The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-07-21
DIES IN FLAMES NHICH
DESTROYED HER HONE
Mrs EStelle o. ketstcr. of Norfolk
Victim of Fire--Hashand. CTaztNi
With Grief shoots Himself.
CARPET FOUND SATURATED
WITH KEROSENE Is REPORT
Husband Declared He Bclics ed Wife
Wa safely Oit OF Building When
lie Attempted to Save Silycrwarc
\, Her Request.

Norfolk. Va. July 20-Mrs. Es,elle
Osborne keister was burned 10 a
crisp early this morning IN he hanC
some residence occupied by herself
and husband No, ASH Gosnoid Ave
niue Colonial Place
Her charred remains, which Was
found b. firemen in the attic Of the
home at O'Clock this morning. are
held at n local undertaking establish
ment until Coroner Right has made
final examination, while the hus-
band who shot himself through the
head a the home OF his brother D.
f. keister I21 Berkeley Avenue. Berk-
ley. lies al the Protestant Hospital,
MIR. keister shot himself with a 81
caAber automatic revolver. He IL not
expected TO live. and has not regslned
consciousness.
Carpet saturated With on.
The police investigating the scene
of the death of the woman this morn
ing discovered a piece OF tirewood. To
the end OF the wood was attached a
clot Of what is supposed To be blood
and a quantity OF hair. The stick Of
weed and q piece Of wearing apparel
were found by the police in practical
iy the same place that the body was
discovered by the firemen. The body
e
Che house Just around from The stair
way which leads from the attic Of the
building Nearby was discovered Il
quantity Of firewood, twenty-threc
pieces and strip Of carpet about
six feet long The carpet was satur-
ated with kerosene, a few feet TO the
east and south of the spot where the
body WAS found was also located the
base of a kerosene lamp. The lamp
was empty,
The police al once started an IN
vestigation. Major ki4er had been
busy al his office through the morn
ing with Board OF Control matters,
Shortly after noon he visited the s4ene
of the fire. After looking over the
building the chief issued orders to
the policemen in charge of the house
that nothing was TO be moved except
on written order from Coroner
knight
A new theory which developed in
the case this afternoon is that the
house was fired from two places. The
fact that the front and rear OF the
building on the second floor are prac-
tically unsecured by the flames while
the attic is completely demolished
lead to the advancement of the latter
theory by the police
ing investigation of all circumstances
of the case would be made. The ar
ticles found in the building VIII be
examined this afternoon.
Fire Chief Mclaughlin investigat-
ing the building this morning stated
that he could assign no cause for the
origin of the fire. He said that he
did not believe that ii was started from
defective electric wire for the rea
son that all of the electric wiring in
the building was in conduit.
Fire Discovered by Mrs. keister.
According TO the story as related
to neighbors by Mrs. Keister this
morning, the fire was discovered by
Mrs keister shortly before o'clock
this morning II originated in the
basement She reused her husband
and asked that he secure the silver
from the house,
Neighbors state that Mr. Keister
told them that he had instructed his
wife to leave everything to him and
to take refuge in the home of Mrs
r. c. Taylor. 4ie7 GosnoId Avenue
The husband stated that he supposed
his wife safely away. He started for
!, the upper floors of the building to
secure valuables. and when he started
t to come out of the building. found
that his escape was cut off.
He threw a trunk and some silver
ware from an upper window and made
his escape from the burning building
In a like manner The house was
completely ruined by flames.
On the arrival Of t,,n Are derart-
ment. In charge OF D~putv Chter
George N. Hunting tha- b,.ildins wac
wrapped In flames. Practically the
entire interior of the building was
ruined. The firemen 'succeeded in
saving most Of the walls Of the build