Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-15
VERDICT IN MEANS CASE
POSSIBLY TOMORROW
Judge Cline Will Begin
Charge.
SUNDAY VERDICT is LEGAL
Lawyer Cansler Tells Jury State Has
Failed to Show Motive or That
Mrs. King Was Killed Other Than
Accidentally.

CONCORD, y. c.. December $50
/, strong was the possibility tonight that
tho end Of this week would not bring
the conclusion of the trial OF CASTOR
+. Means charged with the murder
i OF Mrs Maudc y. King, that the Gucs-
ton as to whether or not a verdict
might be legally rendered on Sunday
was developed. 1t was authoritativeiy
answered in the affirmative.
When court adjourned this evening.
+. T. Cansler. OF Charlotte. was in the
midst of the closin. argument for the
defense. He is expected to use two
hours Saturday morning in conclud-
ing his address. which will be follow
cd by the closing argument for tho
State, expected to consume several
hours. Judge Clines review OF the OK
Extraordinary mass Of evidence is ey-
pectcd to consume several hours mnrc.
so that there is no hope that tho case
will go to the jury before tomorrow
night
Tho day was consumed by the arSu-
ments of John r. DoolinE. assistan:
State. Frank Armticld and l.. T. Hart.
sell. OF Concord. and Mr. Canister. for
the defense. The courthouse was filled
most of the day.
no MOTIVE SHOWN
~ STATES WITNESSES
Mr.. Canister devoted two hours this
afternoon 10 argument against the
states contcntor that motive for
,-t,~ 1.,- T., 81.
tho defendant had squandcred and mis-
appropriated a large portion OF the for
tune OF Mrs. King and that lie feared
early exposure Al the time she met
her death. lie denied that the State
had proven tina, Mrs. King did not
meet death accidentaNy and declared
no motive for the alleged crime had
been established The burden OF the
State, he contendcd. was 10 FIRST prove
that murder had been committed. !
and then to establish q motive on the |
part of the defendant II was not in |
cumbcnt upon the defendant. he de- |
clared to diSproNc either. lie took up |
the transactions upon which the state |
bases mainly it's claim for a motive
and sought to convince the jury by |
the evidence in tho case that th, de- |
PENDANT had accounted for the funds |
involved in every instance in which the .
States counsel had not withheld from !
him his records and accounts. from |
which lie could have accounted for |
every dollar handled. lie charged that |
the state had not dealt fairly with the !
defendant. but had actually conaea;cd
the truth from the jury
Mr.. DoolinE sought TO convince the
jury that tho defendant had dissipatcd
Of
feared exposure. carefully laid his plan.
TO take her life in order to seal her
lips. and cruelty and hcinously cyccut- |
cd the plot. He insisted that even |
the bringing of Mrs. King from Ashe-
WIG. in the mountains, down to Con- (
cord. in the hot season was = part of !
me plot. and that the defendant had /,
his files of records and accounts trans |
ferred from North Carolina to New
York In order that they might not he
used in evidence aEaina, him
DooLING TAKES JURY
ALONG MEANS.S CAREEy:
John T. Doolins assistant district
attorney Of New York. this morning
took tho Jury along the pathway OF the
deie3dants career as business manager
Tor Mrs. King. with whose murder h..
Is charged. and pointed ont and cx-
planned. link ~ lints. the chain OF wi
dence which the STARE contends is suf-
ficient TO establish tho motive for tho
alleged crime
Mr. nooimS drew a crowd that Ancd
the courtroom. IIc was tho second
speaker OF The day and tho last one
FOR the state
lic pointed out from the evidence
that when the defendant became con-
ncct"d III 1915 with Mrs. Kings affairs
he was living In Il cheap nat in lJar-
leu. 10" no considerable funds His
wife had about 500 in bank. W;tb;,
tnrce or four months. tens OF thousands
OF dollars were deposited in cash ia
the credit Of Nrs. Means beside. largo
bank accounts in tho defendants own
name. These deposits were made sub.
SEGMENT 10 the time II, had gone 10
Chicago with Mrs King ana secured
from She Woodruff Trust COMPANY So
rnriti's aud cash to the amoun, ~,
VIZ 600" The securities. he said wcre
TAKEN back 20 Now York. and converted
into cash.
Mr.. pooiinE. after tracing financial
transactions Of the dcfrndau, INA
pointing out from the evidence how
various largo sums passed from Nrs
k'n-s estate through tho ,ercydo,,,s
hands asserted that at tho ;inc ~
hei death III" only money upon which
she could nlacc her hands was .ro,
in Chicago hank. She had an i,c,r,.
!. Of $4,000 from her l!fc ,rus, or ,t,o
ooo' hu'. from the evidence. tho defend.
am ms hr"th"r' Alton. ana the lat.
:. tiers wife and Henry ncitch were dr.,,
inE salaries agSreCating approximate.
~ sl6"cc out CT Mrs. Kings f,,pdg
@hiie her apartment rental Wa roar,
$4,000 lie finally traced tho .vid.nco
OF inc movements OF the defendn7,, an;
MIS-. King from Ashevillc 10 C.o,cor,;
the incidents Of tho few d,ys NJ,
: 70 INC ocaii and surrounding il. au
: OF which wer" interpreted A. san;,,
!. ing a carefully laid pio, 10 cn,,,,,,
J murder.
! Mr.. pooiing had just completed his
: argument Of nearly two and ).al@
I hours when court adjourned for Innch
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