Evening journal., 1917-11-26
means faces JURY
ON MURDER CHARGE
Pleads Not Guilty When
Called Before North
Carolina Court
DEFENSE WILL BE
WOMAN WAS SUICIDE
BY GEORGE MARTIN
United Press statt Correspondent

CABARRUS COUNTY COURT HOUSE,
Concord, ~ t.. Nov. 26.--Gaston B.
Means. who rose from mill boy to craft
soldier Of other peoples fortunes, went
10 trial here today for the murder OF
his millionaire benefactress, Mrs. Maud
a. King.
Means started his fight with a forbid
ding array Of local counsel. His plea is
not guilty. Against him Is the local
prosecutor, Attorney General Manning,
Assistant District Attorney Dooling, Of
/ New York, several experts and State
renowned criminal counsel.
The defense is expected TO try TO
prove that Mrs. King committed sui
eide because she was discouraged over
social and financial affairs.
The state charges Means with work
ing himself into the good graces Of the
/ Chicago lumber bsrons widow. squaun
dering her fortune and numbering her
al lonely Blackwelder Springs near here
on the night OF August 20 to keep her
from numbering him.
Means claims Mrs. King shot herself
to death accidentally while at target
practice with him. Mrs. King was shot
| behind the left ear. The state has ex-
perts TO prove she could not have shot
/ herself
The state asked for a special venire
Of 80 men. The defense coucurred and
Judge Kline ordered them called. Get
/ ting a jury Is expected TO be a long
| ordeal because Of Means prominence
In this part Of the country and the
States determination 10 get the kind Of
a jury it wants
Means, who has been in Jail since
his arrest two months ago, is not the
iaunty carefree smiling big fellow Of
old. JIG sat soberly with his father and
other relatives when Superior Judge
+. b. Kline opened the court today. Jus
tice Pitts who held Means 20 the grand
jury, was an interested spectator.
The fight TO bring CASTOR b Means
To trial for the murder Of his wealthy
lbenefactress, Mrs. Maud 4 King. OF
Chicago and New York has been full
OF sensations and legal technicalities.
D. Means, who formerly lived at Con.
cord, had for some time been employed
as Mrs. Kings private secretary anC
d business advisor.
) According 20 testimony al the pre-
? liminary trial, Mrs. Kings apartment II
b New York City had been the scene %
. many white light parties" including
7 dice games in which 10 is alleged thou
E sands Of dollars changed hands, and II
- which according to the testimony
: Means played a prominent part
- Early in August Mrs. King went &
Concord, ~ C.. on August % she wa
g shot TO death at an isolated point nea
/. Blackwelder Springs, several mile
from Concord.
q a coroner's jury at Concord returns
4 a verdict or accidental suicide
r latives Of the dead woman. how
lever, demanded a further investigation
At the same time New York and Ch
lcag0 authorities began 20 dig into N
history Of Means In these cities
Several letters alleged 10 have bee
written or received by Means were IN
. earihed. The authorities in charge q
the Investigation claimed these letter
, showed Means had "squandered" larg
- sums Of Mrs. Kings money TO his low
, advantage The authorities declare
" that Means feared Mrs. King was abou
10 learn Of the transportation O
her funds.
r I'm the meantime Means was take
> into custody and on September q, Q
IS was given a preliminary hearing befoI
y the Cabarrus County Grand Jury.
i At this hearing New York and Ch
D. cago gun experts testified that It woul
:. have been impossible for the dea
ID woman TO have shot herself in the maj
ner indicated by the wound which II
Is suited In her death.
.e The defense decIaped Mrs King ha
he stumbled and that in her effort 10 r.
It gain her balance the revolver was a.
,s cidentally discharged.
.r on November I. Means was indict,
h for first degree murder. His attorne,
-o entered q plea of not guilty.
3 Declaring that local sentiment
~ Concord. where the Means family hS
~ resided for years, could not be rcli'
\ upon, tho state sought a change In y
nue. or trial by iurymen from anoth
., county.
p on November 2 Judge Cline overrull
81 the states motions for a change in y
gu nue and ordered the trial set for toda