New-York tribune., 1917-12-11
New York District Attorney
Out After Discourse by
Judge Cline
Sister of Defendant
Tells Of His Sorrow
Declares She Came Upon
Him Weeping After
Tragedy
[Staf Correspopderccl

CONCORD, y. G., Dec. 10 The ca.
Of the State Of North Carolina agains
CASTOR Means, accused Of Staying Mr.
Msudc 4. King, succumbcd 10 complete
inanition. melted to-day when John 7.
Dooling, Assistant District Attorney Of
New YORK, withdrew from active bar.
ticipation in the prosecution.
His action came this morning when
Judge +. H. Cline, in opening court. in.
dulgcd in lengthy dissertation in
which he rcproycd counsel FOR inject.
ing into the case personal prejudice,
and manifestations Of feeling which
sre = shame upon Us sii." AM member
OF the bar msnifesting passion. said
Judge Cline. would be relieved Of fur.
Their participation IN the trial. The
Judge also charged newspaper cor.
respondents who arc reporting the pro.
ccedings with "humiliating" him BIZ
making public the fact that Means. on
taking the stand 10 answer the murder
charges. was armed With revolver.
II such WAS the case, said the Judge.
10 was without his knowledge. The
trial, he continued, was the supreme
test Of his whole career, and he had
tried TO do justice TO all involved and
would continue 10 do 80 as long as the
God who made him continued to grant
him the strength. At the conclusion OF
Judge Cline's address Solicitor Hayden
Clement announced that Mr.. Dooling
would discontinue his activities on be-
half OF the state.
Means Smiles Broadly
Means from his scat In the witness
box smiled broadly at this. while his
battery OF counsel and relatives, friends
and sympathizers throughout the court.
room were visbly clated al the down
fall of what has come 10 be known
locally as "Doolingism.'
With the elimination of the New
York prosecutor the utmost plseidi.y
settled upon the court. The cross-ex.
animation Of the hurley Bud con.
tnued by Solicitor Clement. resolved
itself into a monotonous recital BY the
defendant of the absolute itegrity and
disinterestedness which marked his ef.
forts as financial adviser Of the rich
widow. With this pacn OF sclf-prsisc
concluded the cross-cxamnatlon was
ever.
On redirect examination Means est.
mated that Kings total estate at the
time Of her death had value Of sll3..
5ss. .56. not counting her investments IN
French securities. OF which he had 10
knowledge. The furniture IN her apart.
ment, at / r55 Park Avenue. New YORK
ne declared to be worth az least $50
600. while her jewelry now IN the hsnc
of the receiver, was valued AZ vs..
coo. Other items. making up the total
were $1,000. represented by note
given Mrs. King by William Z. Pstter-
son. Means's father-in-law. beisg the
amount of his loss in cotton speculs.
tions in partnership with her and
Means; $4,000. represented By note
Of Mrs. Il. Foraker, jr.; $4,000 equity
in securities held by the Merchants
Loan and Trust Of Chicago. l3,2s6.5s
in cash in the possession Of the re-
cever. an automobile valued at $500
and S1,30l.9S balance IN the Cen.rs
Trust Company.
The prosecutions view that the bulk
Of the assets cannot be realized wa
not held by Means. lie admitted, now
ever. that the note Of Mrs. Joseph B.
Foraker, jr., might be difficult OF col
lection.
"She Gas starving when ! met her
and when Mrs. King loaned her 'ne
$4,000" h. said. -
Isn't she starving now" asked Mr.
Clement. 49,.
~ guess not" replied Means, snd left
the stand. after testifyng for eighteen
and half hours.
Sister Takes Stand
The long fought admission to e'i-
dence of Means's reputed declaration
TO Captain W. $. Bingham over tae
body Of Mrs. King a. II lay at blse1-
welder Spring on tso night Of the irsg'
edy finally was accomplished by the &c
fence to-day. Bingham swore that wnen
he found Bud bending over the pros,
trate form of Mrs. King and ssked
what had happened, Bud replied: a.
"Maude has shot herself aeeidentsi'
with that little pistol"
Miss Kate Means. the accused man
eldest sister. testified that on reaching
home after the shooting Means sat wim
his head in his hands and wept.
lie was inconsolaDle, she said, and as
she attempted to talk 10 him he said;
IF there is a God in Heaven how could
he have allowed this 70 happen TO me
This statement was ruled out by the
court, which stated that u was no1
sure OF its position ard that the ruling
might be made the basis for a seeon'
trNl in case OF conviction.
The court session opened with an az.
dress from the bench and closed IN tne
same wav. The closing statement hsa
to do with a published account oil A.
automobile ride which Judge Cline toSA
with Mrs. King and members OF ths
Means family week before the tras'
edy. Judge Cline explained tnat ne
knew W. G.. Means. father OF Gaston'
only slightly. and the accused man no'
at all, and ne failed to see WIZ the ",
cdent Of the automobile ride snou''
be stressed.
Examination Of witnesses for the as,
fence will continue to-morro" n Sno
Wednesday. The case ir all prooaplii
ity will go to the jury before the e''
Of the week
Fire in Flatiron Building