The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-19

This false death RECORDS ue as WI Aout .H
to an enemy. YS n
is SAROUDE:.D|:|
N MYSTERY.
CONTINUED from First Page.)
ed out BY the coroner. He advised this
open verdict, adding that, although
death was caused BY blow, there was
nothing to- Justify the suspicion that It
was foully administered. 5
Joseph q. Stephens, American consul
IT Plymouth has charge .of the body,
which IL In a fair state Of preservation
III will be embalmed and sent home Tor
fturial as early as practicable.
Wound Inflicted Before Death
IS Dr. Webb, one OF the medical men ap-l
pointed to examine the body. testified
that there was q confused wound below
1and behind the right ear, Indicated by
the, extrayasation Of blood In the SCALP
ana b rupture OF the covering OF the
brain. II - 5tss IB Ss5s
g Dr.. Webb added that 1,oomis might
Rave been stunned and have fallen into
the water and been drowned. It was not
q sharp wound but possibly the result
OF Il fall on HIS head. Either he y str. l!:
som ething or something struck his head.
The blow was not inflicted after death.
Supposing the deceased had sascended on
deck at midnight !; to take the mir and
went to an unprotected spay, where the
davits were and he fell, 4 hat would at;-
count for the wound. He died as the
esult Of a blow, but there was nothing
to Indicate how the blow, which was a
very heavy one. had been inflicted
Dr. Webb said the blow migh have
caused death IL LOOMS had not fallen
into the water. He thought it was inn
probable that LOOMS would have recov-.
cred from the blow. even Il he had not
fallen into the water. f53 *. AZ
Inconclusive and Conjectural.
The coroner summed up lengthily,
pointing out the conclusive and conjec-
itural character OF the evidence. There
was no reason to SUPPOSE that the Dc.
ceased wished to take his own II fe or
that he was the victim OF a foul blow.
JIG advised the Jury to find an open
verdict. n SS.s5
The jury then returned a verdict tina;
I the deceased was found dead In Bigbury
BAY, there being no evidence to show
how he met his death. f s;s
History Of the Case.
NJ n Kent Loon,is, broth her OF Francis 3.
Ioomis, Assistant Secretary Of State.
sailed for Europe on June 14tl on the
Kaiser Wilhelm I I. D. He had unde rtaken
to convey to sAbyssinia a treaty 81 COM
merce a concluded 81 between the United
States and the Emperor ;Afenelik.
Soon aft err the arrival OF the Kaiser. VIII
helm II. at Plym onth M Loomis was
missed. Two pa ssen gers declared they.
saw him land ltho.e with other passen gers
at 2 o. clock on June Goth. but investig legation
by the ships officers and other inquirers
failed to find proof OF this, s4ll s3s II
Il Mr.. LOOMS was going to Cherbourg and
the ship was detained there for q thor
ough search but all to 4 no purpose,
though the treaty was found TO- be safe.
Every trace Of Mr.. LOOMS himself had
disappeared. II $gg 5s
Theories wero advanced that he had
landed in England for a holiday trip be-
fore proceeding to Paris. One passenger
said that he was In the habit OF sitting In
a dangerous place on the upper deck Of
the ship, but the mystery ba filed all in
YeHtigation by the embassy officials. the
English police and the officers Of tho
Kaiser Wilhelm H.. who were commune
Gated with by wireless telegraphy,
81 On the arrival OF the ship at Bremen a
lstatelnent wa. drawn up on board by q
notary, who had taken the deposition of
felow-trayeler OF Mr.. Isoomis William
]. Ellis, who Was also going to Abyssinla,
having on a previous visit to that coun-
try gained the con ftdence Of the Emperor
N1enelik and obtained promises OF valu-
able concessions i he would return,
Ellis and Loon1is met In Washington.
|searly In June, They ca me to New York
and shared the same staterponl on the
Kaiser Wilhelm II. Between Plymouth
and Cherbourg Ellis showed anxiety as to
X ent Loomis's disappearance. lie pre-
pared a lengthy tatement relative to the
voyage. which was submitted to tha'
American consul general in Paris He
wrote also long letter to- one Of
Loonnih's relat ves, in which he said Kent
LOOMS remained up late for several
nights. and thet therefore his absence
from his berth on the night the steamer,
touched at Plymouth was not noticed.
Toward morning, finding that LOOMS
va still absent. Ellis notified the stew
ard and the captain, and a. thnroAsll
search was instituted. .s5
Ellis, fter waiting In Paris, went on to
Marsellles and sailed by the Oxus on8Junei
18th for Djibouti.3 Abyssinia. In accord
ance with instructions received from,
Washlngton. whittier the mat ter had been
referred. he carried WI III HIM the CONNER
clal treaty, which he had handad over to
the American embassy In Paris.
53s fs
Richmonders in New York. n
ma .s (special tn The v Times pispatch,)
NEW YORK, July -. -Waldorfr-C, N. VIII
Tliams and wife IL ST DeHnis-H I. LAake, w.
ii Hepner; Earlipgton--L. D, Beala; sYic-
;tora-A. q, Mathiason; Hollapd--J, p. Mac
donald York Simon, ], Block. g,