L-3 Bluefield Daily Telegraph Bluefield, (Mercer Co.) WV March 2, 1901 State Board of Pardons Among the cases before the board is that of John W. Beatty, of Preston county, who was convicted of the murder of his brother-in-law, Nine, and sentenced to be hung the 15th of February. Governor Atkinson respited Beatty until the 12th of April in order to give his attorney time to have his case heard by the board. Beatty's own wife, whose brother the murdered man was, is opposed to the commutation. A large number of people from Preston county, however, ask for the commutation of the death penalty in this case to life imprisonment. Bluefield Daily Telegraph Bluefield, (Mercer Co.) WV March 22, 1901 Aged Man in Fit of Anger Shoots his Brother-In-Law and will Probably Hang for it. At the north end of the south hall was an affecting scene. Three men confined in small cells awaiting the day on which they are to die a death of disgrace to pay the penalty of a single act. John Wesley Beaty, of Preston county, was originally sentenced to hang on February 15th but he was given an extension of time until April 13th to make application before the state board of pardons to have his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. When the board met last week Beaty's case was presented but not regular and could not be considered. It will be heard by the board on April 2nd. Beaty is an aged white man who is said to have lived a law abiding life. His son stole cider from the cellar of Mrs. Beaty's brother, David Nye(Nine) who had the boy arrested for theft. The boy is now serving a two year sentence in prison for the offense. The action of his brother-in-law so enraged Beaty that he hunted him up and shot him to death. Bluefield Daily Telegraph Bluefield, (Mercer Co.) WV September 30. 1902 ON SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE MURDER John W. Beatty will Die Two Years to the Day from the Time He Killed David Nine Case will come before Pardon Board Before Date of Execution. Morgantown, Sept. 29_ Unless the state board of pardons at its meeting on the first Tuesday in October decides otherwise John Wesley Beatty, now confined in the state penitentiary at Moundsville, will hang on Thursday, November 20th, two years to the very day on which he shot and killed his brother-in-law David A. Nine, on Salt Lick, a few miles from Terra Alta, in Preston county. Judge Holt, in closing the recent session of the circuit court for Preston county, sentenced Beatty for the second time. Beatty it will be remembered, had a son who entered Nine's cellar, taking therefrom a quantity of cider. Nine had the boy arrested and he was sent to jail at Kingwood. Beatty, father of the boy, a few mornings later, took his gun and going to the Nine farm just adjoining, found Nine and a companion at work in the barn, engaged in husking corn. Beatty, showing nothing unusual in his manner, addressed Nine familiarly, making various charges of things he (Nine) had done to Beatty, and then without a moment's warning, placed his gun to his shoulder and shot Nine in the back, killing him almost instantly. Beatty escaped and was at large for a day or so, but finally gave himself up to justice, was taken to Kingwood, tried at the December term of court, found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. Bluefield Daily Telegraph Bluefield, (Mercer Co.) WV Oct. 19, 1902 BEATTY'S NECK SAVED BY PARDON BOARD'S ACTION First Time that Body has ever Commuted the Death Sentence to Life Imprisonment Due to Extraordinary Public Sentiment Where Crime Occurred Wheeling, Oct. 18_ The West Virginia Pardon Board was in session at Moundsville yesterday. They acted in several cases, making more favorable recommendations than is usual. In the famous case of J. Wesley Beatty, who was convicted in the circuit court of Preston county of the murder of David A. Nine, and who is under sentence of death, his day of execution being fixed for the 20th of November, the board, after long deliberation recommended that the death penalty be commuted to sentence for life. Beatty has had a varied experience since he committed the terrible crime of which he was convicted over two years ago. He was respited by the governor, refused favorable recommendation by the pardon board, in which action the governor also concurred, and his case was taken to the Supreme court of Appeals, which affirmed the decision of the circuit court of Preston county. If the governor now coincides with the pardon board Beatty's neck will be saved. This is the first time the board has recommended commutation of death penalty to life imprisonmentin the three years in which it has been acting and during which time it has had a number of capital cases before it. The chief reason for making a favorable recommendation on behalf of Beatty at this time was the extraordinary public sentiment in favor of this by the people of Preston county, where the crime was committed.