The Washington herald., 1917-09-09
MRS. king PREY
TO ADVENTURER
Wealthy Widow Robbed by
Gang Before Death,
Is Report.
(By the International News seryIce.I


Concord, n. c.. Sept. s.-Stoutly
maintaining that the wealthy widow
had met death as the result Of an
accident. CASTOR Bullock Means, now
the central figure in the mystery sur
rounding the death of Mrs. Maude
King, returned to his home town to-
day. He was accompanied by Mrs
Maize Melvin. sister of Mrs King.
He declared that he had every thing
to gain had Mrs. King lived and
asserted that any further investiga-
tion into her death would only serve
10 establish the veracity of his state
ments
1t was learned today that Sheriff
howard Caldwell and Luther a.
Weddington, the undertaken who
embalmed Mrs. Kings body, received
myster rious telephone calls the night
the woman died. Weddington was
embslming the body when his tele-
phone rang about II O'Clock at night.
Lifting the receiver a mans voice
said to him:
Don't send that BODY away until a
thorough inquest is made. Watch the
body closely"
Strange Phone Call.
I am embalming il now" replied
the undertaken. will that interfere
IN any way"
Go ahead with it," came back the
reply. The man than rang OF.
When Weddington reached his home
at midnight his wife was waiting for
him.
Goodness sakes." she said. what
does the New York police depart
ment want with you anyway
He was unable to explain until he
met Sheriff Caldwell. Later he told
him Of the mysterious message he re-
Ceived.
a man was on the telephone" he
said. and he told me to investigate
the case. He said he was a member
Of the New York police department.
and he was telephoning from there
! could tell though the call was not
a long distance one. There was no
buzz on my wire. After 1 received
II, asked central whether 1 had
been called from outside town during
the evening and she said no."
Solicitor Hayden Clement, prOsecu-
tor OF the county, is expected to call
together the COroneT's jury and reopen
the case. CASTOR Means was asked
today concerning the manner in which
Mrs. King is said to have fractured
her ankle
Il didn't know she had hurt her
anlSle," he said. ''or that it was in
jured until was so informed at the
hospital the next morning"
Prey TO Gang.
New York, Sept S-Having been
preyed upon for years bys a powerful
band Of international adventures, Mrs.
Maude A. King, was the despair of
her family. who feared for her life,
il was disclosed tonight.
The United States Department of
Justice had been appealed to by Mrs.
Kings mother and sister to rescue
Mrs. King from the clutches of this
band. following the official report Of
an examiner in insanity. in which
II was set forth that Mrs. King was
of unsound mind and absolutely in
capable Of taking care of herself to
any extent whatsoever"
Following a family council, the es-
tate Of Mrs. King. who had been left
in a condition officially described as
weak minded after a major opera
tion in 1872 was placed in trust.
At the Bureau OF Investigation Of
the Department Of Justice is a docu-
ment describing her mental condition,
upon which document was also urged
the prosecution Of the cOnspirators
under the Mann white slave act.
Mrs. King, says this document, had
been accustomed tC the excessive use
OF LIQUOR. The leader Of the band
was desirOus of marrying her and
falling in this, he would take her to
some European country where they
could live together. For a time Mrs
King was restored to her family, but
the band ferreted her out and with
in a short time she was again at
their mercy.