The Washington times., 1917-11-26

her that, she laid the pistol back in
the fork OF the tree. 1 stopped down
to light a match and looked into the
cup to see IL there were bugs In It.
Just as / was getting some water
heard a shot.
Il turned and saw her falling. /
rushed right to her, put ny hands
under her and sat her up for minute.
She weighed about $50 pounds
said, Maudi Maud? ! could not see
any blood"
Captain Bingham and Alton Means
came running at his call. Together
they lifted Mrs. King into their car
and sped back to town. Means con-
tinued:
81 was Ave feet away at the time
she was shot She was right by the
tree, just where 1 had put the pistol
I was at the spring, standing on the
rock. Ny back was not exactly to-
ward her. She was in the rear. 80
my view was in the opposite direc-
tIon. When she was shot was look
ing into the spring. She was stand
ing up when the shot was fired. When
I heard the shot she was standing
perfectly straight She fell straight
backward. She never made any out
cry. She never spoke a word"
Search Of Apartments.
Investigation OF Means story, and
OF his reason for bringing Mrs. King
to North Carolina, was started in Chi
csgo and led to New York. Heans'
Apartments in New York were
searched, and the district attorneys
office announced Means rDpl v
had planned to get 100000 for Mrs..
King through an alIegeu secOs- /.
hof her husband. The latter. In ~
nrst will, had left her more than
81 ,000. .0c0 and had bequeatheu the rect
OF his fortune to a charitable institu-
tion near Chicago.
A sensational twist IN the investi.
gaton was given when the North Caro-
linian was connected with PrussIan
intrigue in this country. Assistant
District Attorney Dooling. OF New
York, said he knew Means had boast
ed he had received 5000. 900 from Cap;
4 tain Franz Won Papen for services to
/, the German government.
The State, Is IL assumed, will have
| two damaging f6ctS to. present in its
attack on the story told by Means.
One is that whsa the body was re-
examined In Chicago there was found
J bullet wound behind the left ear,
but no powder burns. Pistol experts
say IT Is improbable q pistol fired
at short range wculd leave no burns.
Mystery in Injury.
Mrs. King was right-handed. The
examination revealed her left ankle
had been broken shortly before
death. The other fact in the States
case may be the expert report, filed
by Coroner Physician Burmeister,, OF
Chicago, which rosds:
"In my opinion, death was due to
shock and hep1orrhage, attendant
upon q gunshot wound OF the brain.
This bullet entered in the back OF
the head on the left side and passed
almost directly forward In a hori-
zonta1 plane. Il also Is my opinion
| the deceased was right-handed- From
the above findings, Il is further my
opinion this wound was not self-in-
flicted-"
Mrs. King, durspg her life OF forty
| odd years, was much in the public
eye. She had beauty, high spirits,
| wealth and a tendency for the ro-
mantle and adventurous that kept her
| in the midst OF happenings. She was
not always wealthy. Her parents
were respectable persons of moder-
ate circumstances. She was described
' as q pretty, pink-cueeked country
girl" when she r1mped In Morrison,
1 a small town jus: outside OF Chicago.
/ She was twenty-five when she met
and married James King. a seventy
| two-year-ol6 magnate OF. the North
woods = After his death she found
he had left her but $10o, 900. She
brought a court action and broke the
will. the estate settling with her for
in the neighborhood OF $l.0O0I0O0.
Frequently, In later life, II was ru-
mored another will existed. Means
was said to have fostered this belief.
Grew Tired Of Society.
| firing of American society Mrs
King, the widow, went to Paris and
soon became famous As q hostess in
that then gay city. Marked attention
was paid her. A count wooed her;
but In the end she married an Ameri-
can dentist, DR.. Perry Chance, and
gave him an annuity of. 5000. This
marriage was destined to an early
demise, for she soon divorced the den-
tist, ana with. her departure he Iost
his annuity.
! ResumIng her name Of King the
widow returned TO the metropolis and
set up her home In Park avenue
The place became famous for its live
ly entertainments. At one time there
{, lived with her Mrs. J. Benson For
aker, daughter-In-law OF the Ohio SEN
ator, and herself much in the lime
light. Mrs. Melvin, her sister, who
refused TO believe she could have
been murdered. when told Of the sus-
pIcIons against Means in September,
also lived with Mrs. King.
: The United States Department OF
Justice-calied in to investigate the
report a band OF crooks preyed on the
4 beautiful romantic-minded woman
discovered she was being victimized
, for thousands OF dollars. There was
q suspicion she was mentally unbaI-
aneed, for she had undergone an
4 operation recognized as one which
| often results in insanity.
In November OF 1913, e was re-
vesIed, while still In weakened men,
tai condition, she was taken to Europe
by her sister, and on the way met