The times dispatch. [volume], July 22, 1911, Image 1

About The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

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UNSHAKEN STILL AND PROTESTING HIS INNOCENCE, BEATTTe"*
_ GOES TO JAIL CHARGED WITH BRUTAL MURDER OF WIFE
Cousin Confesses Pur-]
chase of Gun From |
Pawn-Shop.
WILD SCENES
AT INQUEST
Paul Beattie, Raving Like
Maniac, Succumbs to
Excitement,
BURDEN OF SECRET
TOO MUCH FOR HIM
Hurried to City Home Hospital,']
Where He Speedily Recovers,
but Is Held Under Close
Surveillance?Gives Signed
Statement to McMahon
and Wright.
On the confession of Paul D. Bent
tic, obtained yesterday in Richmond, |
while the county authorities were con.
ducting the coroner's Inquest In [
Chestorfleld county, Henry Clay 'Seat?
tle. Jr.. was arr.-stcd by Detcctlve
C'dptaln McMahon shortly after :i
o'clock as he sat at the dinner table Inj
the home of his father, at l?L'O Porter |
Street, South Richmond.
Acting upon orders of Major Werner, |
independent of the county authorities.
Captain* McMahon and Wright early
yeBterday morning set to work
trace the shotgun which caused the
tragic death of Mrs. Beatllc. knowing
that It was the keystone In the evi?
dence necessary to convict Although
Captain McMahon communicated with
Coroner Loving btfore the opening of
the Inquest yesterday morning, and
atkrd fur a postponement until the af?
ternoon on account of Important evl-]
dence anour m v- >--?
PAUL HEATTIE.
HEMIY C. HEATTIE, JR.
BE ?b AH lllNFonn.
County Called Wendenburg
'I hr entrance of L.. O. Wendenbarg
Into Ihr pr<i?rrutlnn uf tin- Beattte
caate ?na dramatic lu the extreme,
'Ihr drat Ititlinutlun xlvtu >lr. Wrn
denburj; Unit he traa ?enteil to ua
vl-t Juilite (irrer) hum ouEVf j ?"d
yeaferday tnornlns ni II o'clock hy
a county ?Illeer while Mr. Wenden
burjc wna . urKuluir n cane before
?fudge drliiuun In tbe t'bancery
Court? He luuuedfntely unWeti Judnje
('ilui)ttu to excuae bim, tbe reiiue?t
being promptly granted, 'l'be lau
>?t went to (he luqueat In n motor
car, arriving at 11:110 o'clock, mid
took u prominent part In tbr cx
iiiniuutlon u( Beat tie, .Mr. Wenden*
btirg ?nid lust night thut br >vm uut
reiiiiiicd by prltafe partle.s.
_I
_ - ... ?t ?rougnt to light by the Richmond detective force, the
coroner refused to delay the proceedings.
When Beattlo was arretted, the coror.er was about to call the Jury together
? fter the lunch hour. The accused and his cousin. Paul, were rushed to the
coroners home In the same auto.noblle. with Captain Wright sitting between
them. As no indication of P. p. Beattie's confession and H. C. Beanie's arrest
>. d reached the scene of the inquest, the arrival of lhe two in custody threw
. e great crowd, county authorities, special officers, as well as spectators. Into
the utmost confusion. The crowd streamed across the lawn toward them as
they stepped out of the automomle. all too shocked and dazed for speech. In
the midst of this conf'-slon, Henry Seattle was as cool as man can be, but
; .1 was so affected that he seemed to be on the point of collapse.
As Dr. Loving called the ;ury together and Captain McMahon put his hand
on Paul Beattie's shoulder to lead him around the house, ho tank to the lawn,
fainting. Compared to the shook and tenseness of that moment, all that had
gone before was dull. Some one seized the fainting man and rushed him
.nto the house, with the frenzied crowd of Jurors, spectators and police stream
ins along With the greatest difficulty the throng was cleared from the porch
and windows, which they were completely blocking. The great crowd seemed
stunned by the denouement and the subsequent events
From his fainting jpell, Paul Beat tie awoke to a fit of madness and fury,
and threshed about the room in the arms of four or five police officers, with
foam dripping from his lips and agonized groans escaping him. Before the
crowd outside had time to realize the horrible struggle inside Beattle was
overpowered and bound hand and foot. His clothing was torn from him In
me struggle, and he lay oreathlng hoarsely. Still screaming, r.e was trans?
ferred to an outhouse under the care of several officers, and the coroner's in?
quest reconvened.
Brnttle Alone Is Calm.
