Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-25
STATE CONCLUDES
| CASE AT HEARING
OF GAST0N MEANS
Confines Itself to Effort to
Show ''PrObable
Cause"
DOES NOT GIVE ANY HINT
OF POSSIBLE MOTIVE
Adjournment Taken Until To-
Day, Defense Requesting
Time to Confer.
PISTOL EXPERTS EXAMINED
4 Testimony Deals Only With Events
( That Happen After Reaching
North Carolina.
PISTOL EXPERTS EXAMINED
1au Associated pr.ss.l

CONCORD, N c., September 24.-Ihe
State concluded it's case at the pre-
Iiminary hearing hero to-day OF Gas
ton 3. Means. on warrant charging
him with the murder of Mrs Maude
A. King. without giving any hint OF
possible motive. 1t confined itself to
an effort to show probable cause"
which would be sufficient to bind Means
over to the grand jury.
An adjournment until tomorrow was
taken Immediately after the State hn-
| ished presenting witnesses, the defense
requesting time to confer before an
nouncing what steps It would take.
Among the witnesses who testified
for the prosecution to-day were two
experts who declared that in their
opinion It would have been a physical
impossibility for Mrs. King to have
shot herself in the manner IN which
she received her fatal wound near here
early In the evening Of August % last.
Means. who was the business agent
OF the wealthy widow. was with her at
target practice at Blackwelder Springs
when the shooting occurred. and he
told coroner's jury that she shot her
self accidentally.
The hearing was held before Magis-
trate c. a. Pitts. counsel for Means de-
clining to have him examined before
Magistrate Palmer.
AVOIDS ANY MENTION
OF THE KING FORTUNE
Solicitor Hayden Clement who con-
Quoted the prosecution, avoided any
mention OF Means's business relations
with Mrs. King or OF the fortune esti-
mated at more than q million which
she inherited from her husband. tho
late J. c. King. OF Chicago. Chicago
authorities Investigated this feature
when the Cook County coroner had
tho body eShumed. and District Attor-
ney Swami. In New York. also went
into this matter as we'll as investi-
eating reports that Means had cor
respondencc with German organizations
or agents.
Testimony to-day dealt only with
events that happened after the arrival
In North Carolina of Mr.. and Mrs. Gas
ton Means and Mrs. King. a short time
before the woman met her death which
the coroner's jury decided resulted
from the accidental discharge of a
pistol In her own hands.
Representatives of Cook County and
New York officials came here and aided
In preparation of the States case. two
>''~'' >SS''S 'f6 90 cSpcTl witnesses.
c. B. Ambrose. of the Federal Depart
ment OF Justice. also was present with
the prosecution as was Attornev-ce,
eral J. Ross Manning, of North Care
lima. Means was represented by eight
attorneys headed by Frank I. Osborns
of Charlotte
CROWDED COURTROOM
HEARS THE WITNESSES
IL was a crowded courtroom that
hearq witnesses for the State descrih.
the target-shooting trip which car
ried Iaston Means. his brother. Alton
Means; Captain w. s. Bingham ~
Concord. and Mrs. King to a litt,e
spring in Cabarrus County. where tho
woman was shot. Standing shoulder
10 shoulder even in the aisles of tho
courtroom. the crowd followed everv
feature as it was developed, and once
when E. T. Cansler of counsel for
Means. unsuccessfulIy sought TO draw
an admission from DR.. Otto Schultze.
medical assistant to District Attorney
Swami. OF New York. the New Yorker
was given round of applause.
They did that when the Savior was
crucifed," Cansler cried out.
The Savior is not on trial" said the
solicitor.
h tSo' put lnls ue1endant Is as in
Il ne@ant." replied the defending at
I torney.
{ Magistrate Pitts announced further
f, applause would be followed by fines
I Testimony offered by the State in
Y cluded that of seven witnesses begin
4 ming with l.. a. Weddington, n local
+ undertaken. who prepared the body for
burial and accompanied it to Chicago
1 with CASTOR Means and Mrs. Mazie
! Melvin. The latter. sister Of Mrs.
King, has protested her belief in
j Means's innocence and sat in court
with him to-day
QUALITIES AS EXPERT
! ON PISTOL WOUNDS
( DR.. William H. Burmeister, chief
I coroner's physician. Of Cook County.
Illinois, then took the stand and. after
qualifying as an expert on pistol
wounds, described the course the bull
y let took from the place 1t entered the
/ back of the woman's head about two
Z inches above the opening of the left
ear. describing 1t as following an ap-
proximately horizontal course slightly
toward the right side of the front
part Of the head. DR.. Burmeister de-
clared, in answer to a question by the
! solicitor. that, in his opinion. it would
have been impossible for the woman
to have held in her hand the pistol
which inflicted tho wound.
She was a right handed person, he
CONTINUED on Second Page.)