North Carolina Newspapers

ISSUED WEEKLY. THE ''“i: PRINCIPLES, NOT MEN $1.50 A YEAR IN ADVANCE VOLUME XXXXII Asheboro, North CaTOliaa, Thuradar, September 13, 1917. NUMBER 35 RANDOLPH COUNTY’S QOUTA IS SECURED The local exemption board wm in session the first of the week to psjfs on claims filed by the men of the second call. Seventy names were certified to 1iie district board, which added to tl^e 82 previously certified, makes a total of 152 certified by the local board. The county’s quota if 118. Called Into Service The following is a list of ^ose called into the service of the United States, being neiti^r exempted or discharged: S91, Clarence E. Gray, Archdale. 1764, June Langley, Staley. 970, Clarence Frazier, Camp Hous ton, Co. C, 4th Eeg. Va., Norfolk, Va. 1675, Lester Ernest Skeen, Qimax. 1657, Cynif Lineberry, Clim^. 2055, Wade C, York, Liberty. 1217, Grover C. Varner, Co. C. N. G. Engineers. ^ 1067, Jaiaef Hurley Hooker, E^siwfie* man. ,, 2012, John Franklin Moor®, liber ty. 805, Furman Eeid Auman, Seagrove. 1981, Cicero Gamer, Liberty. 1142, George Benjamin Crowell, Far- mer. , , 1765, Madison Clyde Lednum, Lib erty, Et. 1. , , 1. 6, Milton Harris Birkhead, Ashe- ^°327, Marcus Hilliard Johnson, Mill- boro. , _ „ 664, Jamef R. Parrish, Fullers. 1722, Carl William Craven, Eara- seur, Koute- 1557, Jacob Daniel Hamll, Cedar Falls 1744, John Hieka, Staley. 1595, Arthur Clarence Eeeves, Franklinville. 103, Moody Lamb, Spero. 556, Henry Orlendo Graves, col. Ran- dleman, Et. 8. 154, Marshall Vander Eobbins, Asheboro. 1057, Theodore Lyman Ingram, Ran- dleman. 1256, Leander Cox, Coleridge. 1073, Clarence Allen, Asheboro, Rt.l. 388, Jacob Qinard Floyd, Trinity, Route 1. 773, Williwa Harmon. Seagrove. 608, Emmett Houston Cox, Pisgah. 406, Andrew Johnson, High Point. 889, Gurea krthur Richardson, Ran- diem an. 1166, Tliomas Hughes, Farmer. 1957, Jobs William Butler, Liberty. 576, Joha Alfred Richardson, Pis- gah. 122, Hanry Grady Miller, Asheboro. 222, Arthur Cotton, coL, Asheboro. 906, Lonie Edwin Presnell, Eandie- man. 1195, Clifton Presnell, Farmer, 1101, Roy Luther, Asheboro, Star Route. 368, John Craven Collett, Trinity. 950, John Jennings Hinshaw, Ran- dleman. 919, Pearl Lovett. Eandl^an. 1919, Luther Wilson Robbins, Edgar. 1175, lYed Martin Kearns, Parmer. 738, Ernest Laban Slack, Seagrove. 1167, Roscoe Ray Hill, Jackson Creek. 1191, William Colbert Pierce, Farm er. 1234, Otho Carl Brown, Ramseur. 1616, George Washington Allred, Franklinville. 292, Steven Giard Richardson, Sea grove. 822, Lacy A. Moffitt, Ore Hill, Rt. 2. 504, Lewis Thomas Dougan, Ashe boro, Rt. 2. 1064, James Henry Wall, Rjuidle- man. 1205, John Clark Ridge, Caraway. 1510, Ralph Whatley, Ulah. 470, Harrison Harris, Thomasville. 312, Hazel Vincent Bonkemey^, Eandleman. 1187, Percy CSay Morgan, Faiwier. 424, Arthur June Mendenhall, High Point, Rt. 5. 1511, John Lesley Strickland, col., Ulah. 657, Albert Roy Pearce, Fullers. 278, Robert Grove*’ Hix, Spokane. 212, Elmer C. Yow, Asheboro. 8, Dewey C. Bulla, Co. K, Ashe boro. 1160, George F^ix Hughea, Sidem Church 1355, Clarence C. Allred, Complex. 588, Delbert Tow Lucas, Seej^ove. 848, Carl Cokmebus Brown, Ore Hill. 1943, Jamea O. Evans, CHenola. Bk empt until December 1, 1917. IIC^, Chazli* Lack, A^eboro. Bk- empt until Deeewker 1, 1917. ■Rempted or Dtsckarged The following were exempted or dis charged either because of family de pendents or phyaical disqualifications: 2024, George Wade Payne, Liberty, Route 1. 360, Grady Brown, Trinity. 112, Clyde Brainard Lowdermilk, Asheboro. 1287, Chariee Coley Gee, Coles Store. 957, Levi Hudson, Randl^an. 1912, Cecil Carl Lyndon, Sophia. 