Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-30
STATE IS TRYING To
PROVE MRS. KING WAS
TO FIRE MEANS SOON
Prosecutor Says State Has
Evidence That Means Was
About to Lose Job When
Mrs, King Was Slain

CONCORD. y. C. Nov. se.-The de-
tense in the case OF CASTOR 8. Means on
trial charged with the murder OF Mrs
Mauds A. King near here last August.
was prepared today TO resume cross-ex-
examination OF W. j. Rockefeller. whose
testimony the state has announced it
partly relies upOn TO point motive
for the killing"
Rockefeller. who is manager OF fash
ionable Chicago hotel where Means, Mrs.
King and party OF friends stayed from
May TO July. last. took the stand yes
terday but emily after the defense had
been successful In keeping from the jury
the bulk Of the testimony the state pro-
posed to bring out
In an announcement made to the
court while the jury was out. Solicitor
HAYDEN Clement asserted that IL per-
mitted to introduce in evidence state
ments made to RocEefelIer BY Mrs. King
at the hotel. IL could be shown that the
woman and her money were absolutely
under the control" Of Means at the timo.
and she was virtually prisoner in the
hotel" The court ruled that Rockefeller
could tell the jury only what Mrs. King
said while in the presence OF the de-
PENDANT AS the witness said he had
never talked with Mrs King in the pres
ence OF Means, he was allowed to mar
rate only his conversation with Means
and Incidents which came under his OBJ
ssrvation at the.hotel during the stay of
the party
Rockefeller testified that after a con-
ve-sation with Mrs. King, Means threat
ened TO cancel every room the party had
in the hotel if Rockefeller ever talked
with her or her sister, Mrs Mary A
Melvin. again He said Means asserted:
VIII Spring Surprise VIII
Il am preparing to spring a will that
will surprise the whole United States.
and L don't want anybody to talk to her.
New York and Chicago witnesses for
the state who are here have asserted
Means was. preparing to offer for pro-
hate an alleged second will of the late
James c. King, OF Chicago. which would
give s. o0O, 600 to Mrs King in addition
10 approximately $1,000. 900 she as Kings
widow inherited under the first will
Rockefeller also testified that Henry
Deitch, one Of the party at the hotel.
who he described as Means Waterman"
kent a constant watch of Mrs. King in
the hotel Rockefeller admitted on cross
examination that he allowed Means and
the others 10 remain in the hotel after
he had learned the alleged state of af-
fairs saying the party occupied ten
rooms. He said Mrs. King left July s
and Means and Henry Deitch sometime
later.
That Mrs Maude A. Kings money and
property last April 20 July. was "absO-
lutely in the control" OF CASTOR B.
Means. who Is on trial charged with
murder OF the woman and that she ez-
pected to free herself shortly and do as
she please can be proven by a witness.
the state announced here late yesterday.
The woman was virtually prisoner
i'm a fashionable Chicago hotel from
April to July, the prosecutor announ-
ced- He said that he would prove this
by willard ]. Rockefeller. managing
director Of the hotel. who went on the
stand late today. Judge Cline ruled
Rockefeller could not testify to alleged
conversations between himself and Mrs
King. but could tell OF events that hap
pened there
That the defense may'try to show that
Mrs Mzude A King might have met
death by discharge Of a pistol accident
ally dropped was indicated today on
cross-examination of N. Z. Richie, a
states witness
Richie. a hardware man. followed DR..
P. p McFadden, a local physician, and
Jim Simpson. an undertaker's assistant
on the stand
The physician and Simpson testified
TO the woman's actual death and both
stains around the wound on the back
Of ner head. although both admitted on
cross-examinatiOn that blood around the
wound might have prevented their noting
powder stains.
Richie told OF having sold a small
automatic pistol and rife several days
before the tragedy to CASTOR B. Means,
Mrs. Kings business agent, who is on
trial charged with killing her near here
last August.
The state has brought experts here
in an effort to prove the woman could
not have accidentally shot herself, and
on cross-examination OF Richie the de-
Tense had him recall an occasion when
a shotgun was discharged in his hands,
and got him to admit that IF dropped
hard enough" an automatic pistol of
the pattern that killed Mrs. King might
have discharged Richie added, how
ever, that he had never heard % such
a thing happening"
There was much detailed cross-ex-
animation and redirect examination of
Richie on the question Of safety de-
vices on pistols.
Clothing TO se In Evidence
The clothing Mrs. King wore the
night she met death was demanded of
the defense by the state and the former
agreed to bring the various articles into
court Through DR.. McFadden the state
tried to identify a dress and pair OF
slippers as those the woman wore The
physician said he could only testify that
the articles were similar 70 the ones the
woman had on that night.
DR.. McFadden also described the frac-
tured ankle which il is contended Mrs
King received about the time OF her
death II might have been caused by
her stepping on a root, he said.
Captain ". S. Bingham, of Concord
described the trip taken on the late
afternoon of Mrs. Kings death. The
woman. CASTOR Means, and the latter S
brother. Alton Means. Captain Bing-
ham and Ernest Fury, a negro chauf-
feur. composed the party. the witness
said As far as he knew CASTOR Means
and Mrs. King were alone when the
woman met death. Bingham said he and
Alton Means had left the couple to-
zether and the chauffeur had driven The
i, automobile about 100 yards away, as he
rad previously done when the party
went target shooting.
Bingham went down the road seek
ing TO kill a rabbit and Alton also went
OF a short distance. It also was brought
out BY cross-examination Of Bingham
That CASTOR Means had extended gen
eraI invitation TO several women OF his
M-M