The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-26
FROM JAIL CELL
Attorney Directs Battle To
Eyade Electric Chair.
Defendants Home Town Hand1-
caps Prosecutors.
WILL ASK CHANGE OF venue
CASTOR Means'S People Intiuen-
tiaI in County Politics.
If Acquitted of Murder, Faces
Forged Will Charge.
WILL ASK CHANGE OF venue
BY GEORGE MARTIN.

Concord, n. C., sept Zo.-LOSer III
the first battle to keep himself from
the road that might lead to the cleo
trio chair for the death of rich Maude
A. King, CASTOR B. <cieans today di-
rected continuance of the fight from
a prison cell here in his home town.
He chose his own battle-ground.
Here within four miles of the secluded
spot where the state claims he de-
coyed and murdered the wealthy wild
ow of the late Chicago lumber king.
after squandering her fortune in New
York and other large cities. Means
has started his fight Tor liberty.
Meantime, Chicago, New York and
Washington department of justice rep
reSentativeS. buttresSed with trunk
loads of evidence gathered for Means
blaZed trail of business management"
for Mrs. King half .yay across the
country, conferred with Solicitor
Clement and Attorney General Man
ming of North Carolina. on the prose
cution.
To Grand Jury Oct. 8.
Means and his family are politically
significant in this section. Brandon
Means, Gaston's brother, is a county
political leader. Confessedly the de-
Tense thinks it will have a better
chance to win Means freedom here
than it would have if CASTOR were
taken to New York and tried there on
other charges.
Means by express agreement of his
counsel will have no chance to get
out of Jail on bail between now and
October s, when his case goes before
the grand jury.
1t appeared probable today he
would try to get the case before To-
cal jury and that the prosecution
would ask, in case of an Indictment by
the grand jury, a change of venue to
another county.
Should MaapS he triad a15
on the murder charge here, he might
still, under certain action by the New
York authorities, be taken there for
trial on other charges.
Second WHIP Involved Millions.
These charges will revolve around
the now famous second King will'
may have been forged after Means
alleged dissipa ton of Mrs Kings
available fortune.
The late Chicago lumber baron,
James c. King, left her only little
when he died. This mysterious second
will of his gave her several million
dollars outright.
TT is this will CASTOR Means fears"
said Attorney P. c. McDuffie, for Mrs
Anne E. Robinson Mrs Kings moth
er, at Charlotte, today. "And it is this
will he sought to get hold of in the
order he obtained from the superior
court"
In connection with this proceeding
w. S. Means, Gaston's father, said to-
day an attempt will be made to hale
Assistant District Attorney Dooling
and others of the New York officials
here, before Judge Webb to show
cause why they should not be held
in contempt for refusing to deliver up
the seized papers.
Bad Feeling Apparent.
The tense situation of the last hours
before Means succumbed and accepted
his prison cell fate until next month
had somewhat relaxed today, but
there is feeling that there may be
gun play among the "toters' when
New York and Chicago police officers
return here and mingle with the
North Carolina bad men when the
case again crops up in October. There
is much bad feeling between them
already.
Promises More Arrests
Following the prosecutions confer
ence at Salisbury early today, Assist
ant District Attorney Dooling, of New
York, said further arrests probably
will be made. Detective Cuniff told
Concord residents he would return lin
i a few days" to arrest probably two
persons-one a woman whose name
has been mentioned frequently in con-
nection with the Means case