When Dr. Loving called the Inquest to order every face betrayed signs of
dazed shock and horror, with the exception of Henry C. Beattle, Jr.. who re?
tained his calm. While his cousin was testifying on the stand, Paul Beattle
iay In the outhouse ali-ost in a dying condition and a complete ner/ous wreck.
i[ one time It was thought he. was dead, and tho spectators around th j corner
of the. house listening tu Henry Beattie's testimony, although keyed to the high?
est excitement by what had gone before, were electrified when a man dashed1
to the scene of the inquest calling for a doctor and shouting that Paul Was!
.lying.
No human hand could have stayed the crowd at this news, and all rushed
to where Paul Beattle lay seemingly dead. His condition was not so nad. how-,
ever, and with f}r. Herbert Mann and Officer John Gentry, he was sent In an
Automobile flying to tho City Home In Richmond. His departure In his terrible
condition left the crowd shaken to the heart, and the Inquest was resumed
inder difficulty. With Paul Beattle lying In the back of the car. h&tless, ceat
!<<:?? and Insensible, the b:g machine tore through South Richmond, across the
bridge and up Ninth Street hill with a speed that has never been equaled before
in the city streets. Happening as It did Just at the time when the business
houses along Main Street were <mptylng for tho day and the newsboys were
crvlng the extras of the awful murder, the sight of the flashing automobile,
with Its deathlike occupant, was terrifying. But before the crowd could breathe,
the machine was out of sight and at tho City Home, where Beattle was given
emergency treatment with excellent effect.
Early last night Superintendent Cabell, of the City Home, stated that Beattle
was perfectly normal, and would undoubtedly bo In a condition to testify
against his cousin to-day. News of his condition was anxiously awaited by
Major Werner and the Police Department, as upon Paul Beattie's testimony
depends the outcome of the trial.
Refused to Postpone Inquest.
So cleverly and secretly was Paul Beattie's connection with the case worked
out by Major Wernor, Captain McMahon and Captain Alex. Wright that no
'nkling of an>" new discovery about the gun had leaked out until tho dramatic
denouement yesterday at the coroner's home. Major Werner was summonod
to his office at 8 o'clock yesterday morning by a telephone message from a
man "who stated that ho had valuable Information to give him personally
about the gun. In his office Major Werner found Captain McMahon and the
informant, and the latter .ulckly explained Paul's hand in the alleged murder.
The informant went so far as to say that the gun had been bought from Sam
-'tern and to add that Paul Beattlo was so nervous and overcome by the death
of Mrs Beattlo that he only needed a touch to make him confess the whole
StOIActing on the Informant's statements, Major Werner summonod Captain
V'right of the Third Police Station and sent him with Captain McMahon to
.-- stern * Upon information volunteered by Stern. Captain McMahon requested
the postponement of the Inquest, but with negative result.
\a: deterred, however, by the rebuff from the county authorities. Captains
WrlKh't and McMahon and Sam Stern ;>urrled to Paul Beattie's home, at 201
lolph Street, enly to find him out. They returned about 2 o'clock, and
?"ght Beattle in. At tho sight of tho officers Bcattlo's dismay and despair
"ero marked. He turned toward Btern before the officers could speak, and
cried: ,,
??I did not buy it from him.
The Confession.
The officers attempted to calm him, and a fow questions elicited the Informa
that the gun had been purchased by Paul Beattle from a Sixth Street
! ?n broker last Saturday evening and Immediately turned over to H. C.
Beattle If- While Captain Wright and Mr. Stern were endeavoring to calm
?he overwrought Beattle. Capta'n McMahon wroto out the following confession.
?-'?- * (Continued on Second Pagc,>.
Paul Beattie's Sworn Confession to Detectives
I, Paul D. Beattie, hereby state that during the week of July 10 Henry C.
Beattie called me up at my house and asked me to meet him at the corner of Short
and Main Streets, which I did, and after meeting him we talked for a while, and he
asked me to buy him a shotgun, w hereupon I asked him what he wanted it for, and
he didn't tell me what he wanted it for. I told him that I would, whereupon I went
to a pawn-shop in Sixth Street and priced a single-barreled shotgun, the kind he had
advised me to get, and on the following Saturday night, about 10:15 o'clock, which
was July 15, 1911, in company with Henry C. Beattie, in his, the said Henry C.
