The San Francisco call., 1913-08-31

! Just Ihe instant before ne hired ] hdd
leaned forward t0 throw in The clutch
and start the machine and tie charge
struck my wife
The relatives of his wife's parents. to
whose home he had brought her body.
believed his story. Her uncle. an in
fluential man, begged the assistance Of
a railroad detective. Louis Scheyer.
Scheyer listened without suspicion
until Beattie made a certain answer
to one Of his questions.
about how far was the man stand
ing away when he shot?"
oh" said Beattie. without hesita-
tion, thoughtlessly. about six feet
away."
From that instant Scheyer's investi-
cations turned in manner that cul<
minated in Beattie going to the death
chair, for the detective had examined
the wound on the dead girls counte-
nance. He knew that the load from a
shotgun at a range of six feet would
have scattered so far as 10 have torn
half the girls face away. In reality
the wound in her cheek was perfectly
round, little larger than quarter
of dollar, and powder marked. And,
what was nore. the wadding of the
cartridge mad sunk into her face. 1t
was afterward proved that Beattie had
Induced his wife to get out of the motor
car into the road. that he had brought
the shotgun out from hiding place,
struck her down with the butt end of
it, and as she was PROSTATE in the
road pressed the muzzle hard against
her upturned cheek and fired
The omission of an $50 slight q
thing as that--in the writing OF his
name, sent Albert T. Patrick, the law
yer, to the death house in Sing Sing,
and later, by favor of Gov. Higgins, to
life Imprisonment in the same insti-
tuition. Patrick had planned the mur-
der Of wealthy old invalid William NJ
Rice, conspiring with the aged mans
valet, Jones, to possess himself Of the
greater part of the old mans millions.
Before anybody had knowledge OF
Rices death Patrick sent the valet to
the old mans bank with check for
SIS 900 made out in Patrick's favor and
signed the name of the dead man, ''W.
M. Rice" The bank clerk had no sus-
pfcion of forgery. What attracted his
attention was that although the in
dorsement was Albert T. Patrick" the
name written in the body Of the check
was spelled Albert 7. Patrick. This
discrepancy caused him to telephone 10
| Rice; this brought out the fact OF
| 1ice's death and aroused suspicion. Just
as Patrick was sending the aged mill
| ionaire's body to crematory where all
evidence Of chloroform poisoning would
have been destroyed the Coroner inter-
vened and Patrick's arrest followed.
Bertram Spencer died in the electric
chair in Massachusetts, a few weeks
ago because the loss of small locket
| he had been wearing as watch charm
betrayed him. A burglar had been
working successfully in Springfield for
three years. He had committed up
ward of thirty crimes and had shame
fully mistreated women and girls in
the households that he invaded. Finally,
| in seeking to escape from house
where he had alarmed three women,
he shot and killed young school,
teacher But for six months afterward
he escaped detection The apparent
regularity Of his life. open to public
view, warded suspicion from him. By
day he worked regularly and faithfully
as shipping clerk in big institution.
He was highly regarded there He had
young and pretty wife and child; a
neat. pretty home to which he was seen
returning every evening from work.
And the policeman on post never saw
him leave 1t at night. Spencer had o
devious method of getting out of 1t and
/ In again unobserved.
El. .oldened, after the passing of
many months, by his complete escape
In the matter of the schooteacher's
murder, Spencer essayed another burg
larry. his time he placed a ladder
climbed rp. lie top of the ladder
slipped an thurnped the window This
awakened a man sleeping in the room;
he rushed to the window. Spencer,
throwing his legs about the sides of
the ladder, slid swiftly to the ground,
ran away and got safely to his home.