Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-30
.GRAND JURY BEGINS
PROBE OF MEANS CASE
Mysterious Death of Mrs, King,
Millionaire Chicago Widow
Charged to Her Secretary

Hayden Clement came here today with
the converting of Cabarrus county SUI
prior court to present to the grand
jury a bill of indictment charging Gas
ton B. Means. of Concord, with the
murder of Mrs. Claude A. King, widow
OF ]. A. King, a millionaire resident Of
Chicago. Assistant District Attorney
John T. Dooling. of New York; DR.. Otto
Schultze, a pathologist, attached to
District Attorney Swanns office in New
York; DR.. William H. Burmeister, coro-
ners physician of Cooke county, I'LL,
who examined the womans body after
it was shipped to Chicago for burial;
| William L. Jones. of New York. a pis-
toll expert. and a number of local wit
nesses were ready to appear before the
| grand jury.
| A new grand jury was sworn in at
the opening of court at 10 o'clock, o.
! S. Farrar. Concord, being named fore
man. Judge E. B. Cline presided,
charging the jury to do its duty re
CARELESS of fear or favor"
| A delegation of legal and criminolo-
gist experts with ten bankers arrived
from Chicago. This included Coronor's
Physician Charles Murmeister, Detec-
tive Schrivener, W. d. Rockefeller, who
will fill out Buremeister's testimony,
regarding the Chicago autopsy on the
dead woman's body; John L. Ennis,
handwriting expert; 2. F. Mack, vice
president of the Central Trust company,
and John Cooker, cashier of the Illinois
Trust company
| Hints were that these planned civil
action against Means in connection
1 Nit "a
King estate.
Mrs. King was shot and killed near
here August %, last. while on target
shooting trip with Means. his brother,
| Alton Means and Captain W. s. Bling
! ham. A local coroner's jury decided
she killed herself accidentally. Alton
Means and Captain Bingham were NOT
present when she was killed. they teSti-
fed. Mrs King at the time with her
sister, Mrs. Mary c. Melvin, was Wis
/ iting relatives of CASTOR Means, who
was her business agent, and with his
! wife had made his home in the same
| New York apartment as Mrs. King and
Mrs Melvin. The body was taken to
Chicago for burial. An examination
by Dr. Burmeister caused the investi-
| CATION to be reopened, resulting In a
| preliminary hearing in Concord and
| Means was bound over to the grand
Jury without bail on September 20.
The second step toward the death
chair or freedom for CASTOR Bullock
Means began here today The Cabarrus
county grand jury will decide-probaDly
before night--whether a formar trial
SHOULD" be ordered on evidence tending
TO show he murdered rich Mrs Maude
King, his benefactress, here August 20.
1t was. six days to day after the
globe-trotting Chicago wOman's mysteri-
out death, that her protege and con-
fdant. Means, faced Indictment on the
deed. Fourteen of the eighteen Jurors
affirmed the indictment. In that event,
a date will at once be set for formal
trial in the superior court here, Judge
Cline presiding.
Demand by the state for either d
lchange Of venue to an adjoining county
of the district or for a venire OF jury
man from an adjacent county, was con-
sidered probable in event of an indict-
nnent Local sentiment here where the
Means family has resided Tor many
wears. it is felt, cannot altogether be re-
lied upon.
II was not considered unlikely. either,
that the defense will seek a postpone
nent until the next, or January, session
Iof the superior court should Means be
held This would throw the case I'M
der the jurisdiction of Judge James l..
Webb. who will ride" the circuit at the
beginning of the year.
Resides witnesses appearing at the
preliminary hearing here September "a
and %. Mrs Mary c. Melvin sister OF
Mrs. King. will be summoned to the
stand by the state.
It was thought doubtful as court open
ed this morning that a panel can be oe-
ltained from Cabarrus county folks. Most
Everybody has decided opinions one way
or another, the case having been the
sveetmeat of village discussion for
weeks. Summoning of from 10 10 lou
veniremen from Iredell or Rowan coun-
ties was therefore believed likely.
With a mere plea of mot guilty IN
Means defense was the big query. Since
the first hearing his lawyers have work
ed ceaselessly, both here and in New
York, building up. point by point case
which they believe will show castor
Means had no motive in killing and could
mot have killed, Mrs. King. Embellish-
ling It all, they are believed to have
woven such a tangle of technicalitles as
70 retard or utterly invalidate the
lchsrge. They are expected to dig deep
Into Means earlier life, particularly dur
linz the period of his intimacy with Mrs.
King. in an effort TO forestall and Grip
nile similar disclosures" by the state
prepared, 1t is believed, with much care