Beattie's, automobile. I went to the pawn-shop and secured the gun, paying $2.50, and
delivering the gun to Henry C. Beattie, whereupon we both got into the automobile,
and he, the said Henry C. Beattie, brought me home, arriving at home about 11:15
P. M. July 15.
I also state that I bought three shotgun shells from W. B. Kidd's hardware store,
at the corner of Harrison and Cary Streets, on the afternoon of July 15, 1911, and
gave them to Henry C. Beattie. (Signed)
P. D. BEATTIE.
Witnessed bv
ALEXANDER S. WRIGHT,
SAM STERX,
THOMAS McMAHON.
MRS.BEATTIE HAD
KEY 10 MYSTERY
Wife of Prisoner's Cousin Toid
of Gun Purchased in
Pawnshop.
KEPT TERRIBLE SECRET
But Aped Grandmother Urged
That Relative Tell the
Whole Truth.
Tell the truth, my boy."
Acting on the arlvlce of his grand?
mother. Mrs. Elizabeth Black, of 207
Allen Avenue, faul D. Beattie. of 2?1
Randolph Street, freely admitted yes?
terday that ne had purchased the shot?
gun with which Henry C. Beattie, Jr..
Is alleged to have killed his wife on
Tuesday night. Having disclosed the.
full story of buylnf? the weapon to his
wife. Mrs. Ruth Houchens Beattie. his
bride of little m<\re than a year, sha
repeated it last night to The Times
Dispatch.
"I knew nothing of his tiKiiring in
the awful affair until last night." she
said. "Since the tprrible crime of
Tuesday the nervousness of my hus?
band had been very apparent, but until
last night he refused to tell me the
story.
Called Over Telephone.
"In the meantime I recall that last
Friday night he was called on tele?
phone by Henry Be.ittle. It was after
9 o'clock, and he had retired. But
going to the. telephone. I heard him
agree to meet his cousin at once at
the corner of Main and Short Streets
lie dressed and went out.
"He returned about twenty-five min?
utes later, brought home In Henry's
Automobile. I questioned him-as to
the nature of his conference, but he
was evasive, and said It amounted to
nothing.
"The following details I now know,
though he only told me last night:
He quit work early Saturday after?
noon in order to attend to several lit?
tle things for me. But he took enough
time t? 8-0 to a pawnshop In Sixth
Street to buy the gun which Henry
Boattlc wantod. He did not orlng It
homo .but left It at fne pawmshop to
oe called for later. Returning homo,
ne had supper and announced his In?
tention of going to South Richmond,
(Continued on Third Pas*.)
RECALLS EVENTS
OF M'CUE TRIAL
Striking Analogy Between Two
Case? Arouses Much Com?
ment in Richmond.
STORY OF OTHER MURDER
Public in Both Instances Leaps
tu Its Own Conclusions With?
out Awaiting Arrest.
The striking analogy between the
alleged details of the Beattio murder]
and the early events of the celebrated
McCue case, which stirred the State
to its depths a half-doren years ago,
has been the subject of much Inter- j
ested comment in Richmond ever since
the first accounts of the Chesterfield
tragedy appeared In print.
As a matter of fact, long beforo
Officialdom was willing to entertain
seriously the thought that the hus?
band of the dead girl knew more of
the crime than he cared or dared to
tell, the public, or i large part of It.
had reached its own conclusions, and
from then on paid little attention to
rumors and so-called clues, and sim?
ply awaited a single event, which all
expected, and which in due time came |
to pass?the arrest of Seattle himself.
At many a. Wednesday breakfast table
the brief hut eloquent comment: "An?
other McCu? case," was handed along
with the morning paper that contained
the first news, but that, curiously
(Continued on Third Page.)
Sensational Rumors.
Everybody officially connected
with tbe Heartle euae refused last
olKbt to dlncunn tlic inoat oernlatcut
of tbe. runny aenantlonal rumor? iin
to a atnrlllng ronfCNalou which
would be unfolded at the inquest
to-day. Whllp thin report related
In n way to the prisoner, (here wna
uo Intimation anywhere that he hud
confr?*ed. Itcicnrdlean of how It
r,(urteil, the whole city wna ringing
with n report, no astounding thnt
It wan nlinoKt beyond human belief.
Thc lawyers and detectives. ?nld
thnt rumor? were to -be expcetetl.
But they refused to talk.
PAUL BEATTIE I
LIMELIGHT NOW
Sensational Rumors Fly About
Town, but No Confirmation
of Any Possible.
MUCH EXCITEMENT HERE
-- , !
Case Probably Without Parallel
in Depth of Popular Feel?
ing.
For Intensity of Interest and depth
of popular feeling nothing In all the
annals of crime In Virginia can quite
approach the Beattle case, which
reached a long expected, but none-the
less sensational climax yesterday af?
ternoon In the arrest of the husband
?l tho dead girl.
