Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1911-09-07
VRGINIAN REPEATS STORY OF
WOMAN BEING SHOT BY
STRANGE MAN.
ON THAT FATAL AUTOMOBILE
Says the Man Fired as He Slowed
Down Speed-Defendant Cool and
Collected as He Gives the
Details.

Chesterfield Courthouse, Sept. g.
Confident that his own story will
clear him of the charge of numbering
his young wife during the fatal auto
mobile ride upon Midlothian turnpike
on the night of July 10, Henry Clay
Beattie, Jr., took the witness chair
bringing the long trial to climax.
With the appearance of the defend
ant on the stand, the battle over the
young mans life became struggle
OF cousin against cousin, for it was
Paul Beattte, member of a poorer
branch of the Beattie family, who
had given the only direct evidence
connecting Henry Clay Beattie with
the murder Of his wife. He swore
that Henry had confessed to him that
he had committed the crime.
Beattie appeared to have steeled
himself for a supreme effort. That
his heart must have been beating vio-
lently was shown in the tremor of
his hand as he took the Bible to
make his oath to tell the truth.
Beattie walked calmly to the wit
ness chair and faced the twelve men
who, before the week is ended, are
to pass judgment on his story.
Beattie testified that his cousin
Paul was untrustworthy and had to
be watched when he came into the
Beattie store. He said he picked up
Beulah Binford in August, 1907, while
joy-riding, and continued illicit rela-
lions with her for fifteen months
That when her child was born he had
settled with her lawyer, although he
denied it's paternity. He admitted be-
ing with her at hotels and resorts in
the few weeks preceding the murder
and to writing her affectionate notes.
He insisted that he had never quar-
relied with his wife and had kissed his
baby just before starting on the fatal
auto ride He stuck to his former tale
of the shooting, denying that he en-
ployed his cousin Paul to procure
gun.
His Version Of the Murder.
about three-quarters Of mile
or mile from where we turned we
, were going along easy when man
came from the left hand side of the
road. He was so close to me that
had to put on the brake so as not
to hit him, and said he had plenty
,of room and that I should have. 1
then put on the low gear and reached
over to take the brake. He pointed a
gun at me and said, Stop or I'll shoot!'
did not want to aggravate him, so
l said nothing. AS touched the
clutch he fired and my wife fell back
of me-"
''she fell between your back and
the back of the seat?"
Eyes. In the space of moment I
Jumped out of the car and started to-
ward the man. He raised the gun to
hit me. l caught the gun as Il hit M
on the nose. He let loose, and, be-
ing overbalanced, fell back. There
. has been something said about blood
en- the gun Tom Owen said my face
was bloody. I picked up the gun
and the man ran up the road
"Who was the first man ysu told! -
''Tom Owen"
"Was your statement to Tom Owen
the same as you made at the coro-
ner's inquest?"
4 yes"
Next Thought Of Wife
why didn't you follow the MANI"
well, after getting the gun and
seeing him running up the road my
next thought was for my wife. She
was lying on the left hand side of the
car. l had to step on her dress to
get in. felt Of her pulse. but