The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-22
PARTNERS IN CRIME.

taken up in the newspapers lately In connection with the disappearance of Kent Loomis from the steamer on which he was crossing the ocean. The finding of the body and the evidences of foul play indicate almost beyond doubt that ne was murdered and thrown overheard by the negro, Will liam H. Ellis, who was travelling with him.
 No act of the present administration has been more discreditable, not to say disreputable. than its connection with this affair When the first accounts of Loomis's disappearance were sent out, it was merely mentioned that Ellis was his travelling companion. and the gen. eral inference was that he was a white man, but this was not true, for he Is d negro. Since the affair became so prominent the attempt has been made to show that he is a wealthy Cuban, ot good family and character, but this, also, is untrue. Investigation shows that he is a mulatto. born in Texas, but has traveled considerably and has been connected with various promoting and mining concerns. In this way he ac- cumulated wealth and became some what widely known.
 The mere fact that he is a negro Is not discreditable. but his record is. Three years ago in New York he was indicted for committing one of those diabolical and revoiting crimes for which his race is more or less noted. and for which lynching is so frequently the remedy. The horrible details of his act are not of the kind to be printed. and his vic tim, Miss Sauer barely escaped with her life. He was indicted on two sep arate counts. but was never convicted. His wealth and his influence in certain quarters enabled him to employ the best legal assistance and after a strug- gle of nearly a year the indictments were dismissed. During all this time the sole efforts of Ellis's attorneys were apparently directed to the work of discrediting Miss Sauer and of ruin ing her character. Experts. medical and others, sought to prove that she was of weak mind, that she was un- truthful, and finally that she was of | doubtful reputation. Finally, she ard gle against money and influence and | outraged by the aspersions cast on her abandoned the prosecution and con scented to have the cases dismissed They had no doubt of the negro's guilt but saw no hope of convicting him and gave up the fight rather than have the girl longer subjected to the heartless and malicious treatment she received.
 This is the kind of man selected by the administration to represent it and to be the bearer of the new commercial treaty between our Government and the ruler of Abyssinia- The Brooklyn Eagle, in its history of the matter, says:
 of King Menelik in Abyssinia and Is bearing with him the new commercial treaty between the United States and Abyssinia, which was intrusted to , the assistant Secretary of State Ellis was very anxious to be the sole bearer of this document. as he thought 1t would give him the standing of an American Ambassador in Abyssinia and help along his trading schemes. IL has been asserted that Ellis stated free ly that he was going to the black king dom to become the richest man in the world and eventually to succeed King Menelik himself. He was intensely disappointed when Assistant Secretary of State Loomis would not let him be the bearer of the commercial treaty There was a disagreement and it was finally ended hy Ellis accompanying Frederick Kent Loomis and thereby be ing associated with the bearing of the treaty to Menelik.
 Loomis disappeared from the steamer Kaiser Wilhelm on the night of June goth, and Ellis reported that Loomis had been drinking heavily and had probably fallen overheard. Had the body not been recovered. the story would doubtless have been accepted and the negros ambition would have been gratifed He would go on as Am bassador to Menelik and might havt realized all his ambitious hopes.
 But the finding of the dead body two Or tHTec udyS dBO, WIln two serious wounds on the head. puts different face on the matter. It creates the sus- picion, to say the least of it, that Ellis murdered Loomis in order to get rid of him. so that he himself might be- come the sole representative of our Government at the court of his colored brother. Ambassador Ellis" would sound we'll and would have given the Texas mulatto big boost with royalty Incidentally it would have materially helped him to fill his pockets.
 Now we are informed that Ellis is to be recalled from Abyssinia. The ad- ministration can recall him, of course the negro and free him from the foul charges which were no doubt true in every detail. It cannot recall the dis | creditable circumstances of his appoint ment, or free itself of the charge of being almost directly responsible fol the death of Loomis It can not recall the act of the Assist ant Secretary of State in associatine his brother with a disreputable negro in an important diplomatic mission. IT short, the Roosevelt administrators has made itself a party to all the dis
 credit of the dirty business. Il LoomIs was murdered, the administra. 1 tiOn is to blame for the crime Ii is