From the moment the details of the
tragedy became public property
tongues began to wag, and strangely
enough readers of the tlrat newspaper
accounts promptly inserted between
the printed lines suspicions and ex?
pectations that had never been writ?
ten. Tho story ot the murder was not
an hour old beforo the whisper ol
Bealti.Vs possible complicity began 101
creep abroad, gathering ready .tjseiit|
as it sped on. In a day the whisper
had become a chant that rang from one
end of the city to the other. What lay |
behind the remarkable unanimity of I
sentiment It remains yet to be deter-1
mined, but that it existed Is a fact
which speedily impressed Itself with a I
stimulating force upon the police and
constabulary wherever they turned.
No hint seemed needed, for the llrsi '
reports certainly gave none. Tho;
ground seemed ready prepared, and it
looked much as IX the public had oc?
cupied the frame of mind of one who
after long1 watching a slumbering
crater simply gasps when the crash
comes, and cries, "1 told you so."
Public Mind Fixed.
With a public mind fixed and im?
patient, It Is easy to suppose, as was In
reality the case, that anything but
satisfaction attended the apparently
dilatory tactics of the police, which oil
now recognise as a wise precaution,
without, which the denouement could
not have been brought about with tho
effect finally produced. The city was
hungry for hews, bul news of Its own
liking. So-called clews leading any
{Contlnuod on Third Page.)
Beattie's Trip to City
l i> u> tile moment in hin urrcMt
lltui v Ueuttle lia'u never been uuilcr
?an i illuiiLi-. While detectives muile
11 Mppvur iliut in- liume ?u? Kuard
? ii laurauay ulubt, uut uu oiUcer
'?tun near. Uelure uiltlulBUt llvnttle
leu uoiue, tiourueil u street cur, ami
>veul tu ibe reitltteuce ut Hurry M.
Mlillli, Jr.. IiIm couuHel, v*liere he
remuiueu iur uearly two bourn. He
it'ii tbe m.-jiiu rrnldeuee lu South
i'nib street yesterday uiurulUK
UllUUt tllS O'clUCtC) nil,I VUllght U
lule car to South Ilicbnionil. He
uitil every opportunity to escape hod
ue desired. Ueaitle hod practically
uefeu ueeused of the murder <>u
lUurHday. ,
Long Awaited Climax
Closes Day Full of
Sensations
CITY POLICE
MAKE ARREST
Drag Confession From Pris?
oner's Cousin and Forge
Last Link.
JURY AUDIENCE IS
STUNNED BY NEWS
Tide Had Seemed to Be Turning
in Favor of Young Husband
When End Suddenly Came.
Binford Woman, on Stand,
Reveals Story of Past
Life.
Charged with the murder of hlB wife.
Henry Clay Beattle, Jr., around whom
a storm of popular clamor and excite?
ment has raged for three days, went
yesterday afternoon to a solitary cell,
where, without hope of ball, ho will
await a furthor summons from tho
law.
Acting on information furnished by
Paul Beattle. a cousin of tho accused,
who gave an explicit account of tlia
purchase of the murderous gun from a
Bichmond pawnshop on Saturday night.
Detective Captain McMahon and Cap?
tain Alex Wright, ignoring tho pending
deliberations of tho coroner's Jury,
went straight to the point without fur?
ther delay, and at 3:45 o'clock, placed,
the husband of the dead girl under ar?
rest. At the time Beattle was at hla,
home In South Richmond. Within five
hours he had been safely conveyed ta
I ttie Richmond Jail, while hla cousin.
now an important witness, went to the City Home in a slate ot collupse. Beat
lie himself was cool and collected, showing the same unconcern thut'has marked
nis conduct since his namo llrst became associated with the crime.
Once away from the scenes that had wrenched his spirit for many an hour.
Paul Beattie*, wild forged the final link against the allege . murderer, speedily
recovorc-d, und is now in a calm frame of mind. The report that he had at?
tempted to commit suicide Is incorrect. The strain of the last few days and tho
burden of his Secret were simply too much for him, and he went under for tbe
tune being.
The urrest came during the dinner recess of the coroner's Inquest. For
three hours and a half Henry Beattie had been on th* witness stand, under
wnat has been described as the most grueling cross-examlr.ation ever given at
a coroner's inquiry. He never flinched, and though apparent, discrepancies, were
shown In hi^ story, his nerve failed at no time In the afternoon he was again
on the stand, and many of the. secrets of his life were laid bare by question*
which, unuer advice of counsel, ho declined to answer, thoug. warned by attor?
neys for the Commonwealth lhat such refusal could be taken only as an admis?
sion that the answer would tend to Incriminate.
