New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-19
WOUNDS BEFORE DEATH.
LOOMS INQUEST HELD.
Jary Brings in Open Verdict-No
Foul Play PrOUed.

Kingsbridge Devonshire. July is.-"Found
dead vashe4 -. ~ the rea in Bigbury Bay.
Devonshirc ls the verdict to-day OF the
coroner's 5@ss .l the inquest the body OF
r Kent Loalls. The evidence was inconclusive.
IS the coroner pointed out when he advised
,sis open verdict adding that. although death
was caused by a blow. there was nothing Il
Justify the suspicion thar il was foully admin
.ste-ed
Consul Stephens OF Plymouth. has charge OF
he body. which is in a fair state OF preserva-
ton 1t viii be embaImed and sent home for
burial as early as practicable.
The court, over which the county coroner, Dr.
sidney Hacker, presided. was somewhat late in
assembling. in consequence Of the delay in car
wing OUT the Official medical examination Of
the body This was conducted by two local doc
.o~s.
Ut Webb. one OF the medical men, testified
that ne found the body in an advanced state OF
,lecoaposition. The flesh OF the right hand
ras eaten away. There was a confused wound
below and behind The right ear. indicated by
the extravasatioa Of blood in the scalp and a
rupture az the covering OF the brain There was
also f general bruise. involving The scalp and
the fr-egunenr az the brain The left side
Move he ear. Both injuries. in the doctors
ar'r,oa. we're caused before death.
aaar summed before falling into the water and
5-,V-I,g. II was not & sharp wound. but pos
.ie,,. me result Of a tan on his head. Either he
sr-.,cr something or something struck his head.
The rlovy was not iuaicred after death TIE
ru,nosi-ion that ire dead man had gone on
deck Al midnight 10 take the sir. went 10 an
,.,protecte6 space where the oavits were and
ZEN would account for the wound He died
RON the result o. a blow. but there was nothing
IN indicate how the blow. which Was very
heavy one. had been inflicted Tie blow seemed
10 have been struck in 4 horizontal direction-
IRE wound was about an inch and three-quar-
rers long and pear shaped.
43erlying 70 Consul Stephens, d.. Webb said
he thought y was improbable that LOOMS
mia be,,a recovered from the blow IL he had
rot fallen in the water
Consul stephens explained 10 the coroner
rl,at II the tine a. which Loomis's watch had
s,onnad was American time IL meant 1 o'clock
ere which was about the time the Kaiser
Wilhelm II reached Plymouth on June 10
None Of the official papers carried by LOOMS
after TIE furv had viewed the body the first
Witness was Thomas Snowden. a laborer. who
discovered the body in the breakers He testi-
fed 20 IT'S recovery.
policeman who searched the body told of
the recovery Of a gold watch. which had stopped
at O'Clock; some English gold and silver coins,
a pOcketbook containing S6O In American notes.
a receipt for a subscription 10 the Blenner-
hssset Club. a railroad pass issued IN the name
II +. Kent LOOMS receipt from the Grand
Hotel Broadway. New-YOrk. for $3.50. which
Iooruis desired 10 lie sent 10 lis wife and
gold ring with the name Mildred" inside.
Consul Stephens testified that he had seen
The body. and from information supplied 70
him officially he unhest2tingly identified II as
that OF LOOMS. who was acting as special
messenger for the American government, carry
ing important dispatches from the government
al Washington 10 the embassy al Paris.
The coroner then summed I'D, and the jury
brought IN The verdict given above