Murder of David Beach
Norwich Sun, June 7, 1934
Mrs. Beatrice Beach of Bennettsville [Chenango Co., NY], 32, was locked up at the Chenango county jail [Norwich, NY] at 11:45 Wednesday night on a charge of first degree murder for the slaying of her common law husband, David Beach, 39, near their farm home, Wednesday forenoon. Mrs. Beach is held for the action of the grand jury, having waived an examination, and was committed to the jail by Dr. E.L. Bennett of Bainbridge, coroner, acting in place of a magistrate.
State troopers who investigated the crime fixed the time of the murder at 9 o'clock Wednesday morning on the "old mill" road near Bennettsville. Mrs. Beach used a revolver to inflict the wound which caused the man's death in the woods some distance from the Beach home. Jealousy is given by the authorities as the cause of the shooting. Mrs. Beach was questioned at Sidney barracks and admitted to troopers all that occurred. In her statement to Captain D E. Fox and state police, the woman asserted that Beach, whom she had lived with for 10 years as his common law wife, had been friendly with a neighbor, Mrs. Edna Stafford, for some time.
The alleged murderess and Beach attended the movies Tuesday night at Sidney [Delaware Co., NY], returning to the farm home about 11:30 that evening. After reaching home, Mrs. Beach says her husband asked her to make him a shortcake. She informed him it would take some time, as she would have to build a fire, and suggested that they have sandwiches for their midnight lunch. While she made sandwiches in the kitchen, the woman kept up a running fire of conversation with David. She thought he was in the front room all the time. After the sandwiches were finished, she took them to the front room of their modest little farm home, only to discover that David had disappeared into the night.
Thinking that perhaps he had gone for a short walk, she climbed into the car and drove down the road. Failing to find him she returned to the house and retired. Beach was gone all night, for Wednesday morning she started in search of him and had gone only a short distance into the woods on the "old mill" road, one-quarter of a mile form the Beach home, when she saw him leaning against a tree 100 feet from the road. "David, what are you doing hiding up there?" she shouted, standing below him, revolver in hand. He came down toward the road, and she demanded to know if he had been down at Mrs. Stafford's home during the night. He replied in the affirmative, and she asked him if he would go home with her, according to her statement. He replied that he would, provided she would put the revolver away. With these words he picked up a stone and started toward her. According to her statement he kept taunting her, saying she was "yellow" and would not dare to shoot him. Beach then dropped the stone and started for her with open hands. Suddenly the revolver was discharged, said the woman, and the man fell crying, "Oh, I am hit."
Even then Mrs. Beach thought he was faking and told him to take off his belt. With her assistance this was done, and then she saw blood on his shirt on the left side of the abdomen. Realizing that David must be seriously wounded, Mrs. Beach asked him how far it was to their home through the woods, with the idea in mind of taking him there before calling a doctor. He replied that it was some distance, so she made him as comfortable as possible and started out alone to call medical assistance. She stopped first at the Stafford residence, the first house she came to. Mrs. Stafford, said to be the unwitting cause of the murder, did not have a telephone, so, leaving one of the Stafford children in charge of the house, the two women started out in search of a doctor. They went to the home of Cecil Canfield, whom they got to drive Mrs. Beach's car to the Vanderwalker farm, the first place at which there was a telephone. More delay was experienced here, when the first two doctors the frantic woman called were out and could not be located. They finally called the Bainbridge hospital, and medical aid was soon sent. Calls had been sent to Sidney barracks, and Captain Fox sent a squad of troopers to the scene. Mrs. Beach was brought to the barracks and after questioning told her story. Beach's body was removed to Colwell's undertaking parlors in Bainbridge. Not until Trooper L.G. Zelman and another trooper brought the woman to the county jail at midnight did Sheriff Charles W. Dunckel know of the murder. Although the crime had occurred more than 12 hours before, neither the sheriff nor any of his deputies had been notified. The district attorney had been called, however, but failed to get in touch with the sheriff before he left for Bainbridge.
The deceased man has a brother and two sisters living in Virginia. The brother is Charles Beach of Ford, Va. and the sisters are Mrs. Lola Wells and Anna Mae Beach of 401 Canal street, Petersburg, Va.
It was about 10 o'clock before Dr. Edward Danforth and Dr. Ben Dodge of Bainbridge were called to the scene of the crime. They found Beach dead, and Dr. E.L. Bennett, Bainbridge coroner, was notified about 11 o'clock yesterday morning.
Mrs. Beach was informed of her rights by Dr. Bennett and the troopers, and elected to waive examination and be held for gand jury action. She has not been advised by counsel, and no attorney has called on her at the jail. Whether she has funds to engage a lawyer is not known, but if not, counsel will be assigned.
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David Beach - Obituary
Afton Enterprise, June 14, 1934
Funeral services for David Beach were held Sunday, the Rev. Lester D. Huxtable, pastor of the Afton Baptist Church officiating. Members of Clifford-Holmes Post, 923, American Legion Auxiliary, and members of the Legion attended the funeral and special services were conducted. Burial was in Glenwood Cemetery at Afton. The Post firing squad fired salutes at the grave. Ward Merrell of the Afton Boy Scout Troop 51, played "Taps" on a trumpet, and Stewart Morgan of the same Troop acted as color bearer. Special floral pieces were given by the Department of New York American Legion Auxiliary, under the direction of Mrs. Whit Y. MacHugh, National Rehabilitation Chairman, of the American Legion Auxiliary, and also by the Afton Legion Auxiliary. Mrs. Beach is being held in the Chenango County jail to await the action of the next Grand Jury. As it does not convene until September 10, it will be necessary for Mrs. Beach to remain in the jail at least until that time.
To be continued
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