The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-02-06
MILLIONAIRE
TAKES STAND
CIubman Beach De-
tends Him self
Against Charges
Says Mysterious Man SIashetI
His Wife'S Throat In
the Dark


Aiken, s. c., Feb 6-Ho1ding to the
story of a mysterious man who struck
his wife and slashed her throat, Fred
today personally presented his defense
to the jury which is trying him for
the alleged assault
Beach was the first witness called
by the defense today. He was appar-
emily cool and collected and answered
questions of his attorney slowly and
deliberately
Court was delayed in opening today
and it was not until nearly 10 O'CLOCK
that Attorney Henderson, for the de-
fense, called Beach to the stand. He
and Mrs Beach had been on hand
nearly half an hour.
The defendant wore new, dark
green suit, today, and took the oath
with coTnposure.
The courtroom was literally packed
Scores stood for an hour or more in
the halls awaiting adTnittanee. Beach
gave his age 81 and said he regard
ed Aiken as his home.
Regarding the incidents Of the night
of Feb 26, last, witness said he. his
wife. and Marion TIollins were alone
that night Miss Hollins. he testi-
fled, retired at g o'clock. Soon after
wards while he and his wife were in
the sitting room, he reading news
paper, they heard scream. Beach
explained that they paid no attention
to it, thinking possibly it was negroes
ouaTrelling. Then there came a. sec
ond scream. They did not give the
matter much attention A few tTniT-
utes later, Mrs. Beach, the husband
reIateds got up to put her dogs out OF
the house Followed by two animals
she stepped out in the yard, closing
the door behind her.
t-Not more than from minute and
three-quarters to two minutes later,
said the witness, II heard her scream.
1 jumped UP and ran out the front
door the stems. r Mrs Beach
standing at a corner of the porch. A
dark figure darted between and ran
my wife inp1ored her to tell me
swhat had happened and she cried: .
't'Oh. he's done something dreadful
I tome
..I carried her into the house, rush
ed upstairs, got my revolver, came
down and ran out toward the Aiken
Club. When I got back to the house
after short search. I knocked on
the door, saying, This is I Beach
Let me in Miss Rollins opened the
Continuing, Beach described how a
moment later he hurried out of the
house, met DR.. Wyman and his son
| and escorted them back into the
| house and then ran out and over to
the Aiken club where he telephoned
for DR.. Hale At this juneture, the
defense introduced the outer cloth
ing Beach wore on the night of the
assault, coat and vest, tweed knick-
erbockers, a hat and a pair OF black
patent leather shoes The coat was
waistcoat exhibited no stains and
Beach explained that it had been
cleaned by his boy who fixed uE
/ things every morning
Representative Byrnes then sprung
| his surprise. Handing the jewelleo
pocketknife which figured so prom
| inently in the prosecution in the story
of the assa ult, he asked Beach te
| identify it.
saThat's my knife" the witness said
readily, "But it is not now as gave
:eWhy ~Gt not?''e. BECAUSE then it hae
The crowd leaned forward eagerly
as Beach answered slowly and delib-
erate1y
The prosecution attorneys watched
the witness carefully Part Of the
states theory was that the knifeblade
| was broken off in the scuffIe.
| Asked further concerning the knife
| Beach explained that Baughn wanted
to keep it and he Beach) let hin
ne and Mayor Gy1es took the
knife the witness said fI haven t
seen it again until now Yes, die
| Gyles the day I left for New York tC
get the knife back. He said he had
| decided to keep it a while longer. He
slapped me on the back and said: fBf
q, good boy and have a good time
"He knew where was going be.
cause I showed him a telegram from
! a 1r10I1Q OF. n1lnS 1I1flIlnS me TO Vl5'
it him in Europe, in Paris. So gave
1 him my New York address,
| who first told you that people il
Aiken were suspecting you of the as
| sault2'' Byrne asked 'tMr. Hender-
son. when first employed him Al
! counsel
Beach could not recall telling S. E
Holley that Mrs. Beach's earrings
lost the night of the assault, wer,
worth $4,000 or $4,000. .
/ After q few other uninnpOrtan
questions, Byrhe turned the defendan-
1 over to Prosecutor Gunter for cross
| examination. His first questions wert
| for detailed informa ton as to Beach
| movements on the day of the assall
and the witness elaborately explain
ed how he remained at nome all day
He also told of hiring detectives tt
| investigate the assault. Gunter de
| veIoped that Beach had never gone tt
| the prosecuting attorney to ask for
| probe of the case. The witness ex
| planned smilingly that he didn't, know
| much about legal procedure. He tolC
| of securing lawyers at the suggestion
| of Mr.. Hitchcock, a friend, and reit
| time no one had suggested to him tina
| the assault might be laid on Beach
| Gunter waxed exceedingly sarcastic
| over Beach's retaining four Or fiv'
| lawyers but the witness kept cool anC
unmoved. Beach ~disclaimed respon
i sfbilitys for circula ting reports that the
motive for the assault by the 'Fn1vs
| insisted that the man he saw running
| away was negro.
NEW. HAVEN YOUTH WINS
! ANNAPOLIS APPOINTMENT
Neur Haven Feb eft was an