“Gaston B. Means Acquitted of Killing Mrs. Maude King,” from the
Monroe Journal, Dec. 18, 1917
Jury Returned Verdict
of Not Guilty at 10:22 Sunday Morning, and Defendant Is Now a Free Man
Concord, Dec. 16—“Not guilty” was the verdict of the jury in
the case of Gaston B. Means, charged with the murder of Mrs. Maude A. King,
widow of a Chicago millionaire, who was shot to death at Blackwelder Spring,
near Concord, on the evening of August 29, last.
The jury made known its verdict at 10:22 this morning, after
having deliberated since 7 o’clock Saturday night. The decision was made known
to Judge E.B. Cline in the Cabarrus County court house in the presence of the
defendant, his wife, and mother, representatives of counsel and others who had
learned the jury was about to make its report.
No Demonstration
Permitted
There was no demonstration, probably prevented by a warning
Judge Cline had given before hearing the jury’s report, accompanying it with
instructions to Sheriff Caldwell to arrest anyone who made any demonstration.
However, a little later, when the prisoner had been formally discharged and the
court adjourned, Means was surrounded by relatives, attorneys and friends, who
hastened to shake his hand and congratulate him upon his acquittal.
Sisters Weep for Joy
After his release, accompanied by his wife, Means left the
court room and went to the home of his father. A little later he reappeared on
the streets of the town, where scores of friends extended congratulations. As
he and Mrs. Means were leaving the courthouse, they met one of his sisters, who
had just arrived, and the two women rushed into one another’s arms, weeping for
joy.
Probably no trial ever conducted in North Carolina has held
the wide interest of the Means case, nor has any brought more attendants from
other states, a number of witnesses from Chicago and New York testifying.
Assistant District Attorney John T. Dooling of New York City assisted in the
prosecution, coming to Concord at the request of Solicitor Clement, because
both Means and Mrs. King were regarded as citizens of that state.
Mr. Dooling brought with him a mass of papers and documents
of various kinds seized at Means’ apartment in New York. These Mr. Dooling took
with him when he left for New York last night, some of them being subject to
the order of the New York courts.
It has been rumored that in the event of acquittal of the
charge of murder, Means might be prosecuted in New York on other charges. When
asked about this, Solicitor Hayden Clement said this afternoon that he did not
anticipate any such action, but that he could not speak with authority.
Story of the Death of
Widow of Millionaire
Mrs. King, who was on a visit to Means’ relatives met death
at Blackwelder Spring, early on the evening of August 29 last. With Means and a
party of his friends she had stopped while on an automobile drive, presumable
that she might practice shooting with a small pistol Means had bought for her.
Means and the woman were alone at the time, Captain W.S. Bingham and Afton
Means, a brother of Gaston Means, having walked down the road to shoot rabbits.
Verdict of Accidental
Death
A coroner’s inquest accepted the statement of Gaston Means
that she shot herself accidentally. After the woman’s body was taken to Chicago
for burial, charges of foul play were made. There the coroner’s physician
declared that the wound in the back of the woman’s head could not have been
self-inflicted.
The investigation shifted to New York, where Mrs. King had
resided for several years and where Means had handled her business affairs.
Search of the apartments there of Mrs. King and her sister and Mr. and Mrs.
Gaston Means disclosed, according to New York officials, that Means had
misappropriated the woman’s money and also that he was connected with German
agents. Documents seized in the apartments were cited by New York police as
proof of these assertions.
Large Fortune
Disappeared
Mrs. King had inherited approximately $1,000,000 from her
second husband, the late James C. King of Chicago and New York, and Chicago
officials declared nearly all of this sum had vanished during the time Means
was connected with the woman’s affairs. It also was asserted Means was
preparing to offer for probate an alleged second will of James C. King, which
would give an additional $2,000,000 to Mrs. King.
North Carolina officials reopened the investigation and at a
hearing in September Means was bound over to the grand jury and later indicted.
State’s Theory of
Affair
At the trial, which began November 26, the State contended
that Means had “looted” the woman’s fortune and killed her to escape “an early
accounting.” Witnesses asserted that Means had kept the woman a virtual
prisoner in the Chicago Beach Hotel. The defense denied this and offered
evidence to show that Mrs. King approved Means’ speculations with her money.
Means said on the stand that he had investigated alleged
neutrality violations for German interests before the United States broke
relations with Germany but was always loyal to his country and turned over to
officials information he thought of value to this country.
Claimed Death
Accidental
The defense contended the woman’s death was accidental; that
she stumbled, fractured her ankle and in falling fired the pistol.
Mrs. King’s mother, Mrs. Anna L. Robinson of Asheville, and her
sister, Mrs. Mary C. Melvin, took opposite sides in the case, the mother
appearing as a witness for the prosecution and the daughter siding with Means.
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