1625, Charles Wesley Allred, Mill- boro- 1716, Wesley Monroe Burgess, Ram seur, 51, Calvin Gravee Pi*eier, Jr., Aake- boro. 1366, Winbura Cra^oi’d, Pinsoa. 363, Charlie Browa, Trinity, 6S7, Benjamin Harrisoii Summy, Fullers. • ■} 571, William Shelton Strider, Pis gah. 1873, Charles Addison Bristow, Ed gar. 488, Dealie Tillman, Trinity. City iiH;i*oois Aiave Auspicious upening x-iVc aliu xxLiy — AISiC iU ci-Lui-cii are bade ac Vvoix- i.oy>, (.luy fcciiuOit, naving iiiUiliiXlg Ui. UiiS VVBCi- i»u.j^ccvD tti'v. j.'jL' ihe OvaC ytur m iuoLoiy v/i wiw ociiouiS. xi ^arge num- were prcoeilL iex Uie iellniiuj. .jyciulig, aiiU eXprcb&cO uei.criuill«Li.eu bO cw-opciai/e Wj-vii. uiie supcXMiibciiucni. anu bcuriicrb iir Vucir eitoxv Lu iuaK.e Uias a great- year An uxc cuub,ai,AOuai ixxe ui Vn-- lowu. Ax* Lcr a suoxa religious service oy Itev. Aia x:.rwiii, bue xieW aupeiiiitc^nueXit, j>ir. x>. r. xxasseii, luaue c biioi'i, taix, Hi wiiicxi lie euuiiiica lIic wotk loi" tno yeai‘, aiiu acn.eu lox' tiie neip of txio veu'iiBpcopie ill carrying uuu ius plans, iie Vnhb xuiiowcu Dy Uic pnncipai, rar. V. 1. McjaeiUien, wiio xuaoe a sliorl taiK. 'rxic pupiiB were men assignee to tneir xocms. iieguiar tvox'K Degan Wednesday morning. I'ne town is very xortunate in havii^ Uie scnooi in cnarge oi suen an aoiv faculty us tne present. Wmie most of me Leaci^ex-s Here lor iiieii’ nrst PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE TO THE NATIONAL ARMY DEATH OF MRS. KING AT CONCORD MYSTERIOUS New Evidence Brought to Light Deep ens the Mystery of Death of Itos. Maud King—Authorities May Make Another Inquiry. The mystery deepns in regard to the death of Mrs. Maud King, which, it will bo remembered, occurred at the Blackwelder Spring, near Concord, about 8 o’clock in the evening, August 29. As will be recalled, on that day, Mrs. King, who was visiting the year, ail {come well recommenaed and nave proved tneir auiuc^ cisewnere. mere is no need to speaa oi tne 4.011- ity of inose wno nave oeen in me sciiooi before. The senool is pai'ticu- lariy fortunate in naving at lus head Ki'. 15. r . riasseii, 01 xvaeioru, wno comes here with several years of suc cessful experience, naving oeen at itaeford for tne last four years. There IS little uoubt but tnat nis coming will niarx a new era in me history of the scnools. rle is instituting new meth ods vvnieh will without doubt raise tne emciency of me school. Following are the teachers: i-'irst Grad®—Miss Maude Fox, Ran- dleman. First Grade—Miss Louella Lowe, Asheboro. Second Grade—Miss Hattie Asa- burn, Liberty. Third Grade—Miss Euna Wallace, Star. . h'ourth Gradei—Miss Elbie Miller, Asheboro. h'ourth Grade—Miss Lucille Wat kins, Blanche. Fifth Grade—Miss Enolia Presnell, Asheboro. Sixth Grade Miss Margaret Speight, Windsor. Seventh Grade—Miss Allie Pierce, Colerain. Eighth Grade—Miss Lou Ola Tat tle, Burlington. Ninth Grade — Miss Katherine Whitener, Stanley. Principal—Mr. D. I. McKeithan, Aberdeen. Superintendent—Mr. B. F. Hassell, Raeford. Music Teacher—Miss Nannie Bulla, Asheboro. ^ . , Music Teacher—Miss Lillie Parrish, Asheboro. 1543, John Walter Craven, Cedar Falls. 704, Jefferson Albeson Dorsett, Trin ity. 72, Gustavus Wade Hayworth, Ashe- boro. ^ ^ ' 1896, Lawrence Elwood Farlpw, bo- phia. / _ 1709, Roscoe Pearce Bro-yrer, Ram seur. i ^ ^ 866, Allen Jay Blair, Trnhty, Route 128, Asa Maness, Asheboro. 679, Carl Eddie Kennedy, Thomas- ville. . , , , 11, Percy Lazeil Bostick, Asheboro. 900, Claude Ronth, Randleman. 1617, Lawrence Gamer, Cedar Falls. 368, Rufus Casper, Trinity, Rt. 1. 93, Millard R. Jordan, Randleman. 1448, Leo Gray Bames, Asheboro. 1112, Kemp L. Smith, Asheboro, Et. * 846, 1. Thamer Armfteld, Trinity. 1585, Jefferson Prevo. Franklinville. 