New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-25
DR.. Schultze, at Concord,
Saws Woman Could Not
Have Shot Herself
Damaging Testimony
Presented by Farmer
Hollow Like a Dungeon, He
Asserts, Where Means Said
They Went to Shoot
fst,r CoT~Urderccl

mony by medical experts that MIS-
Maud. A King. the wealthy New York
widow, was the victim Of murder ana
M. of suicide was introduced at the
preliminary hearing to-day into the
charges that CASTOR Bullock Means
slew her.
Far from resenting the injection OF
criminal Investigators from New YORK
and Chicago, the crowd OF country ioih
which filled the courtroom Jeered the
unbridled cross-examinations conducted
by Means's array Of lawyers and ap-
nIsuded the retorts of the out-ot-town
witnesses.
The drawing insistence OF one OF
their own neighbors that the fatal MOI
low beneath the sycamore tree was
dark as q dungeon" at the time OF the
shooting, and the keen thrus,s win
,vb;ch he married sill attempts on the
mart Of counsel for the defence 10 SNAKE
his conviction, only confirmed the audi-
enee in its antipathy to Its ieii0"
townsman's attorneys.
Experts Call 1t Murder
DR.. Otto H. Schultze, medical ASSIST
ant to the District Attorney of New
yorl County. and DR.. William H. Bur-
me;ster, Chief Coroner's Physician OF
Chicago, we're in complete agreement
and equally positive in the statement
that the bullet which killed Mrs. King
on August 90 was not fired by her
own hand.
1t came from Colt automatic pistol
OF .25 calibre, and bored horizontally
through the woman's skull. Dr. Schultze
challenged any one Of Means's attor-
neys to hold the tiny weapon so that
its bullet could take similar course
into his head.
at is muscular impossiblity to do
it." said DR.. Schultze, unless you
hold the weapon between the thum
and index finger. In that case II would
be necessary TO fire it by pressing the
trigger with the thumb and releasing
the safety device with the index finger:
In order to hold the weapon steady and
level in such a case the muzzle would
have to be pressed against the head,
entailing powder burns, which are not
present in this instance. I maintain
that the shot could not have been fired
by the deceased"
Furious attempts on the part Of
counsel for Means to break down Dr.
Schultze's testimony or confuse him
were met with quietly delivered but
telling retorts. Time and again the au'
dience broke into applause as one Of
the attorneys retired in confusion Il
seek more ammunition. ". G.. Means
the prisoners father, protested agains
the handclapping, and the court called
for order.
al Cansler, one Of Means's legal bat
terry, facing the crowd. That's the
was crucifed"
II CASTOR Means has any friends il
this community they were not presen
at the hearing to-day. Every telling
point made by the prosecution wa:
met with applause from the plain, un
kempt country folk who began a
dawn to arrive in town and line W
at the Court House entrances. At II
o'clock the sheriff opened the strain
ing doors and the crowd scrambled up
stairs and fought for places in the
courtroom.
Means Has Six Lawyers
Means, an unlighted cigar between
his lips, already was installed in the
space reserved for his counsel. Loung
ing comfortably in an arm chair. he
chewed his cigar complacently
watched the spectators struggle fol
vantage points, and joked with hi,
lawyers. He had retained six at
torney5 besides his father, who is a
lawyer OF prominence in criminal Law
within hundred miles of Concord
Headed by Frank |. Osborne, ex-At.
torney General of the state, they were
L. t. Canister, Luther 7. Hartsell, Nor.
rison II. Caldwell, Frank Armfield anc
7. d. Means.
Mr. Osborne opened the proceedings
by presenting a request from Means
that the hearing be conducted before
some Justice Of the peace other than
A. B. Palmer, before whom the murder
warrant had been made returnable.
certainly appreciate this motion,
said Judge Palmer, concurring. az
relieves me of an unpleasant duty anc
great responsibility"
A messenger was dispatched to sum
mon I. A. Pitts, justice of the oath
Township, who arrived, smoking a corn
cob pipe, assembled the bench and rappeC
for order.
L. A. Wellington, the first witnes,
called, testified concerning his removal
of Mrs. Kings body from the Concord
Hospital to his undertaking establish.
ment on the night of the shooting
Means. he said. instructed him TO take
the corpse first to ASheville. then tC
Chicago.
A Theoretically sealed casket had beer
covered with 4 sealed iron box, he ties
titled. II had left Asheville two hour,
before Means, Mrs. Melville. her sister
and he had entrained for Chicago Il
follow and bury II in Graceland Gene
terry. At Cincinnati either Means oil
Mrs. Melville had suggested 10 STOP
over In order that they might "do some
telephoning." After a delay the party
had proceeded TO Chicago.
DR.. Burmeister followed Weddingtor
as witness. He said he had per
formed an autopsy on Mrs Kings body
in Chicago on September and he de
scribed at great length the character
of the wound in the back of her heaC
and the course taken by the bullet. He
produced three atoms of nickel and leac
which he had probed from the deac
woman's brain.
Mesns's counsel fought against I'll,
introduction Of the experts opinion Al
70 how Mrs. King met her death, but
after much argument they were over
ruled. and the witness declared: "Deatt
was due TO intercranial hemorrhage due
70 a gunshot wound in the brain. IL Is
-. IL i eel 4,