Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-06-06
NEWSPAPER is INDICATED
Judge Waddill Quashes Indictment
Against Richmond Journal
for Beattie Reports.

Richmond, June g. Establishing a
precedent as to the right and liberty
of the press which is of Importance
not only here, but in every part of the
United States, Judge Edmund Waddill
of the United States District Court fol
the Eastern District of Virginia, thi:
morning quashed the indictment re
turned by the federal grand jury
against the Evening Journal Company
on October 6, 1911, for publishing GER.
tain reports of the Henry Clay Beat
tie murder trial, alleged by the CRANE
jury to be improper. The report Gov
cred the testimony of Mrs. Robert V
Owen.
The court, in lengthy and care
fully written opinion, fully sustain!
and vindicates The Journal in ever!
particular.
1t sets forth that the Journal com
mitted no crime in publishing the ar
ticle objected to by the grand jury.
1t denies that the article was cob
scene, lewd and lacivious," as charged
by the grand jury.
1t affirms that The Journal wa:
fully within its rights in mailing cop
les Of the paper containing the article
to all of it's subscribers.
Moreover, the court unequivocalll
declares that the publication in ques
ton tended to exercise good mora
effect. The court used the following
language:
$50 far from the language of the
publication in question having the ten
dency mentioned, it should rather have
the very contrary effect, specially
when considered in the light of the
sad and frightful consequences of thu
departure from the paths of virturt
that befell those whose Shortcomings
were the subject of investigation"
This article which appears to have
shocked the modesty of the fedora
grand jury was published in the Even
ing Journal on August %, 1911. |,
was report of part of the testimon!
of Mrs. Robert V. Owen given before
Judge Walter A. Watson in the Ches
terfeld Circuit Court.
Mrs. Owen was the mother of thu
] murdered Louise Owen Beattie, ant
! er testimony was of essential i'm,
rtance, as it established the fact
the relations between the young
" Beattie and wife had not beer
that could have been desired; that
outhful husband by reason OF in
lions, had been suffering from
let's of disease.
a,d Jury selected Mrs. j. c. Slap
ing near Glenn Allen, as the sui
Mwho perhaps had been moral!
& because she had received the
The Journal containing the ar
,igned letter Mrs. Staples few
.Mer the indictment had been re
;ul..eo declared that she not only die
not authorize the grand jury to ust
her name, but did not know that hel
name had been used in the indictment
She further stated that she had founc
nothing Objectionable in the article
and repudiated the idea that she hao
lodged complaint against the Journal
The indictment against the Journa
was returned on October Gth-abou1
week after the publication of the
article which so grieved the grand
IN the same day the grand jury
.,cted the News Leader for publish
an article which claimed to have
anen given out by Beulah Binford the
other woman" in the Beattie case.
Eleven days after the indictments
on October 17th-the News Leader
resolved not to fight its case. 1t en-
tered a plea of nolo contendere, (Lat'
in for 81 do not wish to contend"-
The News Leader was fined $50 ano
costs.