122, John Mavin Yates, Caraway, Route 2. T-, 1565, William Lacy Kinney, Frank- linville. ^ ^ . .. 1281, Jamea Arthur Gam, Coleridge. 199, Penn Vestal, Asheboro. 1428, Corday Lee Surratt, Complex. 519, Virgil Hill, Caraway, Rt. 2. 1730, Alfred Condary Chandtec, PramldmTiila , , , 25, Robert Grover Boggs, Asheboro. ■ 392, Ben Harrison Hill, Progress, 1712, John Milton Brady, Ramseur. 944, Malfheua V. Hinshaw, Randle* *rrW, William G. Poe, Ramseur. 642, Reed Framklm Summy, Fulim-S; Et. 1. 1715, Jease Burgess, Ramseur. 821, Melvin Brastw* Frazier, MiU- boro. „ 7S6, Beverly Franklin Varner, Se»- srove. 1028, Jeffrey Percy Barker, Clinrnx, 1426, Henry Alexander Thombwrg, Pipe. 926, Cecil Cline Low, Randleman. 656, Jeffereon Harrison Rush, Trin- ^*^537*, Henry Paul Black, Franklin- ^85*6, Joseph Edgar Wood, Randle- m<m. , „ , , 1346, Geo. W. Matthews, col., Cole s Store. 2051, Gurney Lee Ward, Millboro, 1866, Arthur ©’Keely Staley, coL, Ramseur. 1806, Bermiee Emery Smith, Eam- seur 1677, #iirK*y ISrastus Trogdon, Mill- horo. 939, Emery Baeford Jarrett, Randle- raan. 1689, Carl Talmage Field, Climax. 1337, Raymond Richard Craven, Following is President Wilson’s message to the soldiers of the National Army: ‘‘God Keep and Guide You, Soldier* of the National Army” To the Soldiers of the National Army: You are undertaking a great duty. The heart of the whole country is with you. Everything that you do will be watched with the deepest interest and with the deepest solicitude not only by those who are near and dear to you, but by tbe whole Ns.tion besides. For this greut wsr draws Gaston B. Means, his brother, Afton ■’ n Means, and W. S. Bingham, of Con cord. According to the story told by Gaston Means at the coroner’s mq.uest, when the party was near the spring, he and Mrs. King went to get a drink of wa ter, while the other two men remained some distance away, and behind some underbrush, which prevented their see ing what happened at the spring. He saye that he placed the. loaded pistol in the fork of a tree and stooped down over the spring, and soon hearing a shot, turned in time to see Mrs, King falling, the pistol in her hand. He then called the other members of the party, who came at once. They then drove to Concord as quickly as possible tak ing the body to ‘the hospital there. From this story, the coroner decided that the woman had come to her death from a pistol in her own hands. With this verdict the case was closed so far as Concord was concerned, but it is In dicated now that outside influence may cause it to be reopened. A post-mortem examination of the body at Chicago indicated, it is claim ed, that Mrs. King was murdered, in the opinion of Coroner Hoffman, of Chicago. The alleged verdict of the ex amining physician concluded: “The en trance of the wound was about 2 inches forward of the center of the skull, be hind the left ear. It showed no signs of bums nor powder marks, indicating that the revolver was a considerable distance from the head when discharg ed. “The left ankle showed a dark dis coloration. The examination revealed that it was broken before death. All other organs were negative, in healthy, normal condition^’ Attorney General J. S. Manning, on receipt of a telegram from Assistant State’s Attorney Sullivan, of Illinois, stating that th« coroner of Cook coun ty believed, after investigation, that Mw. Kirg had been murdered, repeat ed to Solicitor Hayden Qement the contents of the telegram, and asked him to take charge of the matter. Mr. Clement saya that if a motive is found for hCT murder, he will re-open the ease. Three witnesses have been found, it is claimed, who give evidence contra dicting the story told by Ga^on Means. How much