New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-23
Means S Boyhood Home Stirred
AS Never Before by King Case
His Family of High Standing for Generations-fiis Own
Business Career Began Clerk in
Local Cotton Mill
By II. w. Francis


then continued 10 the spring. which
is twenty-five feet from the tree. He
asked Mrs. King IL she wanted some
! water. but she declined, expressing the
fesr that there might be bugs" in it.
Means then, standing on the rock at
the spring, iii z match TO see If there
were "bugs" in the cup. As he did so he
heard a revolver shot and saw Mrs.
King, the revolver in her hand, fall 70
the ground.
~ was five feet away when she was
shot" he testified "She was right by
the tree, Just where | had put the
pistol. was az the spring, standing
on the rock Ny back was not exactly
20 her. she was in the rear, so that
my view was in the opposite direc-
ton"
His Testimony Contradicted
This testimony is contradictory, Phil
c. McDu!Tie, representing Mrs. Anna
l.. Robinson, Mrs. Kings mother, points
out. Means could not be on the rock
at the spring and five feet away from
her IL she was standing near the tree.
The tree is twenty-five feet away from
the spring. Also, he asks, il Means had
70 light a match 20 see ii the cup was
clean, how was 10 possible for him to
see the miniature revolver, dark blue
in color and only about two inches
long, in Mrs. Kings hand as she fellf
All the surviving members Of the
party have sworn that the automobile
was left standing on the trail at the
culvert, 100 yards from the spring. One
Of the principal witnesses on whom
Solicitor Hayden Clement is relying
is Charles S. Dry, farmer, who lives
+ho - IL, a.
the spring trail. He had told Prose-
cutor Hayden Clement that while Sit
ting on his porch with his wife on the
night of .he shooting. they heard a
shot, followed by a lengthy mufled
conversation. A few minutes after
ward, ne says, and his wife corrobor-
ates him in all his statements, an auto
mobile, with headlights ablaze, raced
up the main road from the direction
of town and turned of into the spring
trail As soon as il had disappeared
behind the bushes and trees, he says,
he heard another shot
None Of the party survivors in
their testimony mentioned a second
shot, but after Dry had made his state
ment Captain Bingham said that he
had fred second shot from the rife
in order 20 empty IL.
Alton Means found the revolver ly-
ing near the tree, he testified, and there
were four unused cartridges left in il.
Gcston Means declares the shot which
killed Mrs. King was the only one fred
from the revolver. He says. however,
that he had put only five cartridges in
the chamber designed FOR six.
There were FIVE cartridges in the
pistol he testified, 1T is meant 20
carry six, but | had not been able TO
set but five in IT,"
Doctor Discovers Broken Ankle
Means and his companions on the
night OF the shooting testified that they
brought Mrs. King 20 Concord, arriv-
ing at the city hospital an hour after
she was shot. They thought il would
be quicker 20 bring her TO town than
TO telephone for a doctor. Dr.. p. r.
+ McFaden examined the woman and
found her dead.
THE bullet was slightly above tho
mastoid process" he reported. 1T
ranged upward, inward and slightly
backward. l located the bullet with a
, probe. IL was on the right side Just
above the middle Of the top of the head.
I There was a fracture of the left ankle
joint, commonly known as an 'Everson
fracture always due 20 a turn of the
foot. | examined il under the stock
ing. ! think the probabilities are that
she was shot | DO not think noticed
any powder burns"
Other examinations failed 10 show
powder burns, and this fact disposes OF
the theory Of suicide, according 70 At
torney NcDuifie, who, by series of ex-
periments, has shown that there would
have been burns unless the revolver
was held at least fifteen inches away
from Mrs. Kings body.
Il have full reason 70 believe that
Mrs. King met with foul play" said
Prosecutor Clement to-day, land look
for sensational disclosures at the
hearing The inquest was merely
matter of form. The Coroner was noti-
fed of the death az 1880 or o'clock
the morning after the tragedy, and keld
the inquest at about o'clock. This
did not give him an opportunity TO
make a full inquiry. The questions we
want answered are: Why did Means
and his party 90 target shooting at
night? How could Means see the re-
volver in Mrs. Kings hand twenty-five
feet away, when he had 20 light
match to see the bottom OF the cup he
held in his own hand? Why was not
the fact that a second shot had been
fired made known before Dry told about
it? Why did Means put only five shots
in the revolver"
Attorney McDuhie has appealed to
Federal Judge James +. Boyd, at
Greensboro, for an injunction 10 re-
strain Means and his wife, Mrs. Julie
Means, from transferring moneys held
in their names in banks in Chicago and
New York Means has been given until
Tuesday 70 show cause why the injunc-
tion should not be issued, but Attorney
McDutfie fears that by then the money
in question will be out Of reach.
Means Denies Any Guilt
Means is confident that the verdict
already rendered as TO the manner in
which Mrs. King met her death will not
be changed.
81 have nothing 70 fear" he told The
Tribune to-day. "All this Juror is
nonsense. Mrs. King killed herself by
accident; it's unfortunate, but it's
true
He would say no more. A request for
information about the statistics found
in the Park Avenue. New York. apart
ment and his revealed pro -Germanism
angered Means and inspired him 20
threats.
Now he spends nearly all Of his time
within the closed. suffered home OF
his father. He has engaged as chief
counsel Francis !. Osborne, brother OF
James W. . borne, Of oliver Osborne"
fame and formerly Attorney General OF
the State Of North Carolina.
Booze Sc a Quart in Maine