six feet from the car at the time,
and the muzzle OF the gun was not over
a yard from my wife. Following the
report leaped from the car and grappled
with him. The man was every bit of six
feet and lowered above me. / seized the
gun with the intention of wrestling 1t
from him, but he broke my grip and
brought the gun down with terrible force,
the butt striking me a singing blow on
the nose and rendering me momentarily
unconscious. When / recovered the man
had disappeared" .r - i. II,
Two Pools Of Blood.
Beattie showed an abrasion on his nose
to bear out the story that his assailant
had struck him. A feature Of the crime
which Beattie could not explain is that
two pools of blood some distance apart
were found where the assault took place.
Beattte admitted that whatever blood
soaked through the bottom Of the car
would have been caught in drip pan.
The charge of shot entered a space in
Mrs. Beattie's face not over the size of
half dollar In diameter.
The gun which Beattie says he wrested
from the hands Of the assassin and placed
in the back Of the car was found at a
/ abroad crossing, where 1t might have
bounced out as the car hit the tracks
Detectives thought they struck clue
when they were told that Irving Brown,
negro, had been seen acting In a sus-
picious manner near the scene of the
crime the day before. Brown was promp:-
ly arrested, but he was able to give
good account Of himself, and he was re-
leased