The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-07
FRIENDS GIVE HIM
GOOD REPUTATION
Mrs. Beach, Trembling but De-
hant, Repeats to Jury Her Yer
sion of Affair, Bearing Out
Husbands Statement of As
sault by Negro-Verdict
Expected To-Day.

wife. Mrs. Reach took the stonu anu
testified that her husband did not as-
sauIt her. Tomorrow the jury of Aiken
County farmers. before which Beach II
being tried for the offense, in expect
1 ed to decide whether or not he did.
All the evidence in the case was in
when court adjourned this evening
Three hours tomorrow have been al
{ lowed for summing up arguments.
after which Judge Spain will deliver
his charge the last act preliminary to
giving the case TO the jury.
After the defense had rested late
to-day the State offered several wit
nesses in rebuttal to contradict por-
lions Of the testimony of Mr.. and Mrs
Beach. and during this proceeding the
| identity of the mysterious man behind
the bookcase" was revealed. He turn
ed out to be Haddon Johnson. a young
newspaper man of Aiken. who Is al
legged to have overheard conversation
between Beach and his wife in the
Mayors Office about the assault. Mr..
Johnson was not permitted to give an
explanatory answer to the prosecutors
question as to whether Beach had not
asked his wife to lay the offense upon
the brother of a negro servant. and he
declined to make any answer what
ever.
stories Told Simply.
Both Beach and his wife told their
The prosecutor cross-examined each
of them at great length, and called
their attention constantly to state
ments they are alleged to have made
previously. differing in some detail to
their testimony to-day. They brave
/ ly stood by their guns at all times. and
would not admit that any part of their
/ narrative to-day was Incorrect.
| Mrs Beach said she was assaulted
by gingerbread colored" negro. who
I approached her on pretense of having
a message for a negro servant She
declared that the negro laid violent
/ hands upon her. slashed her throat
and hit her on the side of the head
with the stick; that she was too much
/ frightened TO scream at the first at
tack: and that when she did scream
her husband came promptly to her as
sistance as the assailant fed.
At no time. Mrs. Beach said, had she
| entertained any idea that the negroes
motive was robbery.
Beach did not remember any con-
versa ton with his wife in the Mayors
Office. neither did Mrs Beach. Both In
dignantly denied the intimation that
there was any suggestion of fasten-
ing the crime on any person.
Though her face was fiery red and
her voice trembled with emotion, Mrs.
Beach delivered her narrative calmly.
deliberately and with an amazing
memory for details of all that hap
pened except during those few mo-
ments when she was struggling with
her assailant-
The life was terrified out of me-"
she said "I could not utter a sound
Then suddenly / found my voice and I
yelled and screamed Historically"
Her Manner Defiant.
During her cross-examination Mrs
shoulders slightly stopped. and gaxed
squarely at the prosecutor. Her man.
ner was almost defiant at times when
/ he asked her a question that she re-
garded as impertinent.
I'm sure 1 don't know was her
favorite answer at such times. and she
would repeat the phrase. over and
over. whenever he would press for an
answer
No one within the radius Of Mrs.
Beach's smile could fail to feel the
effect OF her personality.
Beach told his story slowly but we'll
He impressed one as belonging TO the
familiar English type. Slow TO grasp
the import OF some of the questions
put to him. ne would hesitate until the
matter hal had time TO revOive fully
in his mind. When the prosecutor
would remind him that certain points
in his testimony were at variance with
the stories he had told al the time OF
the assault. he would insist that the
way he told 1t to-day was the way IL
happened and that he never had re-
lated it differently.
4 large part Of the afternoon ses-
sion to-day was taken NJ BY the de-
, Tense with the Introduction OF char
scter witnesses. Men Of high and low
degree. men who had known Beach In
New York and in Aiken for years
he has spent seventeen winters here
testified as 20 his reputation for being
quiet and orderly.
Thomas Hitchcock. Jr.. OF New York.
who belongs to Beachs set. was chal-
IsEced BY the prosecutor when he said
Beach had a reputation for being or
DERBY.
Il don't suppose you have ever dis
cus=sd Mr.. Beach IN this wav have
YOU asked Mr.. Gunter.
oh. yes responded Mr.. Hitchcock.
with a smile. we often discuss our
friends regulations
Joins the -Feur Hunarra--
Another Of these witnesses d. W.
CASTOR. who Is president q the First
National Bank here. ard also runs the
livery stable. received this lively
greeting from the prosecutor.
Hello. there Dave. when I'D you
commence to run with the four hun
drcdr'
oh. i've got 50 7 can't eat ny lunch
til ? o'clock replied the witness with
a hearty laugh.
There was every Indication tonight
that the trial would come TO IN cad
to-morrow. There arc seven murder
caaer on the docket set for trial AZ
this term. nearly half q which already
has been consumed b. the Beach case.
When Reach took the stand to-day
he stated that hc married Mrs Eesch
No.rrnner - 1893 after rIvinz the