The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-24
Today Faces Charge of Murder
ing Mrs. Maude A. King.
DebOnaire illegal Adviser" En-.
tiers Plea of Not Guilty.
INVOLVED IN GERMAN PLOT
Govt Has Confession He Ac-
cepted Kaiser's Gold.
Allege He Dissipated Widows
Fortune, Then Slew Her.

Concord N. c.. Sept. 24-Dr. Will
liam H. Burmeister, chief coroner's
physician of Cooy county. Illinois. tes-
titled today at the preliminary hear
ing of CASTOR B. Means, that in his
opinion it would have been impossi-
BILE for Mrs. Maude A. King to have
held the pistol which inflicted the
fatal wound in the back of her head
near here August 20. Means, who is
charged with the murder of Mrs. King
testified at the coroner's inquest that
Mrs. King accidentally shot herself.
DR.. Burmeister also said there was no
evidence of powder burns around the
wound. He was the second witness.
Means business agent and confidant
of Mrs. King. pleaded not guilty at
the opening of the hearing.
Concord, N. c., Sept, 24.-Gaston
Means, alleged juggler of women's
fortunes and confessed recipient of
German gold. answered here today
the direct charge of numbering his
millionaire benefactress. Mrs. Maude
A. King. He pleaded not guilty.
His fellow townsmen in this typi-
cally southern community were grudg-
ing witnesses to this arraignment be-
fore Police Magistrate Palmer.
Not SO the representatives of the
Oh Justice from SniCdSO ana
New York, where Means's alleged vic
tim scattered her money to the winds
and from the department of justice at
Washington, who know volumes more
of his international Vaccinations than
they are ready to tell just now,
Feared Exposure.
The Chicago and New York author
tiles who have painstakingIy pieced
together long and important strands
of broken thread in the tangled skein
of the mystery are convinced that
Means's claim that Mrs King acct
dentally shot herself at lonely Black
wedler Springs the night of August 90,
is lie. They believe and claim they
can prove that Means. having dissi-
pated Mrs. Kings fortune while he
masqueraded in the guise of trust
worthy confidential adviser and hav-
ing schemed to get more of the King
millions by a forged second will. de-
lberately murdered the woman rather
than permit her to discover his duplic-
| fty. Means had lost a bit of his devil
may-care attitude today.
He sent for Local Prosecutor Glenn
ent during the night to profess his in
| nocence and was rebuffed, being told
to say his say at his trial His usually
smiling round face was podgy and
pasty white and dark circles ringed
his eyes when he appeared today.
ne preliminary nearing begun to-
day may end tomorrow or run into
Wednesday, depending on the amount
| of evidence introduced,
Abandon Second Inquest,
Means was backed by an arrav of
legal talent including four ATTORNEYS
of Concord and two from Charlotte.
| one being Frank S. Osborne. brother
of James w. Osborne, former district
attorney of New York. Mrs. Anna l..
Robinson, and William and Paul Rob
| inson, mother and brothers of Mrs.
King. also were represented by eoun-
sci, P. c. McDuffie of Atlanta
1t first was planned to hold a Sec
| ond inquest but counsel for the state
abandoned that plan and had Means
arrested. This resulted in setting the
preliminary hearing in place of the
second inquest which was to have
been opened today. At the first in
quest Means testified that Mrs. King
accidentally shot herself and the cor
oner's jury returned a verdict to that
effect, after hearing him and a mum
Der of other witnesses.
Exhumed Her Body.
ELIMINATION of the body after ii
was taken to Chicago and buried, and
| investigation by District Attorney
Swami in New York where Mrs King
formerly lived followed the first in
quest and resulted in Solicitor Gle
ment's decision to reopen the investi-