Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-15
TRIAL OF MEANS MAY
CONCLUDE LATE TODAY
Court and Jurors Exhausted
by Long-Winded Arguments
of Counsel
CONCORD. y. G., Dec. Is


CASTOR -. Means. on trial f5r his lifs
for the murder Of Mrs. Maudc 4. King.
will not know the verdict Until late
tonight, if then
When cnurt opened this morning At
torney Cansler, closirg the argument
for the defense --emed TO be at least
two hours from conclusion. tanSler'S
voice failed him last night. and as Il
matter of courtesy an adjournment was
granted by the judge. campbell Cald-
well will follow Canser aad will close
the argument Cor the state Then Judge
Cline must deliver his charge. and
because of the complies manner Of evil
dence which was been given IL is be-
lieved that the charge will be neccs-
s1rily long There is no possible chance
of The case going TO the jury before late
this afternoon. or even early evening.
Jury deliheration is expected TO he
rather lengthy, for the arguments have
been long and have evidently confused
the jurors In fact, they have asked
the court for relief from such lengthy
argument. since today is the fourth day
the case has been in argument. II is Il
North Carolina law. however. that ar.
gument in a murder case must not he
restricted even by agreement
Cansler opened his guns this morning
on the chain Of circumstartial evidence
with which the state contends ii has sur
rounded the defendant. lie had COM
pleted his argument against the evidence
for a motive which the state presented
and his irvective against Assistant Dis
lt".Ct Attorney John r. poolinE. of New
York, seemed to have been depleted. Up
until this time Cansler has made his
argument more against DoolinE uan
upCl the evidence In the case. He has
pictured Dooling as the man who has
unfairly prosecuted" CASTOR B. Means.
lie has resortcd to every trick of infer
encc to Impress upon the jury that Dool-
ing seized the papers of CASTOR Il.
Means The legality Of these seizures
is taboo 10y Judge cline. but Cansler has
handled it most c,cverly and placed II
before tn" jury in such n way that he
has not openly violated the ruling by the
Judge.
The counsel for the defense, vino is
closing his argument today, has not re-
/ sur.ed tu hgh-lloWu uratory In his argu-
! ment, but he has continually appealed
! to the common sense of the jurors
He has talked in n low voice and at
times he has not been audible through
out the courtroom. He has adopted a
manner of taking the jury into his con.
ndence and he seems to have succeeded
CASTOR Il. Means. the defendant, Is
| wearing under the strain Today is the
eighteenth day of his trial and
he is apparently nervous. and as
the hours Of verdict grows nearer
and nearer the blase smile ant
the Eliminating grin which have char
acterized him become less and less FIRE
quel'. His wife, until Il few days az,
as stolid as her husband. is now be
coming subject to periodical spells o
soft crying. colonel W. i. Means, fathe
Of the defendant, is restless and nervous
Judge cline is tired and worn and th
jurors are fatigued. Counsel for bot
sides are in petulaut mood and the on
tire atmosphere of the Court today i
one Of strain and pressure.