The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-11-30
afterward. Rev. DR.. Fix remained
as the sole watcher.

as the sole watcher.
All the preparations had been
made for the removal of the body.
The elder Beattie sent last night to
the undertaken the brown suit his
son had worn in court when the
jury declared his guilt. In this the
body was clad for burial.
There is some doubt as to just
where Beattie will be buried. 1t
was thought by the Beattie family
that way had been made clear to en-
ter the body in the family plot in
Maury cemetery, South Richmond.
The family, it is said, had planned
to place the husband as near as pos
sible to the body of his murdered
wife. But no permit for the burial
has yet been issued by the trustees
of the cemetery.
The Rule Suspended.
This may or may not be an over
sight but none of the officials of the
cemetery association would discuss it
to-day The city ordinances forbid
the interment of the bodies of exc
cuted criminals in city cemeteries.
In anticipation of the enforcement of
this rule Councilman l.. c. Patter-
son, of South Richmond, a friend of
the Beattie family, put through the
city council a special permit suspend
ing the ordinance in the case of
young Beattie. That the cemetery
association does not recognize the
right of council to take this action
is presaged by the fact that so far
no steps have been taken to prepare
the grave.
Young Beattie's death chamber
was below ground. 1t. has no win
dows. Because of its isolation and
the death cells adjoining, the
chamber is silent as an abandoned
tomb. Into one corner of the cham
Der a black cable dropped. 1t was
the heavy main wire leading from the
dynamos of the city lighting plant a
half mile away. The prison authorl-
ties do not depend on their own dy-
namos for the fatal shock. Over
this cable poured 1900 volts of elec-
tricity. 1t was as silent as it was
deadly. There was no purring of
dynamos to indicate its fatal power.
When the executioner turned on the
full voltage and the body responded
to the fearful shock the witnesses
gasped. There was no warning.
Current for One Minute.
For a full minute the current rae
ed through the body cells of the con-
demned youth. For five seconds it
was kept at is maximum power, and
then was diminished slowly during
about twelve seconds. When the
needle on the Indicator pointed to
1000 volts it remained stationary
there three seconds and then slowly
through another IL seconds moved
around again to maximum where it
remained vibratory for three seconds.
Then back to the maximum twice
again it took it's course until at the
expiration of a full minute, the cur
rent was shut off.
Beattie's death was instantaneous,
according to the prison surgeon. The
utmost care had been taken in the
setting of the electrodes and In
preparing the straps and clamps to
withstand any strain There was no
slip. The murderer's exit was as pain
less as modern science could provide.
Newspapers Disregard Law.
One feature of the Beattie execu-
tion that aroused a great deal of in
terest and speculation was the atti-
tude assumed toward it by the Vir-
ginia newspapers, which are forbid
den by a State statute to print the
details of an electrocution.
AS a part of the law which substi-
tuted the electric chair for the hang
mans moose, the Virginia legislature
wrote this paragraph into the statute:
mo newspaper or person shall print
or publish the details OF the execu-
ton of criminals under this act.
Only the fact that the criminal was
executed shall be printed or publish
ed
The legislature, however, failed to
provide a penalty for violation Of
the section. Hitherto the law has
been complied with out of respect to
State authority, but the Beattie case
so enthralled the State during the
past several months that there were
indications to-day that many news
papers would feel compelled to dis
regard the statute on this occasion,
and give as many details as could be
obtained.
The Richmond afternoon papers
on the street soon after the
execution with full details, and it be-
came evident that the statute was to
be entirely disregarded or at least
badly stretched throughout the State.
Declines to Confess.
Beattie passed a fairly peaceful
night although his sleep was broken.
When he arose this morning he dress
ed with his usual care and ate spar
ingly. He did not appear either ner-
vous or apprehensive, although he
was necessarily under the eyes of his
guards, who had doubled their vigil
lance in the final moments so that
the law might not be cheated.
II Am Ready, Gentlemen"
During the reading of the death
warrant, the doomed man maintain
ed his composure. He stood without
a tremor. As the superintendent
finished he swayed, but so impercep-
tibly that he might have been shift