New-York tribune., 1917-11-26
New York officials to Aid
Concord, N. c., Prosecutor
in Celebrated Case
Hint of New Defence
State Will Ask That Jury Be
Drawn From Another
County
[Stdf Correspondence

STAFF Cores Sp0ndenceI
CONCORD, n. c., Nov. 25.-Gaston
Bullock Means will be placed on tria'
here tomorrow to answer before jury
of his peers the charge of numbering
Mrs. Maude a. King, the wealthy New
York widow. at Blackwelder Springs
near here, on August 30 last.
Thirty-eight farmers, tradesmen and
Mechanics we're summoned tO-da. fTcH
throughout Cabarrus County as the
Panel from which those peers are TO DC
chosen. With the talesmen came Judge
l.. b. Cline, who will try the case;
Frank l. Osborne and the rest OF tho
legal battery engaged for the defence;
Hayden Clement, the prosecutor; John
T. Dooling. Assistant District Attorney
of New York, and a corps Of witnesses
and assistants.
A motion to dismiss the panel o,
thirty-eight talesmcn drawn to-day and
90 substitute panel drawn from an
other county will be introduced by
Prosecutor Clement when the trial
opens tomorrow. The application will
be based en- the declaration of the
prosecution that sentiment in Cabar-
rus County is such that an impartial
Jury cannot be obtained from within
its borders only with the greatest diff
Guilty. if at all
Believe Sentiment Too Friendly
IT, the prosecution is successful N
this move it will succeed in baaishing
What il describes as the friendly at
mospherc of Cabarrua," TO overcome
which it applied recently for change
of venue. which the court denied.
This community, normally placid 70
a degree, is literally buzzing with cX-
citement over the most sensational
criminal procedure which ever has dis
turbed its tranquility.
Crowds to-day besi,-ed the old moss
covered jail IN which Means is con-
fined. They were rewarded by glimpse
OF Mrs. Means and little Castor, jr.,
one year old, who visited the accused
man in his cell. Another OF Means's
visitors was Judge Osborne, his chief
counsel. who was closeted with his
client tonight for more than an hour.
That the defence will devote itself to
proving that Mrs. Kinc died as a result
of the accidental discharge of the pistol
which Means bought for her, and while
the pistol was in her own hands, was
indicated by Meanss counsel. This was
the story TO which Means sTore before
the coroner's jury, and his attorneys
intimate that any variation of IL would
leave the way open for perjury
charge against the accused man.
May Allege Suicide
The prosecution. however, regards as
possibility last-minute declaration
by the defence that Mrs. King de-
lberately fired the shot that killed her;
that the accident explanation was ad-
vanced by Means in order to shield the
dead woman's name from the dshonor
of suicide.
This tack, the prosecution believes
would entail the further declaration
Of the defence that Mrs. King was not
sane, nor for some time before h,r
death. Also IL would serve 70 explain
the mysterious Chesapeake Bay letter ,
in which Means is alleged TO have de-
ceived Mrs. King. These letters, nov
in the possession Of the prosecution
described fantastic adventures which
Means is supposed to have experienced
somewhere on Chesapeake Bay"
The selection of jury which will b
acceptable to both the defence and the
prosecution will, in all probability, oc-
cupy several days. If the panel of
thirty-six talesmen is exhausted, \
special venire of fifty or more will be
called. If such an order should be is
sued before the court adjourns to-mor-
row, the extra panel would probably
be available by Wednesday. Prose
cutor Clement to-day retained as spe.
cial counsel TO assist him. LEROY Camp
bell Caldwell. who will challenge
jurors on behalf Of the state. The de-
the jury. for the reason that under the
state law it has the right 70 challenge
talesmcn on twelve counts.
Secrecy is maintained as 10 some
"new. valuable witnesses" for the de-
fence. For the prosecution, the princi-
pal testimony will be that of DR.. Ed
ward Burmeister, assistant coroners'
physician. of Chicago, who performed
IN autopsy on the dead woman; DR..
Otto II. Schultze, medical assistant 10
the District Attorney OF New York:
Captain Henry Jones. pistol expert Of
the New York Police Department:
Charles S Dry, who heard the shot
rirg out from the murder glen: VI.
+. Richie, who sold Means the death
dealing weapon, and several now wit
ncSses Whaihcr Mrs. Mary Melville.
tho dead woman's sister. is to testify
for the state or for Means. is a ques-
tion which neither side will answer.