The Washington herald., 1913-02-03


surrounding the attack upon Mrs.
Frederick o. Beach, New York society
belle, at her winter cottage here on
February 26, 1912, is scheduled for
final solution when her husband,
Beauty" Beach. accused of perpe-
trating the outrage, is called to trial
during the February term of the Cen
eral Sessions Court, which convenes
here on Monday.
Beach, his chief counsel. Col. d. S.
Henderson, and his wife have repeated
ly characterized the charges brought
against the defendant as untrue and
slanderous. They hold to the story
originally told by Mrs. Beach immc-
diately after the assault that negro
was the assailant. On the other hand.
States Attorney Robert l. Gunter, and
NJ. S. Baughn, who worked up the evil
denCe upon which the wealthy New
York society man was formally ac-
cused of the assault, have advanced
the theory that Beach committed the
attack in a fit of insane jealousy. The
man who cluded the pursuit of a CO.
terie OF citizens brought TO the scene
of the attack by Mrs. Beach's cries,
they assert was white-not black-and
was instrumental in arouslnG the an
ger of Beach.
This hint of scandal, II was said to-
day. might broaden into charges that
would shake the fashionable winter
colony here to its foundations. involv-
ing the names of some of the most
prominent people in national and IN
ternational society.
Prominent in Society.
Frederick o. Beach and his wife are
residents of ROslyn. Long Island, and
have long been associated with the
most exclusive American society Mrs
Beach. the daughter of Cortlandt ID.
Moss. was formerly the wife of Charles
+. Havemeyer. millionaire son of the
founder of the sugar trust. Have
meyer was killed in his home at lslip'
Long Island, in May, 1898, by his own
hand, 1t was said at the time Elgh-
teen months later, Mrs. Havemeyer ana
Beach were married in Grace Church.
The attack Mrs. Beach alleges to nave
been made by the negro was made on
the lawn of Beachs Aiken home She
stated that her assailant struck her to
the ground with n fence picket, slashed
her throat, tore a valuable set Of ear
rings from ner ears and rushed away
as her cries brought help. This story
was at first substantiated by a negro
maid. Pearl Hampton, who also was
felled by Mrs. BPaoh's assailant. Mrs.
Reach described the man making the as
Sault as negro OF IneOluIl HSlSi.l, Du-
stated that She could give no detailed
description Of him, owing TO darkness.
The attack so incensed both the North
ern visitors to Aiken and the citizens of
that town that c. Oliver Iselin, Aiken's
founder as q winter resort. offered 4 re-
ward of $1,000 for the capture of Mrs.
Beach's assailant. and stated in an open
letter that he would be glad TO partici-
rate in the lynching of the malefactor.
~ ftIIi1 klxr inRr ~ Inv
the municipality and private donors, and
NJ S. BauChn, a detective, was called in
bv the authorities to solve the mystery.
BauChn's findings in the case were
made in a public warrant for the arrest
of Fred Beach, sworn out on April S. In
this warrant Baughn alleges that Mrs
Beach left her home on the night of the
attack, and that Beach, becoming anxious
over her failure to return, went out to
look for her.
Ran After Man.
Passing around the side of his own
house to an opening in the hedge, he had
an unobstructed view between his house
and that of Joseph Hartman. He then
pulled a fence paling from the fence
there, according to the complaint, and
walked to a dark spot near the laundry
and stood in the shadow. According to
Baughn, he then stepped out from the
shadow and suddenly confronted Pearl
Hampton, the negro maid, exclaiming:
Don't holler. I'm not going to hurt
you Where Is Mrs. Beach?'
Baughn says that the girl professed
ignorance, whereupon Beach told her
that it was "a dirty lie'' and struck
her with the fence paling.
He then dashed behind the laundry and
found Mrs. Beach, but ran after white
man dressed in a gray suit Of clothes,
who ran out on the opposite side through
the front gate of the Hartman cottage,
and up the street
Beach, Baughn adds, turned and fol-
lowed his wife through the driveway
gate of their residence to a point mid
way between the front fence and the
house. There, 1t is alleged, that he at
tackled her and cut her throat. 1t was
here that Mrs. Beach's combs and ear
rings were picked up and not in the
front yard. where she said that she was
attacked by the negros
Before the warrant was sworn out
Beach had left Aiken and had gone to
Paris, where he received the news OF
his alleged assault with indignant pro-
test He stated that he would inmedi-
ately return to the United States to fight
the ease. The trial was first scheduled
for September s, but was postponed
The number Of Students in the high schools Of
dtfr-