The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-27
MEANS TO Gil aim
MRS. KING TOOK
HER own LIFE
Defense Abandons Acct
dental Shooting For That
of Suicide.

1oOAAhS, 1A6SlSI66II OlSlTICI Attorney OF
New York, will appear before Superior
Court Judge James Webb in Gastonia
today to show cause why he should
not be held in contempt for refusing
to obey a. court order to turn over
certain of the CASTOR Means papers.
Frank !. Osborne and E. r. Cans
Ter, who are defending CASTOR Means
against the charge that, he is the
slayer of Mrs Maude A. King, visited
Judge Webb yesterday and asked that
he hold Mr.. Dooling in contempt. Co
Hcitor Clement was notified and ar,
ranged for a hearing on the contempt
proceedings today. He will appear
as counsel for the New York official.
The attempt of the Means defense
to hav Dooling adjudged in contempt,
and lie possible to put him into Jail
or his alleged contempt was no sur
prise to the prosecution. The latter
considered 1t merely another move in
the Systematic campaign of the de-
Tense to discredit all New York and
Chicago officials who have aided the
prosecution OF CASTOR Means.
It can be said on unquestionable au-
thorfty that the Means attorneys plan
to set up In his defence the allegation
They have gone to great length to
keep this intention secret. The theory
Of accidental shooting has been aban-
doned.
The defence plans to produce wit
nesses who will testify to these ma
terial facts: That the pistol from
which the bullet that killed the woman
was fred was held close enough to her
head to single the hair about the
wound, and did SINCE it; that there
was cause for Mrs. King to kill her.
self, and that her suicide or attempt
ed suicide had been expected.
Evidence under the present plans of
the defence will be introduced to show
that on the night of her death Mrs.
King wore her hair well combed back
over ears and neck; that in addition
to her natural hair she wore artificial
hair, some Of which was over the
place OF bullet penetration. Wit
nesses will be presented who will tes-
tify that when her body was prepared
for ernba1ming the hair about the
wound was so c1otted with blood that
it was cut off.
A suicide defence would certainly
be contradictory to testimony given by
Castor Means at the original coroner
inquest in Concord and to later state
| ments made by him in the presence of
witnesses This difficulty his attor-
news think, will be explained fully and
satisfactorily to the jury by the con-
tention that Means was willing to put
even his life in jeopardy to save, II
possible, Mrs. Kings memory from the
suicide faint.
It is their present purpose to make
much of the gallantry of Means In his
efforts to protect the name Of Mrs.
King.
Sentiment in Concord condemns the
turbulent scenes in the st. Cloud ho-
tel and the hostile acts to the New
York officials which came so close to
bringing about a general shooting at
| fair.
That the attacks upon the New
Workers. are dep1ored by the best eie-
ment of the people in this section OF
North Carolina is evidenced by an
editorial in the Greensboro Daily
| News, written by W. T. Bost, one of
the most influential editors OF the
state. In part the editorial reads:
.sThe Daily News has an opinion OF
the CASTOR Means case, and it is
| simpIy this: The war between the
North and the South is alleged to
| have, been concluded some 81 years
ago. One would no think so If one
| stopped by the Cabarrus Court House
| a few days ago and heard the strident
/ defamation against New York
| states rights and federal interfer-
ence,, ancient call to arms. II not
| actually employed in ad capitandum
claptrap, were substantially used In
all the speeches designed to argue
| away the issue of probable cause for
holding Mr. Means to a continued in
curry into the death of Mrs. Maude A
king.
| eve cannot share the indignation of
Mr.. Means attorneys over the interest
OF New York and Chicago in this In
yestigation or the pride of Mr.. Hart
| zell. in the Indifference of his own
| county to plain duty in an issue OF
such gravity. We have many things
in our state for which to thank God,
but we fear our administration OF JUS
tice isn't one Of them.
"An attempt to array sectional feel
/ ing against men of unquestioned
| character in the performance of a
duty is another thing with which we
desire to have no fellowship.
Had we been left to a choice there
! would have been no necessity for
outside interference The less igno-
! BILE wish might have been expressed
/ that the State of North Carolina from
| the very beginning might have done
it's duty with expedition. 1t is much
to the credit of Solicitor Clement that
as soon as he had an opportunity to
inquire into the mysterious death of
Mrs. King he did so. and he has con-
Quoted the case for the Common
wealth with skill and fidelity.
THE solicitor does himself the credit
and the community the justice to &C
Icept full responsibility for bringing
| the New York and Chicago experts to
North Carolina to give of their expe-
rience in cases of similar character"
1t is regarded, however, as unlikely
that the defense will abandon the
sectional prejuldice'' feature of Sts
lease unless there are many more ed
tltorials of a similar character. Today
there were runaors that the trial would
never take place in Cabarrsrs county.
! and strangely enough there were re-
ports with, seeming foundation that
both sides were opposed to holding the
trial there
That all is not going so well in the
camp of the defence was evidenced
when County Attorney, Williams and
T. D. Manness, both Of CASTOR Means's
no,,pSeI mat In TIA off7ee of Justice