The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-11-30
BEATTIE CONFESSES
BEFORE He DIES
VlR6lNlANS LAST STATEMENT BRINGS
RELIEF TO DOUBTERS
THE YOUTH SMILES At DEATH

As He Beholds the Death Chair
Smile Spreads Over His Face,
And Four Minutes Afterward His
hfeless Body is Removed. Fun
eral Held Sunday.
Richmond, Va, Nov. "a. - The
State of Virginia to-day took the
life of Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., in
payment for the wife's life he took
last July-and the State made no
mistake.
The young man himself - who
tossed aside a future of riches, the
love OF young wife, the guardian
ship of an infant son, through in
fatuation for a wayward girl-made
that plain before he went to the
electric chair in the early darkness
OF this dreary, rainy morning.
He confessed his guilt, faced his
end with a smile and went to death
with a firm belief that, if there was
happiness beyond the grave he
would have his share of it.
He died about 7.21 O'Clock this
morning, and few hours later, his
two spiritual advisors handed out a
typewriter slip reading thus:
Il, Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., desir-
GUS of standing right before God
and man, do, on this, 23rd day of
November, confess my guilt of the
crime charged against me.
Much that was published con-
corning the details were not true,
but the awful fact, without the haT-
rowing circumstances, remains.
For this action l am truly sorry,
and, believing that l am at peace
with God and am soon to pass in
to His presence, this statement is
made
(Signed)
Henry Clay Beattie, Jr."
To the confession was appended
this note from the clergymen:
This statement was signed In
the presence of the two attending
ministers and it is the only state
lnent that can and will be made
public by them.
"Mr. Beattie desired to thank the
many friends for kind letters and
expressions Of interest and the
public for whatever sympathy was
felt or expressed.
(Signed)
Rev j.. j. Fix,
REV. Benjamin Dennis
Shielded Father to Last.
AS brutal, as cowardly, as Beat
ties crime was-the shooting down
OF the wife whom he lured to the
lonely Midlothian on the pretense
that an automobile ride would do
her good-he partially atoned for
1t by the manner of his confess
ion. He arranged it so that his
devoted old father should not learn
OF his guilt until after he had gone
forever.
He confessed to the Rev. Mr..
Dennis on November 9-more than
two weeks ago, but requested that
the clergyman keep secret his ad-
mission of guilt from his white
haired parent. Then, when he die
tated and signed his public state
ment, he said yesterday:
Don't tell Dad about it now.
Keep it from him until after l am
dead. Then show it to him and
tell him l will meet him in Heaven,
for ] believe I'm going there, and
] know that he is. He's already
saint II ever a human being was"
Everyone Satisfied.
And so, in the general sentiment
of relief that the whole sensation
al business is over, there is tonight
throughout Virginia a spark of ad-
miration for the chief figure in
the tragedy. For he not only did
this commendable thing, but he
went to. the chair in IA fashion that
the religious folk of the commun-
ity may call sanctified and the
worldly may call game" He sat
isfied everyone.
Beattie was aroused from a toss
ing, fitful sleep at $40 this morn
ing. He seemed to realize. as soon
as he arose, that he was facing
his last hours, for there was
peculiar gentleness, all agreed, in
the voice which greeted first his
guards, then his spiritual advisors.
He was far different from the flip
pant, grinning Henry Clay Beattie,
Jr., of old.
Already he had picked up his
costume. He donned a white ten
mis- shirt, opened V-shaped at the
neck and cut off at the elbows, a
pair of light-colored flannel trous-
ers turned up at the bottom, and
black silk stockings with low shoes.
''Goodby and Good Luck"
To the last guard on duty he
said: "Goodby, Frank, and good
luck to you / wish you would say
that God will bless everyone that
sympathiZed with me-"
Then Beattie gripped the keepers
hand and began praying with his
clergyman. They arose after fif-
teen minutes and sat one on each
side of him, reading the Bible and
giving him words Of cheer Anoth-
er youth brought in a cup of coffee,
which the youth drank.
1t is said - and was perhaps
true-that this contained the mer-
ciful opiate which is usually Civ
en- to q condemned man nearing
death, to dull his agony.
Meanwhile, outside, the twelve
witnesses OF the execution had
gathered In the home of Superin-
AnIAdnr,L NMnnA a Ahn Iannifnrnti i,I