Smyrna times., 1911-11-29
HENRY G. BEATTY
PAYS THE PENALTY
FOR THE HORRIBLE MURDER
OF HIS YOUNG WIFE
Electrocuted Friday Morning, Nov. pa
in the Richmond, Va. Jail in the
Presence of a Few Witnesses.

life for the life of his murdered
wife. No reason for the crime was
given. Before he walked to the
death chair, Henry Clay Beattie.
Jr., confessed his crime to his
spiritual advisers, Revs. John K.
Fix and Benjamin Dennis. The
great mystery is cleared at last,
but the details and the motive for
the crime probably never will be
known, for the confession, which
was given out in typewriter form
by the ministers, is brief and does
not even hint as to the nature of
the motive. The spiritual advisers
said Beattie did not tell them what
had caused him to commit such a
foul deed. The confession follows :;
II, Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., de-
slrous of standing right before God
and man, do on this, the 23d dav of
November 1911, confess my guilt of
the crime charged against me. Much
that was published concerning the
details was not true, but the awful
fact, without the narrowing circum-
stances remains. For this action
l am truly sorry, and, believing
thatI am at peace with God and am
soon to pass into His presence, this
statement is made This state
ment was signed in the presence of
the two attending ministers and is
the only statement that can and
will be made public by them. Mr..
Beattie desired to thank the manv
friends for kind letters and express
sions of interest and the public for
whatever sympathy was felt or ex-
pressed. While many persons had
predicted that Beattie would confess
there were many, many more who
felt he would go to his grave with
the lie upon his lips to save his
aged father from the ever-harrowing
knowledge that his son really was
a murderer. There was no indica-
tion of physical or mental weakness
in the figure that strode into the
death chamber and seated itself in
the grim chair. The execution was
conducted with the precision of a
military drill. The protection which
the Commonwealth throws abou such
scenes was never better maintained.
and the only official announcement
was that Beattie met the end at %
O'Clock. There was no announce.
ments to the exact time the current
was applied, when it was turned off
or other details of that nature. AS
far as the Commonwealth of Virginia
is concerneud, Henry Clay Beattje,
Jr., died at 1928 paying the forfeit
that the Commonwealth demanded.
The execution took place lust three
minutes from the time Beattie
stepped into the death cell until DR..
w. I. Oppenheimer. prison surgeon.
announced that it was all over.
The prison guards marched in side
by side with Beattie from the cell
to the death chair. precaution
which proved unnecessary, for the
convicted man never faltered. Di-
rectly behind them came Rev. j. J.
Fix and Rev. Benjamin Dennis.
DR.. Oppenheimer followed. After a
night of untroubled slumber Beattie
awoke to gaze from his barred
window on a sodden, soaking world.
But impending death within and
deep gloom without failed to shake
his iron nerve. He prayed for a
time with his spiritual advisers. |
Rev. j. j. Fix and Rev. Dennis. |
Then came the last guard of the
death watch with the word that all |
was ready. Unfaltering in step
and mien, Beattie took from the
hands of Rev. Mr.. Fix his little
Bible, stepped between the two
ministers and began the march to
death. Beattie shook hands with
the ministers, murmured a word of |
prayer in acknowledgement of their
blessing and advanced to the chair.
Following the custom of the peni-
tentiary, Beattie was sent to his
death without any breakfast. He
was the calmest man in the death
chamber when the execution took
place. The witnesses sat with
clenched hands. The prison guards
were nervous. The clergymen
trembIed, but not Beattie. The
breakdown of two days go could not
have heen inferred from his manner
this morning. The body of the
young man in the chair did not look
less natural after death than many a
mans who has passed intothe great
beyond through natural causes.
Beattie had not been blindfolded
when led into the chamber. First
of all Beattie saw the chair. He
tried not to change expression.
Then shifting the range of his vi
sion, he saw dimly the witnesses
a