Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-09
AIKEN OFFICIALS
To PROSECUTE
BEACH CASE
Millionaire Husband Will Not
Escape Trial for Stabbing
His Wife.

AIKEN, S. c. Jan 9--After two
postponements, which gave rise TO the
belief that Frederick O. Reach would
never be brought to trial on the charge
brought against him last spring by the
Aiken authorities the statement is au-
thoritatively made that the Beach case
as ii has come to be known will posi-
lively come up at the February term Of
general sessions court
r. L. Gunter says that unless some
thing utterly unforeseen develops in the
meantime he will bring Mr Beach TO
the bar of justice to answer to the
technical charge Of assault and bat
terry with intent to kill and the states
attorney is undoubtedly perfecting his
plans to prove to the satisfaction OF the
jury that it was Nh Beach and not a
negro who attacked Mrs Camilla
Beach. his wife In the yard Of the home
the Beaches were occupying in Aiken
last February.
A few days ago the prosecutor was
in conference with NJ. S. Baughn, the
Atlanta detective who worked up the
evidence on which the warrant against
Mr.. Beach was issued After the CON
.fe ence MI Gunter said he did not eX-
pect anything 10 interfere with his
plans to bring Beach to trial
Mayor TO Be Witness.
Mayor Gyles said, when told what
the prosecutor had said that he had
never doubted that Mr. Beach would
be tried The mayor and the prosecu-
tor are law partners and ii has been
said that GyIes would assist Gunter in
the prosecution, but il is now said the
mayor will figure in the trial only as
witness. 1t was Mr. Gyles who obtained
from Beach the gold handled, diamond
studded pocketknife with the broken
blade. on which the chemists who eX-
amined it reported they found blood
and this dainty pocketknife being one
of the most material links in the evil
dence against Beach the mayor win be
put on the stand to tell how Nj Beach
came to him and taking the knife from
a gold chain surrendered 1t after hav-
ing once refused to do SO.
Another material witness viii be the
man who was hidden behind a bookcase
in the mayors law ONCE one night
when Mr.. and Mrs. Beach had come
there in response to request from the
mayor and, after having been put
through cross examination. were left
in the room as they thought, alone. The
Identity Of this man is known to very
few people and what he overheard the
Beaches say has not been made public.
Raughn, the detective, will be in at
tendance upon the trial.
Eleven Attorneys For Beach.
The February term of general ses-
sions court begins on the first Monday
In next month and will be presided over
by Judge Spain. Of Darlington. Mr.,
Gunter will conduct the prosecution
alone, but arrayed against him for the
defense will be eleven attorneys. head
ed by Colonel Daniel $. Henderson, dean
Of the Aiken bar, and one of the abiest
lawyers in South Carolina. Congress
man James +. Byrnes, member OF the
congressional money trust investigat-
ing committee will come from Wash
inetou TO assist in the defense, and the
law firm of Nichou Anable Lindsay x
Fuller, of New York viii be represent
ed. in addition TO several members Of
the Aiken bar
The defense, apparently, is no less
anxious than the town authorities for
the case to come to trial Colonel Hen
derson declares Mr.. Beach wants the
matter settled, whether OF not the au-
thorities have sufficient evidence TO
convince a jury that it Was AIy. Beach
who welded the weapon which SO near
~ cost his wife her life, and if not that
the case against him be auashed
Evidence Cireumstantisl
The evidence is entirely circumstan-
ttal AND whether the prosecutor can
corroborate IL is problematcal There
are a dozen witnesses, most Of them
servants Of the Beaches and OF other
winter residents, and great deal de-
ponds upon them. The prosecutor does
not intend to call Mrs, Beach as Wit
ness for the prosecution but if she is
put on the stand by the defense as she
assuredly viii be. he viii subject her TO-
a severe cross examination
The Beaches have not Yet arrived
here. but it is said they win come the
latter part OF January They viii not
occupy their winter home. and the pre-
sumption is that they viii be the guests
OF friends during the trial possibly Of
the Oliver Iselins. since il was Alr lsc-
I'm who so stoutly championed the cause
~ Beach when rumor connected his