truth there is in it is not known. One of these, whose name is withheld says that immediate ly after the body-was taken into the us all together, makes us all comrades and brothers, as all true Americans felt themselves to be when we first made good our national independence. The eyes of the world will be upon you, because you are in some special sense the soldiers of freedom. Let it be yonr pride, therefore, to show to all men every where not only what good soldiers you are, but also what good men you are, keeping, your selves fit and straighf in everything, and pure and clean through and through. Let us set for ourselves a standard so high that it will be a glo ry to live up to it, and then let us live up to it and add a new laurel to the crown of America. My affectionate confii- dence goes with you in every battle and every test. May God keep and guide you! WOODROW WILSON. The White House, Washington. - ••• ■ RANDOLPH MEN CERTIFIED BY THE DISTRICT BOARD From- Randolph’s first call the Dis trict Board has certified the following for service in the National Anny: 1^51—Femado A. Hinshaw, Julian. 797—Lona C. Boon, Seagrove. 1509—Rufus M. Williams, Seagrove. 1288—L. Benjamin Gardner, Ram seur. 1814—Hurley C. Parks, Coleridge. 1647—Joseph S. Garner, Climax. 1723—Vernon E. Curtis, Ramfieur. 509—John W. Farlow, Randleman. 1848—Rowe Brower, Ramseur. 56—Charlie Foster, Asheboro. 1636—Os^ Evans, Millboro. 117—Lester Lee MofBtt, Ashdioro. 2047—James H. Vickory, Liberty^ 1613—Parris C. York, Franklinville. 513— Lewis B. Hoover, Asheboro. 1676—^Ivsn L. Siler, Millboro. 1^1—James C. Davis, Edgar. 1114—Dennis H. Smith, Asheboro. 2036—John H. Staley, Liberty. 514— Will Hughes, Randleman. 1847—Floyd Bell, Ramseur. 1779—Wm. L. McBride, Ramseur. 757—Thomas F. Macon, Seagrove. 1266— Floyd Bruce Cox, Ramseur. 739—Vander C. Sanders, Seagrove. 1141—John Devon Cranford, Salem Church. 1267— Bascom Glenn Cox, Ramseur. 645—Lola C. Snider, Fullers. 1178—Calier Elbert Kearns, Farm er. 1032—Guy L. Aiken, Randleman. 1906—Martin L. Hohn, High Point. 204—Jacob C. Bro\vn, Asheboro. 77—J. Edgar Connor, Asheboro. 1324—Wilbur W. Scotten, Coleridge. 1706—W. Alfred Brown, Ramseur. 1236—Martin R. Bean, Kemps Mill. 2022—Otho F. Offman, Liberty^ 350—James H. Arthur, Trinity. 462—John C. White, Archdale. The following were exempted by the District Boards 1922—Wesley B^by Ridge, Edgar. 574—Rodolphus Strider, Pisgah. 426—^^bert Reid Mendehall, High Point. The following are exempted D«c«^^ 1,1917'> 1433—Caller A<ierao*, Strieby. 1455—Ailatt J. Cooper, Ashehorn. 15 Penn Houston Brown, Asheboro untst imKS Off PEACE EXPECTM) Ixk^orms the Reichstag TliBt Oenaany Is Aboat Ready With Her Terms ef ^l^oz»any will shortly be aWe to pub- lihk h«r peace terms, according to Dr. LLEWXAM’S LETTER FROM THE STATE CAPITAL {By Maxwell Gorman.) Raleigh, September 11.—The women of North Carolina will play a larger and more important part in the next State Fair than ever before—and that is going some, for no fair could be a success without the active and hearty co-operation of the ladies. The new Woman’s Building at the State Fairground has just been com pleted, will be inspected today and the elaborate equipment will be installed at once. The formal dedication of the building will take place on Wedhesday of fair week, October 17, when the “only woman Oongressman”, Miss' Jrajieti j RanJdn, of Montana, (a na tive of North Carolina) is expected to make the principal address. These ex ercises and the Better Babies Show and Contest in the new building will attract thouesands of women, for Uiey are taking an active interest in it all in the state, especially the varioue otr- ganizations of women. Secretary Pogue and Treasurer Dei^n say twice as many exhibits have been entered this year so far aa are usual at this time and that the ex hibits, especially the agricultural and poult^ and food conservation exhibits. QUALIFIES AS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE BINGHAM ESTATE Fidelity and Columbia Trust Company Gives $5,000,000 Bond.