The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-01-10
Wonaa Spirilaatst Obtained S:ory Of th
Beattie HHrder
TALKED WITH THE DEAD
Wrote 1t OFT and Sent 1t to Gov.
Mann Before Seattle Confessed
His Awful Crime and Was Cor.
roborated by the Confession Of the
Murderer.

That spiritualist wrote to Gov
ernor Mann, Of Virginia, full and
minute account of the Beattie mur-
der, which was later entirely corrob-
GRATED by Beattie's comics be-
came known in Charleston s~,s The
News ara Courier during Gov.
Mann's ,cent visit to that city.
The governor himself, while at
loss to explain the mystery admitted
that the spiritualist had been correct
in every detail Of her description Of
the murder. He averred, however,
that her communication had not in
fuenced him in the least in his de-
cision not to pardon Beattie.
In the days after the trial, Gov
ernor Mann received an average OF
from fifty to seventy-hTe letters a
day, many of which declared that the
evidence was insufficient to convict,
while others maintained that Paul
Beattie was the guilty party. One
letter In particular caught the gov
|ernor's attention.
A spiritualist wrote to say that
|she had at first been convinced that
Paul Beattie was the murderer. AS
she had the power to converse with
the dead, however, in order to salts
fy her curiosity, she had summoned
a friend from the other world and
had asked her to cali on the mur-
dered Mrs. Beattie and get from her
e full description Of the affair. This
her oblig1ng friend had very willing
ly done.
Mrs. Beaetie and her husband, it
seems, had been talking about Beu-
Lab Binford. The conversation was
resumed IN the automobile. Beattie
stopped the machine and took her
into the Eoad There be shot her,
which accounted for the pool OF
blood n the turnpike. He then had
placed her body across the front
seats Of the machine and sat on her
head while coming back.
At the time this letter was re-
ce1ved the prosecution was unable to
explain the pool of blood in the turn
pike. except on the theory that he
had dragged his wife from the car,
and was unable to Offer any accept
able theory as to the big spot Of
blood on the seat OF Beattie's trous-
ers. Other details at that time
clouded in mystery were also fully
stated in this remarkable spiritual
lists letter.
Governor Mann OF course, let the
matter drop from his mind until
Beattie's complete confession was
brought to his attention. He was
then astounded to note the accuracy
OF the letter when compared with the
confession. The two dovetailed ex-
actly. It Is possible that the spirit
ualists merely guessed what lad hap
pened.
II so, she ought to be in the
weather department, for she could
easily make a living estimating the
size of the crops or the status OF the
future market. It Is noted that she
did not claim to have taken or COM
municated with Mrs. Beattie herself,
but sent friend to interview her.
Governor Mann himself is too en-
crossed in the present to be worry
ing about spiritualism, but he does
not deny the facts as they have been
presented here. On the contrary, he
substantiates the whole story.
There have been rumors Of late
that Detective Burns depends for his
success almost entirely on his ability
to communicate with the dead. He
has not denied or affirmed this, il
indeed, it has been brought to his
attention. The Beattie case is al
most -he first in which spirltualist
has given advance information that
later proved to be accurate. Did she
guess or did she know?