New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-08
Swears to Jury He Warned
Mrs. King Not to Handle
Revolver
Accused Man Shouts
Defiance to Doolipg
New York Lawyer and
Counsel for Defence in
Fiery Verbal Tilt


the murder Of Mrs Maudc A. King
when John T.. Dooling, Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Of New York entered 1T
tais afternoon and began his cross-eN-
animation Of the accused man.
Ncansa sympathizors filled the
benches and trouble threatened from
the moment that Means, in reply to Mr.
Doojjrc's question as 10 where he lived,
said that. thanks to the activities OF
tbo prosecution. his present address
WAS care Of the Cabarrus County jail
Zach succeeding interrogation IN
creased Che tension.
The mpassc came when Neanss TALL
ing memory was forced by Dooling to
Tho recollection OF % safe deposit box
which the accused man had rented in
.h. Postal Telegraph Building, Broad
vav and Murray Street. New York soon
,rtcr securities valued at $4,000 be
longing 20 the dead woman had been
taken TO New York from Joliet, III.
81 had forgotten it," said Means, "but
want to say that not ono Of Mrs.
Kings securities ever wns in that box
"You didn't get a dunninc letter
-bout that deposit box a little "hiie
ago." casually inquired Doolng'
NO. ! did not shouted Means RS,
ING rom the witness chair, "and If I
aid, you stole it,
Court in Uproar
What with the applause OF the crowd,
flr vain attempts Of counsel 70 DO
heard and the equally Intellectual rap
pIrcs of Judge Clines gavcl the court
was iu an uproar.
There is point. your honor, at
which patience rs lost began Mr..
Dooing. when f. r. Cansler, the heavy
artillery Of the defence battery
drowned him out
"S1ch humiliating and irritating
questions as Mr. Dooling has put 70 the
defendant are surely not 20 be per-
friitcd iu this court he Numbered.
"TIc gentleman from New York IS
hadgerir- ,h.5 witness ln way that
human lcsh and endurance cannot
-tand. ask that he be cautioned 10
c-5---cEsminc according 20 the laws OF
North Carolina, laws which he appears /
not % understand
Judge Cline ruled out both question
and answer. and sought 20 bring order
hy apo.og.z.ng 70 the jury for both /
Mr uooliHc and Means.
No Apology TO Dooling
m there Is to be any apology, we /
prefer that 10 come from the witness
scuoetulatcd Solicitor Clement, and
Means. thercupou, expressed his regret /
individually TO Judge Cline. the solicit /
Tor and the jury nc ignored Mr.
Uoolrr entirely but his attitude was .
completely satisfactory 20 Judge Cline I.
who avoided further discussion by add .
lolrrllT court
Means testified to-day that Judge .
Cline wa. "a member Of q party which, (
several Gay. before the tragedy at .
B'actUeldar Spring, motored from Con- .
cord 90 Charlotte 90 the automobile .
which he NcansJ had purchased here .
foI Mrs King The party, besides .
Judge Cline. included Mrs. King, W. q. .
Means, the accused mans father; Bran /
don Means, his brother and Frank !. /
Osborne. his chief counsel.
That Mrs King was born and raised .
FOO "a hardware store and was fami- .
liar with rcyolvers. while he, until he .
bought the weapon which caused her
death, bad not shot O pistol ten times
Ig bis life, was Neans's declaration to-
dave
kecrly interested in shooting and
having seen advertisements Of auto
matte pistols iu magazines, he said,
Mrs King had insisted that he pur-
chase for her a Savage automatic of .
80 calbre. She had ordered the % .
Colt automatic only when told that the .
more powerful weapon could not be .
obtained here. She had shot d great /
deal with rife and pistol before the .
target shooting party from which she .
never returned alive, he said.
lt was Mrs. Ring Means declared. .
who suggested the party, and deter /.
mined Che place where 10 should be
held BlacAwelter Spring Means
said that. starting out "just about twi- .
Light on the fatal expedition, he had
intended 20 go TO Lipses Spring WHERE
Hc had PLAYED as a boy. On the way
Captain Is. S. Bingham and his
brother. Alton. told him that Lipses
spring was not the same as he had
known 30 in his boyhood. II had been
ailed IN and its charm had disappeared,
boz learned. There then had been talk
King had planned a barbecue, and there
She insisted upon going, in order 70
examine the place, he said
"Sho rot out Of the automobile last
said Means 81 told Ernest 10 hive
back out Of the way. Captain Sing
ham was 'cn or twelve feet away, load
ing his Eaotgun. Alton was loading
his ride. nearer still. / told Mrs King
NC would shoot the Smith g. We5son
pistol because tho automatic was work
ing badly. Sc said she didn't want
that pistol and told me 20 get the little
one. 1 handed her the Smith & Wcson
and went over TO get the automatic out
of the automobile While we were
talking The car pulled out. then
handed Mrs King The automatic. She
alteady had the other pistol and
while ] was opening a box OF cartr lgos
she held out both weapons at arms
length.
"Musi ! shoot this way 20 be a dead
shot, she asked me. and 1 said, laugh
Inc'y "Iou must ride horse and
rop matches with both pistols
Mcans's Version Of Shooting
20 ,hcn took tbc automatic from her
.rI pat in five cartridges: Il
wouldn't hold more. We were discuss
.nc thc barbecue. and then ] said
.oud gct o. drink OF water. She
I.stcd with me toward the spring. but
said she didn't want any water as she
WAS afraid OF bugs. AS / passed the
crotched tree. } put the automatic pis-
tol In The fork The magazine was
',sded. but there was no cartridge IN
ibc. barrel. 70 was not ready 20 shoot.
walked on sud she went back 20
Ire tree