The Washington times., 1917-09-16

The old story OF q woman left alone
in the world with an enormous In
come, to furnish q tempting bait for
interruptions men, has been rewritten
In the mysterious death Of Mrs.
MGude A. King, who was shot behind
the ear during an automobile trip
near AsheVille, N. C., on the evening
OF August 20, last.
CASTOR Bullock Means, once q pri-
SAts detective on q private detsctive's
salary. but lattery q man Of influence
now IL defending his connection with
the death Of the wealthy widow.
For two years Means was Mrs.
Kings personal business adviser and
from financial obscurity to promi-
nenee.
Left Pittanee By Rich Husband.
Back in 1913 Mrs. King was left .
widow by the death of her husband,
James c. King, a Chicago millionaire.
When the King will came to probate
II was found that the millionaire had
signAlly failed to provide more than
an insignificant income for his widow.
Mrs. King lost no time in bringing
court action to break the win.
without undue difficulty, she sue.
ceeded in, this legal attempt, and by.
| was insufficient for her needs, MfB.
King was allowed $4,000 q year from
the estate OF her husband.
Mrs. King succeeded in breaking
Ter husbands viii IN the early part OF
1914. and by midsummer OF that same
year. her inability to grasp the re-
sponsibilities of her huge income had
led her into an infatuation with q
man who has since been accused OF
being q poor advisor.
Led Into DsVious Paths.
This infGtuation led Mrs. King into
strange and devious paths. Follow
ing the withdrawing she regarded
as love, she went to the Pacific coast
with this man, and there, under va
rious names, she is said to have lived
with him as his wife.
This was the snare, 1t 10 declared,
that had been set for the unheeding
feet OF the Chicago woman, and when
she would draw back it was too late.
Mrs. King hurried back to Chicago In
the fall OF 1914 bounded and fright
with all the evidence that was SO
easily culled from her misguided trip
to the Pacific coast
Mrs. King was too tempting a feast
tC, be permitted to escape the crooks
who greedily set upon obtaining a big
portion Of her S24,000-a--yeaf Income
and their unceasing efforts to extort
funds from her brought about q
nervous breakdown in that winter
that laid the way for q New York
court to declare her Of unsound mind
and incapable OF managing her own
Affairs.
From Chicago, Mrs.. King had come
to New York, where the court action
concerning her sanity came about.
Mems Appears In Case.
Long before the court action,
though, Mrs. King, in fear OF her life
and fortune from the blackmaiIers
and their grim threats Of exposure,
called in a Arm Of private detectives
to protect her life and property.
CASTOR Bullock Means, who lived in
q $25-a-month fiat, was called in to
assume charge Of the case. The day
that Means was introduced to Mrs.
King. the unfortunate woman took up
the final chapter OF her life.
Means did not hunt blackmaHers
long, however. He found that be-
tween himself and Mrs. King there
had suddenly grown q strong feeling
OF confidence. Mrs. King, relieved of |
the fear OF blackmailers, turned her
attention to learning what manner of |
man this private detective really was,
and the upshot Of her Investigations
was that Means was engaged as her
personal business manager.
When Means was appointed to this
post by the wealthy widow, he
stepped out on the broad highway OF |
life. The cramped, scrimpinE life OF |
a shadow" IN New York was laid
behind him o. q butterfly sheds Its
cocoon. He also moved out of the
cheap fiat somewhere In the mazes
of greater New York, and took a
81, ,5OO-a-year apartment in the ex-
elusive part OF Park avenue.
Means likewise laid asida the other
minor economies which had made life
A. a detective so drear. He began
to wear the clothes OF the gentleman
|