—Louisville Trust Company To Act As Joint Ad ministrator. The Fidelity and Columbia Trust Company and the Louisville Trust Co., both of Louisville, have qualifi^ as joint administrators of the estate of Mrs. Ma^ Lily Flagler Bingh^. Beneficiaries of Ihe estate made no se rious objection to the appointment of these two firms as administrators. The Fidelity and Columbia Trust Company executed a surety bond of $2,200,000, which added to its capital stock of $2,000,000 and surplus of $800,000, brings _ the total to $5,000,000. Ihe ^uisville Trust Company, with a cap ital stock of $800,000, and surplus of $261,000, executed a surety bond of $8,939,000.- will surpass all previous State Fairs, and the crowd is coming too. piirty | JfospS Alton “mmm SJ^rted'to the counties will have official county ex- j^ow houses to find Mrs. Melt hibits. The State Board of Education is ex tending the scope of its school book investigation to ascertain if^. there is ground for complaint of other books that the readers, alleged to be opered in inferior quality of material. They will submit their report in a few days, it is understood. The formal announcement of the ap pointment of Chairman E.. L. Travis of the North Carolina Corporation CoBiBaiffsion, to a place on the branch of the National Interstate Commerce Commission ia expected to be made this wa^. He was virtually decided upon several months ago, and he is de cidedly the best equipp^ man in the Soat^s^ for the place. North Caro lina owes him much for the fine work he haa done as head of the State Com- migaioa and we are distinctly losers by hibi transfer to the larger and more im .portent fi:^d of labor. Alteough the legal distillation of spiritnons liqnora for beverage pur- te the United States was stopped by the aeiw federal law last Saturday the revenuere report increased a<^v7tleB in moonshine ‘Ticker” circles, thkaty ones will probably drink new 00m whiskey hereafter than Geom9 Ifii^eUe, the German chmoel- , - - i.v ia an iatarriaw mit f tja iiSculty aaeBBh fcekaaga ^ from other .tote. wher. I it asm still be sold though not maau- ^ sakl Dr. There is enough liquor ia rMsMtaato McaKBag pixaa ooaffitieaa j ^ * * tJM^- Md th. qaertioB of Alwee-Loriaiafi, . but mo decision has yet been token. Th. Report, indisito a maltSphcitiy of quertton. howorer. wa. eagerly die- riiild labor xiit. like unto that from cussed and Germany will soon b« abl» Meeklenbnrg decided by Judgs Boyd. to publish her peace terms.” Auto Accident on Badin Road (Continued o^i fourth page.) the object being to continue the state law limitations aa to age and hours of work in factories and mills, until the United States Supreme Court passes As a result of an automobile acci- on Judge Boyd’s decision. If t^at is dent 14 miles from Salisbury, on the ■ true this line of procedure will be Badin road Sunday afternoon, J. W. ■ charged to the muzzle with trouble for Zeigler, aged 22, of Winston-Salem, is ‘ all concerned, especially for the manu- dead, and his father, George L. Zeig- j facturers that have goods to ship cut ler, is in the hospital at Salisbury, side the state, suffering with bruises. The car left the road at a curve and took to the woods, the young man being crushed between the car and a tree. Mrs. Elliott Dead Mrs. Sarah Elliott, wife of the late T. B. Elliott, died at -her home near Bombay, New