Evening capital., 1905-04-20
WHERE, OH WHERE is KEEKE?.
MANY ARE THOSE WHO ARE
ANXIOUS TO KNOW.
Principal Chase, of Colored School,
Is Minus An Overcoat And
Many Bills Left
Unpaid.

Sad and lonely. lamenting and sorry.
are those who had aught to do with
the histrionic delineator, Thomas
Keene, nephew of the noted tragedian
and progenitor of entertainments anna
teur. An unpaid board bill. several
advertising and printing bills and even
little Pearl Gardner, who did the ia
nous Little Egypt act at the colored
school entertainment await payment.
Keene is non est, so is an overcoat
which Principal Chase, of the Stanton
school, was wont TO sport when ar
rayed in his glad rags. Chase is the
Nemesis which has taken up the trail
which is said TO lead TO San Francisco
and every effort will be made by him
TO have Keene returned to Annapolis
and relate the predisposing causes
which hestened his departure from the
ancient city with the shekels which
are said not TO be his. Keene. it is
alleged, played the game which has
been tried on the gullible public of
Annapolis for some time and each case
has been winner.
Although it is not really part of
this story, but some time since a man
named Pine came to town. told a hot
air tale to local paper and was COM
missioned TO go out and secure con-
tracts for advertising to be used in
a writeup of the town. At that time
the paper backed him, but when he
visited the prospective advertisers in
advance of publication and carried
away many dollars as result of his
energy the paper repudiated him.
That was only one of the many times
merchants and others of the city have
been done by outsiders.
= Then Keene appeared on the horizon.
He loomed large and with the story
that he was a nephew of the great
tragedian, he made many acquaint-
ances. He arranged for an entertain
ment for the benefit of the whole pub
lie school. 1t was pulled off per sched-
ule at the Colonial Theatre, but was
not such an one as entertainments go.
AS far as is known all bills in connec-
tion with the affair were paid That
was simply the batting of the blind
for the ducks, yclept the public to
walk into. 1t was the beginning of
the end that was to see the last of
Keene and many good dollars. Stan
ton public school for colored children
on Washington street has long been in
mead of mnnay To langthan the rather
curtaied school term.
Keene appeared as the Moses to lead
it out of its financial difficulties.
He was fresh from his success in ar
ranging the whole school entertain
ment and he soon struck up an agree.
ment to give an entertainment at the
Colonial Theatre. for the benefit of the
school The glad tidings were sent out
and a colored minstrel troop was
arranged to give the entertainment to
obviate the necessity of long wait
while the children of the school were
being drilled. The total cost of the
production was close to one hundred
dollars, which left an apparent profit
To the school and to Keene of $24 each.
Keene, so it is alleged, assured Prin-
cipal Chase that he would pay all of
the bills, which Chase, of course, be-
lieved, and allowed Keene to have all
of the money excepting his own $24.
Day before yesterday Chase had
an engagement TO meet Keene at 6
o o'clock in the evening. Keene, how
ever, left for Washington on his way
to San Francisco, at 3 O'Clock and, of
course, did not keep his engagement.
He failed TO mention the fact of his
leaving to the parties with which he
was boarding or to the numerous other
persons who had bills awaiting his
coming. The week before Keene had
borrowed an overcoat from Principal
Chase which he wanted to wear until
his own coat had been cleaned. This
he was to return to Chase that night,
but instead it accompanied him on
his travels. Pearl Gardner, who partic-
ipated in the cake walk and did the
houchee- -couchee dance at the enter
tainment, is numbered among those
who also laments the departure of
Keene and the money she was to re-
cieve for her part of the evenings en-
joynfent.
When Chase learned of the departure
of Keene he at once telegraphed TO
Washington only to learn that the
train on which Keene had reached
there had just discharged its passen-
gers. The police department advised
him TO come on to Washington at once
and see if he could not locate his man.
Chase did. so, but was unable to rest
his eyes on the object OF his search.
He visited the District Commissioner
and was told by that parsonage that
Keene had probably gone to San Fran
cisco. that he knew him well and that
some time before he had aided Keene
in securing money to reach st.
Louis. He advised Chase to have the
local authorities look into the matter
and today Chase will confer with the
States Attorney in an effort to have
Keene arrested and brought back here
with his overcoat. Just what will be
tho outcome of the peculiar transac-
tion remains to be seen. but Chase
says he will do all in his power to
have him brought here as it gives him
a rather bad appearance to have enter
ed into the matter with Keene and
then 20 have the latter take French
leave in the manner he did
N.~~..:e rS1,.-&