On a fateful July 13, 1911, the sleepy streets of Seattle were shattered by the brutal murder of Beulah Beattie, the 24-year-old wife of Henry Clay Beattie Jr. The young couple’s idyllic life was turned upside down when Henry, just 20 years old, was charged with the heinous crime. The gruesome scene unfolded on Midlothian road at 10:05 p.m. with Beulah’s lifeless body found by the side of the road. The investigation led investigators to Henry, who had a history of reckless behavior. On May 31, 1911, he was born to Beulah and her husband, a prominent businessman. This was not Henry’s first brush with trouble – in July 1907, his father, Henry Clay Beattie Sr., had died, leaving him to Beulah’s custody. Just four years later, Henry’s parents remarried, and he was left to fend for himself. This tumultuous past may have contributed to Henry’s reckless behavior, but it could not excuse his actions on that fateful night. The prosecution presented a damning case, and on September 11, 1911, the jury delivered a guilty verdict. Judge Watson sentenced Henry to die by electrocution on November 14, 1911. As he sat calmly in his cell, Henry displayed an unsettling indifference to his impending doom.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Violent Crime
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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