Hope township, Septem ber 2, and was buried at Salem church the following day. She is survived by ^ one child, Mrs. B. F. Wooley. Mrs. • ocracy. Elliott was one of the most highly es- j the American Federation teemed wpmen of her community. j was elected as its leader. Gompers Head of New Labor Body The American Alliance for Labor .and Democracy, organized three weeks ago with President Wilson's stamp of approval, concluded its big loyalty con ference at Minneapolis last week. The alliance, composed of the nation’s la bor leaders, has as its double purpose the crushing of disloyalty and the sol idifying of labor in the war for dem- Samuel Gompers, president of — ■ - • of ' ' vin, sister of Mrs. King. While wait ing in front of one of the theaters, Mr. Means, according to the witness, re plied, in answer to a question in re gard to the death of Mrs. King: “She was whirling the pistol around her finger like a fool woman would do and the pistol went off • accidentally.” The other two witnesses are Charles S. Dry and his wife, who live on the pub lic highway, near the scene of the shooting. In an interview with an at torney they are alleged to have signed statements of what they saw and heard that evening. Mr. Dry says that he had come in from work about dark and he and Mrs. Dry were sitting on the front steps of his house facing Abe Blackwelder spring. Their attention was attracted by the report of a pistol, after which they heard a man c^l, “Captain Bing ham, C^tain Bingham, come here.' The voice was not raised to a shout, but was only a little more than that used in a conversation. Mr. Dry says that on a still evening he can hear or dinary conversation at the spring from where he was sitting. After baling called Captain Bingham to come the voice of the speaker was lowered to an und«tone, Mr. Dry says-, and he conld not hear what was being said. How ever, k« conld hear this subdued talk ing and haekr persems moving about near tka spring as if they were going throufA aonca of the undergrowth. A&at 16 minuiea, Mr. Dry says, he saw ui automobile coming at a rap id gait down the hi^^way and turn in the branch road that leads to t^ spring. He saw the automobile dnvw up almost to the spring and turn round. After a few minutes he heard the door of the machine close. At about this time Mr. and Mrs. Dry state that they saw a flash and heard the report Of another .pistol or rifle shot. I'he flash was up towaH the au tomobile, the top of which was up. The machine then left the spot, traveling toward Concord at a rapid rate of speed. At the time of the shooting Mr. Dry says that the moon was rather low in the east and that the shadows of the trees round the spring cast a dense darkness where the people were stand ing so that it was impossible for him to see the parties there or to see therr movements. The road that passes near the spring is a disused portion of the old road and the new highway has been built be tween the home where Mr. Diy lives , and the old road. The distance from Labor, j his house across to the spring is sever al hundred yards and all that Mr, Dry Special Assistant to Attorney Gene^I Mr. Cameron F. McReie has been &■- pointed special assistant to the Atto’^ ney General of the United States e’ fective September 1, with his offieia. residence at Asheboro. Mr, McRae is a lawyer of recognized ability, a son of the late Supreme Court Judge James C. McRae. He has for years been con nected with the United States Agricul tural Department at Washington, as title attorney in North Carolina and Georgia. He comes to A^eboro from Asheville where he has recently been, engaged on the Vanderbilt tilte to Pisgah Forest. Mr. McRae’s chief duties will