Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-09
MRS. KING VICTIM
OF ADVENTURES
For Years She Had Been Prey
of Band of international
Crooks.
FAMILY FEARED FOR HER LIFE
To Reopen Investigation of Mys-
terious Death in Search
for Facts.
FAMILY FEARED FOR HER LIFE

CONCORD. N. c.. September s.
stoutly maintaining that the wealthy
widow had met death as the result Of
an accident, CASTOR Bullock Means, now
the central figure in the mystery sur
rounding the death of Mrs. Maude
King. the wealthy Chicago woman who
was killed on the night of August %
while in his company. returned to his
home town to-day. He was accom-
panied by Mrs Maize Melvin, sister Of
Mrs. King. He declared that he had
everything to gain had Mrs. King lived,
and asserted that any further inves-
tigation into her death would only
serve to establish the veracity OF his
statements.
1t was learned to-day that Sheriff
Howard Caldwell and Luther A. We'd
dington. the undertaken who embalmed
Mrs. Kings body. received mysterious
telephone calls the night the woman
died. Weddington was embalming the
body when his telephone rang about
IL o'clock at night. Lifting the re-
ceiver a mans voice said to him: Don't
send that body away until a thorough
inquest is made. Watcn the body
closely"
II am embalming it now" replied the
undertaken. will that interfere in any
way?"
Go ahead with It," came back tho
reply. The man then rang Off.
When Weddington reached his home
at midnight his wife was waiting him.
Goodness sakes." what does the New
York police department want with you
any way?'
n nf hn
met Sheriff Caldwell Later he told
him of the mysterious message he re-
ceived.
MYSTERIOUS CALL
RECEIVED OVER TELEPHONE
"A man was on the telephone" he
said. "and he told me 20 investigate
the case. He said he was a member
of the New York police department,
and that he was telephoninG from
there. I could tell. though. the call
was not a long distance one. There
was no buzz on my wire. After 1 re-
ceived 1t asked central whethe: had
been called from outside town during
the evening and she said no.
1t developed to-day that Mrs. Kings
left slipper was missing when the body
was taken to the hospital. To-day
Colonel William Means, father OF Gas
ton and Alton Means, explained this
| away. saying it was found near the
spring where the woman was shot, and
he presumed it fell from her foot as
she fell to the ground
Solicitor Hayden Clement, prosecutor
OF the county In which Mrs. King died,
to-day received word from Attorney
General Manning requesting that he
make thorough investigation into the
death Of Mrs. King. The prosecutor
is expected to call together the coro-
ner's jury and reopen the case The
prosecutor stated 1t would be impos-
sible, however, for him to reopen the
case until after he had finished the
trial OF three murderers which begin
Monday. This will delay a new probe
for about a week.
CASTOR Means was asked to-day con-
corning the manner IL, which Mrs. King
is said to have fractured her ankle
Il did not know she had hurt her
ankle" he said. cor that 1t was injured
until I was SO informed vt the hospital
the next morning"
colonel Means. a before the war
type OF citizen and lawyer, professed
the greatest astonishment when in
formed that rumors and reports tend
ed to show that Mrs. King might have
met violent death at the hands OF
some other person.
Il have four stalwart sons ard three
beautiful daughters" he said; "and ]
have lived in this town all my life
Mrs. King shot herself accidentally
Had she lived, Bud (Gaston) would
have received a large fee, as she was
soon to figure in very large bit OF
| litigation"