The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-09-23
GASTON MEANS
ARRESTEDF0R
KING MURDER
Prosecutor Acts After New
Workers Help Reenact
Glen Tragedy.
MORE ARRESTS DUE SOON
Huge Conspiracy Against Rich
Woman-New Sensations
Promised in Case.
MORE ARRESTS DUE SOON
special Despatch to THE Sun


CONCORD, n. c.. Sept. 22.-Gaston Bull
lock Means was formally charged with
the murder OF Mrs. Aiaude A. King this
afternoon. His arrest followed In half
an hour in his fathers law Office. He
asked to be permitted to consult his
counsel before being locked up and this
was granted.
Means was virtually at liberty until
II p. NJ when he was placed in the
county Jail. Sheriff Howard A. Cald-
we'll permitted him to do about a. he
pleased, even consenting to Means &C.
companying his battery Of counsel. his
father and two brothers to the scene Of
the murder. four miles beyond the city
limits.
There the details Of the shooting we're
rehearsed in pantomime. 1t was long
after darkness had settled over the deep
glen where the wealthy New York
woman was shot to death that the pris-
oner and those accompanying him re-
turned to the city
Affairs moved quickly here to-day fol-
lowing the arrival from New York Of
Assistant District Attorney John T. Doo-
ling, Dr. Otto II. Schu,tx, physician for
the District Attorney: Capt William A.
Jones. pistol expert Of the Police De-
partment. and Detective Sergeant John
Cunniffe Of the District Attorneys Of
dee.
This party was met by Hayden Glenn.
ent. Prosecutor for Cabarrus county:
Phil C. McDufiie. counsel for Mrs. Rob-
nson. mother OF Mrs. King. and c. B.
Ambrose of Chicago. attached to the
Department of Justice. Ambrose 10
solely interested in tho activities Of
CASTOR Means in behalf Of the German
Government
More Persons to BE Arrested.
The arrest Of CASTOR Means Is re-
garded here as only preliminary step
to a cycle Of sensations that will follow
IN rapid order. Three other arrests are
looked for and maybe q fourth. Other
arrests may come late tonight. or GER
tainly not more than forty.eigh hours
hence. 1t was confidently predicted. That
huge conspiracy was Matched the mo-
tive Of which w1s~ 70 GET possession Of
Mrs Kings fortune Of 32.000.000 and
then make away with her Is the belief
Of those most vitality interested In the
case. and q mass Of evidence pointing to
this is nov in the hands Of the authors
ties
The arrest Of Means amazed his
friends. All were under the impression
that the arrival Of Prosecutor Clement
and the New York oficials had only
to do with the reopening Of the Coro-
ner's inquest. which was set for Mon
day morning. All Concord. including
the Means family, were confident that
Castor would be able to combat any
proceedings before the Coroner and that
the case would end in smoke.
All day CASTOR Means and his wife
paraded up and down Main street in
their big touring car. the same negro
plotting the automobile who drove II
out to Blackwelder Spring. where Mrs.
King was mortally shot on the night
OF August 90
Alton Means. who had undergone q
grilling at the hands of the authorities
In New York. and his wife were just
as prominent here to-day. and both he
and his brother CASTOR stood for long
time opposite the st. Cloud Hotel, where
the local and New York authorities were
conferring.
Both brothers joked with the newspaper
men assembled here. but both declined
70 discuss the approaching proceedings
Brandon Means, another brother. hal
apoolroom directly across from the hotel
Clement Takes Quick Action.
Following long conference with As
s'stant District Attorney Dooling. DR.
schultze and Capt. Jones. Mr.. Clemen
was convinced that II would have beer
a physical impossiblity for Mrs. KIM
to have shot herself, as told by Gas
ION Means and those who were nea
ihe Blackwelder Spring at the time o
me tragedy
The position OF the wound. the posi-
oon Of the body when 1t fell and tn
actions of those who were with tn
woman at the time all were taken int
contideI alton and 80 carefully weighe,
mat tie County Prosecutor decided 4
act on his own accord and without tn
AID Of Coroner Spear, who vindicate
Means at the first inquest.
Accordingly Mr.. Clement summone
me newspaper correspondents to the par
Tor OF the little hotel and read to ther
ne following statement:
After an investigation Of the Law
nnd that some Of the courts hold that
Second Inquest on the same body ma
hot be held by a Coroner without tn
verdict rendered upon the first inque!
Il "aFlnS been set aside or quashed.
~ the Coroner and his Jury were
mold the defendant at the second inQuei
Me defendant would Immediately tai
nnt haneas corpus proceedings before
Judge and allege that the second inQue.
was invalid on the ground that the Core
her and his jury had already held an II
Qnest which had been returned to Il
r'efN Of the court and which was stant
ny as the Coroner's verdict. II not ha'
ns been quashed or set aside. II Is
leas; debatable question as to wheth'
Or not the Coroner has the right to r
4, open the matter.
Clement Cuts Out Technicaltties,
Therefore In order to avoid all tecl
nIcall'ies and complication ] have call'
on the second inquest Of the Corop
and have notified him that It would 7,
De necessary for him and his jury to q
Tend. but as have sufYicient evidence
hoid Castor B. Means for the murder
MRS King ! have had q warrant issu,
Tor Mr., Means. retprnabls before A..
Palmer, police justice Of Concord,
Monday morning, September ~. 1917,
|, ~ ~ o'clock at the court house. this bsil
the same time and place the Coroner
inquest would have been held.
The witnesses that were subpoena
% go before the Coroner's inquest a
hot released, but are required To atte
s'ia appear at the preliminary heari
before the said Magistrate on Mond
'norning at 10 O'clock.
would have much preferred hol