New-York tribune., 1917-11-28
Means So Pleased
With Jury Picked
He Laughs Aloud
Eight Farmers and Four
Cotton Mill Operatives to
Decide His Guilt
121 Talesmen Excused
Witnesses Arrive, and Taking
Of Testimony Will Begin
To-day
121 Talesmen Excused
GStdf CoyreSpoHdoRcri

CONCORD, N. c. Nov. 27.-Eight
farmers and four cotton mill operatives
constitute the jury which will try Gas
ton b. Means for the murder Of his
wealthy employer, Mrs. Maudo A. King
They were chosen to-day, after hours
of jockeying and maneuvring by op-
posing counsel and after l2l other
talesmen had been excused for admit
ted impartiality or disbelief in the JUS
tice Of capital punishment.
satisfaction with the type of jury
men selected was expressed tonight
by both prosecution and defence
Means. as he stood facing the jury
while the clerk Of the court read the
bill of indictment charging him with
murder. laughed aloud in his apprecis-
tion of the body.
With the jury complete and with the
arrival heI tonight Of numerous W.T.
nesses for prosecution and defence
everything is ready for the introdue'
ton Of testimony when court recon
venes tomorrow. No opening address
TO the Jury By the prosecutor is al
lowed under the state law and nothing
ia axpected to interfere with the calling
Of witnesses as soon as court opens
The selection of jurymen to-day
proceeded slowly and monotonously
from $3.50 until o'clock tonight
The courtroom was filled with the
$50 special talesmen summoned as
special venire and q motley crowd Oh
interested citizens. The prosecutor, IN
questioning the talesmen, concentrated
upon an effort to bring out Whatever
convictions they entertained regaro-
ing the manner of Mrs. Kings death.
IN scores of instances talesmen were
rejected because they admitted belief
that the woman could not herself have
fired the shot which killed her. Many
grizzled farmers, soil-stained and un--
kempt, were excused after they had
solemnly and hesitating stated their
6rm conviction that bud Means
killed her." These declarations faled
to disconcert the accused man, VINO
maintained jovial attitude through
out.
First Two Chosen Quickly
The first two jurors were chosen be-
fore the first half dozen talesmen mao
been called. The first, G. Z. Culp,
mall farmer. formerly from Rowan,
the home county Of the prosecutor, was
passed quickly by the state. The de-
fence approved him after his declara-
tion that his mind had not been "af-
fected by newspaper resding.'
The second Juror selected was K. b.
buchanan, a mill operative, who salts
fed the defence of his impartiality
after long examination. Thereafter
talesman after talesman was rejected,
so that by noon only three jurors had
been chosen and the prosecution had
expended five Of the perenptory chal-
lenges allowed it, whit the state had
used none of the four TO which 1t is
entitled. e.,
The selection proceeded more rapid
lv al the afternoon session, but the
i1rv box was not filled until the state
had used three of its peremptory ehal-
lenges and the prosecution ten. In
addition to Culp and Buchanan, the
jury includes:
Witnesses From Chicago
VI. NJ. Lipe, R. n. Honeycutt, j. c.
Williams, Frank Goodman, ]. G. White,
, o. T. Walker and William j. Irwin, all
farmers. with families, and r. P. Hill
and ]. H. Reeder, cotton weavers, and
also married.
Goodman is a member of the County
Board of Commissioners and second
cousin of Means. The defence was
elated at his acceptance.
The jury will be quartered in the
courthouse for the term of the trial.
Witnesses for the prosecution who
arrived here to-day included Miss
Mary Stretch, formerly secretary Of
the late Byron L. Smith, president of
the Northern Trust Company of Chi
cago, who witnessed the second" will
of the late John c. King; William u.
Gubbins, secretary Of King; Dr.. W. II.
Burmeister, assistant coroner's physi-
clan, of Chicago; Psnsy We'll, for.
merly stenographer for Means, and
William C. Miller, of the Northern
Trust Company, Chicago, who arranged
FOR the various trust funds created by
Mrs. King.