Miss Beulah Binford. the "woman In the case,'' took the stand and directly
contradicted Beattie's testimony In many particulars, telling In detail of her
relations with the accused before ami since his marriage and of their trips to
resorts as lute as midnight of the day before the crime. A letter from Beattie
to the girl, sending "oceans of kisses'' und promising to be good, and inclosing
tin for payment for furniture, with which to set her up in housekeeping, wad
produced.
The girl's story was verified In many particulars by May Stuart, keeper of
the objectionable resort which the evidence shows Beattie a:id the Binford girl
Visited lour times In the past few weeks. Miss Binford said that many other
trips had been made In Beattie's motor car to suroundtng parks at night.
.Seldom has there been a more dramatic scene than that, following the arrest
and the apparent collapse of the carefully built up defense. All the morning
Beattie had fenced with export attorneys, and. they had failed to trap him.
The sympathy of the crowd was veering, and when the noon recess was taken
County Coroner .1. G, Loving allowed Beattie to go to his home unattended,
announcing publicly thnt he was not under arrest, and that though suspicion
had seemed to point In his direction, the inquest so far was merely a general
1 inquiry to bring out all the facts
The Final Link.
While the ex'.imlnatlon was in progress, however, o'her wires were work?
ing. Important information came to Chief of Police Werner early yesterday
morning. :tnd was at ?nee placed in the hands of Captain of Detectives Mc.Ma
non. With Captain Alex. Wright, the detective found the pawnshop in which
the gun had been sold, ascertained the price paid fur it, and secured from Paul
Beattie a sinned statement that the weapon was purchased at the request of
Henry Beattie. According to Paul Beattie. his cousin described just what kind
Of gun he desired, but he did not indicate what he wanted with It.
Armed with this written statement, and taking Paul Beattie along, the
Officers rushed to the Beattie home, on Porter Street, where iho man under
suspicion had gone with his lather and brother during the dinner recess. Cap?
tain McMahon made the arrest, charging Beattie with having murdered hl?
wife with intent. The party then proceeded at once to th home of Coroner
Moving, on the Midlothian Turnpike, where the Inquest was soon to be resumed,
a'lth young Beatti, still a witness Excitement th*re at the rumor of an arrest
was intense. Beattie appeared and took his seat, with Detective-Sergeant
Bailey beside him.
Paul Beattie Collapses,
When Coroner Loving rapped for order and the oftleers turned to gather
thelr witnesses to spring the new evidence, Paul Beattie suddenly realized th<
significance of the situation, and without a word of warning, crumpled up on
the ground In s dead faint. Captain McMahon. Chief Werner, Captain Wright
and a dozen officer*, city, county and special, gathered around while be waa
carried Into the parlor of the coroner's home, where Dr. Loving attended him.
Seeming to revive, ne later went into hysterics, threatened suicide, and became
so violent that It was necessary to rtrap him up. Officers guarded him con-,
stantly Later fainting spells developed, and. even after the inquest proceeded
the wild streams of tho overwrought man could be heard from tr.e bouse, even
while Henry Beattie, cold and collected, and with only the slightest twitching
of his right cheek to indicate any emotion, continued his stereotyped refusal
to answer questions that might incriminate hirn.
It soon became evident that Paul Beattie was to.i much excited to be placed
on the witness stand, and fearing ihnt the boy might work himself Into a statt
of mental collapse. Coroner Loving ordered his removal te the City Home Hos?
pital, under charge of officer*. He revived when taken from the scene of the
inqueat. and at the City Home was able to walk into the building without assist?
ance. The physicians express no doubt that he will be ablc to testify when tho
inquiry is continued to-day.
When the afternoon session of the inquest had closed without reael-'ng
many of the witnesses summoned, a formal warrant was sworn out befol'e Cor?
oner Loving by County Officer Jarrell, ennrging young Be;.tlle with having
'maliciously, with a gun in nis hand, on Tuesday night. July IS. shot and killed
his wife, the said Louise Owen Beattie with intent to kill and murder," Beat?
tic wifg turned over by Captain McMahon to the county authorities; and by direc?
tion of Magistrate Jacob was lodged in tho Hlchmond City Jail for the liKhL
He was brought from l.'r. living's home In Swanaboro to the jail ill a motor
car driven by John Alsop. who hai? from the fliM aided tr. i detectives 'n every