be to look after that part of the work on titles relative to the Weeks Forestry Act heretofore looked after by the de partment of justice in Washington. says he saw end heard was also sub scribed to by his wife. At the time of the coroner’s inquest Mr. Dry knew nothing of the occur rence. It was not until the afternoon of Thursday, the day of the inquest, that a neighbor, in returning home from Concord apprised Mr. Dry that there had been a tragedy at the spring. Solicitor Hayden Clement, who has been to the scene of the shooting, says that he is unable to reconcile the state ments that were made at the coroner’s inquest. He says that he considers this secluded spring a poor place to go target shooting so late in the evening. Another thing which he said he could not und^rstend was the atatemert of Means, in which he said that when he turned saw Mrs. King, with the pis tol in lier hand, considering that the •pring was 30 feet from the tree in which he had placed the pistol, that the pistol was .small enough to 1^ placed in a vest pocket, and that, as Mr* Means said, it was so dark at the spring that he had to strike a match to see if th^ were any bugs in the spring. Afton Means has been summoned to New York by District Attorney Swann to see what were the financial relations between Gaston B. Means and the dead woman. Gaston B. Means threatens whoesale libel indictments as a result of news paper articles. Means is'charged with being a Ger man spy, but if this is true, the Feder al authorities are not talking. But they do not talk, anyhow, so this is no evi dence either way. The case is attracting nation-wide attention, owing to the fact that Mrs. King was a very wealthy and well- known woman of Chicago and New York. She was formerly very poor, but had attracted the attention of Mr. J. C. King, one of Chicago’s wealthy business men, but who died soon after, leaving her one of the richest women ; of the city. « Gaston B. Means ic a son of W. Means and a brother of Miss Belle Means, who at one time taught in the Asheboro schools. Several years ago he went to New York, being employed: with the Cannon Cotton Mill*. While living there he fell out of an upper berth on a Pullman and sued the com pany, receiving considerable damage*. At one time he jfa* .connected witn the W. J. Bum* Detective Agency, but more recently has been the private scereta^ and confidential adviser of Mrs. King. Newspaper report* say that for sev eral years, until a year or two ago, Mrs. King was weak-Stinded, and is said to have been duped by a gang of exploiters. It ia reported that at one time detectiTe* employed by members of her family had sought the aseiet- ance of the department of jnstlee, ask ing action under the Mann White Slave Act, as to her relations with cer tain crooks im high life. The district attorney’s office of New York has begun an oflkisd investiga tion of the shooting. “We have begun an investigation of this case,” said As sistant Attorney Dooling, “because it is possible that a crime may have been committed here. There may have been larceny committed here in connection with the estate of Mrs. King, or evi dence may be discovered to show that a conspiracy to murder the woman or iginated in New York county. If, as a result of the district attorney’s inves tigation, evidence of a crime is found, the case will be laid before a grand jury.” From one witness it is said Mr. Doo ling has received information to show that Mrs. King made a will about a year and a half ago; that Gaston B. Means had been cognizant of the prep aration of this will and knew its con tents. The witness is alleged to have said he read the will and that in it Means is named as executor. V.