The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-28
By Calling Defendants Mother
in-Law to the Stand.
DETECTIVE SCHERER
Is Cross-Examined by Attorney
for the Defense.
He Relates His Conversation
With the Accused.

with Mrs. r. v. owen, mother OF tne
woman he is alleged to have murdered
In a taxicab whose arrival was timed
10 coincide exactly with the moment
Sheriff GIL exhibited in the court room
the clothing worn by Beattie the night
of the murder Mrs Owen came to
Chesterfield. her presence in this vicin-
atv having been a well-kept secret by
the prosecution.
Quickly and without the usual per-
functory questions incident to the IN
PRODUCTION of a new witness, Prosecutor
Wendenburg questioned the woman as
to her knowledge of the domestic ME
Of the Beatties and brought 10 the sur
face a point intended as relevant to the
alleged motive for the murder, namely,
that Beattie's physical condition., due
70 dissipation, had caused much unhap-
piness to his wife The witness said
that ''the night of the muroer sHe
cautioned Mrs Beattie not 10 90 oul
alone with her husband
The prosecutions idea for today aB-
parently was to prove that B9ttt'e
killed his wife because of his fear that
his father might learn of his condition
and cut him off from the family
The testimony of Mrs. Owen took
Judge Watson, as we'll as the crowd in
the court house, by surprise anu I'M
mediately the court suggested q recess
sides, jury and prisoner to discuss 1or-
ther testimony along this line
Gives Prisoner a Shock.
Mrs. owen had come from Dover
Del. last night with her husband who
accompanied her to the court room
She stepped from an automobile INTO
the court room and took the witness
stand without a word being spoken, Tie
customary announcement of a witness
bv the sheriff being dispensed With by
previous plan of the prosecution The
prisoner raised his head in surprise,
recognized the woman. and his head
dropped. At first he endeavored not 70
look in her direction, but she spoke 50
feebly that he found it necessary 10
join the row of projecting heads on The
bench to hear her testimony Once he
uervously whispered to Lawyer Smith
beside him
TASK her to speak louder; I can't
hear"
Mrs. owen is said to have been her
daughters confidant and is believed
to have known of Beattie's relations
with the Binford girl on the stand
Mrs owen told how she ar
rived at the Beattie home on May
%. of the birth of the Beattie child
on May 81 and hinted at the tribu-
lations of her daughter caused by
Beattie's relations with the Binford
girl.
Mrs. owen sat calmly in the chair
While her gray haired husband fan
ned her GoWned in heavy black, a
thick veil gave only a partial glimpse
of the Woman's features When court
recessed she was still in the witness
chair.
It was learned that the prosecution
expected Mrs. Owen to testify on di-
rect examination late today, that
from Henry Clay Beatite jr.'s actions,
when he brought his dead wife home
she suspected him Of the murder.
u
ed that Mrs Owen even asked young
Beattie, practically if he did not COM
init the deed
The prisoner arrived at the court
house from Richmond at 10 o'clock
and was brought into the court room
at 1920, when the days session was
begun. The accused was attired in a
grey suit today and looked refreshed
after his rest in a commodious cell in
Richmond over Sunday.
Scherer ross-Examined.
Detective [. L. Scherer Immediately
took the stand, Hill Carter beginning
the cross examination for the defense.
You haze examined or talked
with nearly all the witnesses for the
prosecution and have been practical
for the commonwealth since the muir
der occurred. have you not?" asked
Mr.. Carter. of the defense
II have" answered Scherer.
Two of the witnesses have been in
fail since the coroner's inquest have
they not?''
yes. Beulah Binford and Paul
Beattie."
Have you had interviews with
those two Witnesses
Yes, L have discussed the case it
self with Paul twice, but with Beulah
Binford quite frequently"
About how many times have you
been to see Beulah Binford since she
has been in Jail"
Il can't say, but quite frequently;
perhaps twenty TO twenty-five times'
Counsel for the defense continued
questioning along this line with the
apparent purpose of developing wheth-
er or not Scherer had been coaching
the witnesses, including those in jail
Turning to Scherer's testimony of
last Saturday, Mr.. Carter pointed to
the alleged conversation between Beat
tie and Scherer after the murder
Did Mr.. Beattie tell you that he
failed to stop at any of the houses
along the way because he knew there
was a physician at the Owen home
where he was taking his wife -
What Beattie Told Him.
I'm this connection I asked Mr.
Beattie simply if he had stopped at
any house along the route 10 set peo-
pie on the trail of the man who he
said shot his wife. He said he was
hurrying to get her to a doctor.
then asked if he did not know his wife
was dead. He answered that he had
tried after she was shot to feel her
pulse and heart but could not tell if
she was dead. He said he stopped
only to fix his light .
The defense plainly tried to show by
its cross examination that Scherer had