The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-15
bEATT|E TRIAL
 STARTS MONDAY  Grand Jury Charges Him
 With Murder COURTROOM CROWDED
State Will Charge Young Beattie De- liberately Killed His Wife Be- cause He Was Fascinated With Another Woman

Chesterfield Courthouse, Va. Au-
 gust 14.-Henry Clay Beattie, IT,. a young virginian of good birth and
 breeding, will be placed on trial for his life here next Monday In the little red
 brick courthouse. built more than 16o years ago. A grand jury today re- turned against him true bill charging wife murder, and if convicted in the first degree he may be sent to the electric chair. Counsel for the defense fought hard for postponement of the case, but Judge Walter A. Watson of the Chesterfield circuit court held that the. interests of the commonwealth de- manded a speedy trial, and accordingly
 set the case week from today. Already held guilty by coroners jury of having shot his bride in a motor car on the night of July IS, the indictment of Beattie today was prac- tically only a formality. Only four witnesses were heard, but the jurors deliberated for two hours before they returned the broad indictment covering all degrees of homicide.
 Neither Paul Beattie, cousin of the N0N the love of whom the state will charge that Beattie killed his wife. appeared before the jury. although both were brought here from Richmond. The Binford girl, now only IT years old, was prettiiy dressed in blue tailored suit and big picture hat. She apepared unruffled by the stares of the curious, although she shielded her face from photographers with her fan. No one except attaches of the sheriffs office was allowed to see her. Defendant Absent
 Not only was the defendant not pres ent in court today, but no member of his immediate family put in an ap- pearance. Thomas owen, an uncle of Beatties wife, was a grand Jury wit ness, and was the only relative from that side of the case.
 striking feature of the day was the
 absence of women. There was not one,
 black or white in the coswt room, and
 only handful. from the vicinity of the courthouse, on the lawn.
 The little court room holds normally only 50 persons, but 150 crowded into it todny, while others swarIned about win dows and doors. Perhaps to discourage future attendance of curiosity seeekrs at
 the trial Judge Watson commanded all
 disinterested spectators to remain stand-
 ing He wilted many in this way and
 several of the less tenacious retired dis
 gruntled.
 H. M. Smith, Jr., and Hill Carter, both
 well-known criminal lawyers, appeared in
 Reattie's behalf Both pleaded that the
 case be started not earlier than the first
 Monday In September, but l.. O. Wenden-
 burg and L. M. Gregory, for the prose-
 cution, argued that the sentiment of the
 people demanded swift justice and won
 tleir point
 In charging the grand jury Judge Wat
 son said that the Midlothian turnpike,
 where the crime was committed, had be
 come as well known as Wall street. He
 lamented the brutal features of the case
 without referring to Beattie by name,
 and deplored the notoriety brought to
 the community. He said in conclusion:
 q charge that you diligently inquire
 at whose hands an innocent and defense
 less young woman came to her death
 and with reasonable certainty to identify
 the perpetrator that we may place him
 on his trial'