Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-07-21
WOMAN DIES IN 4
FIRE IN NORFOLK
Body is Found in Ruins OF
Flame-swept Resi-
dence
MYSTERIOUS FACTS
MYSTERIOUS FACTS
Husband Shoots self, Appearing
Crazed at Wife's Death-Bloody
Club Lying Near

Norfolk, Va, July 21-Mrs. Estel
lie Osborne Keister, wife of E. Il
Keister, found dead at a o'clock yes
terday morning in the ruins OF ne
husbands home at 3817 Gosnold ave
,nue.
Four hours later her husband hret
a bullet into his brain at the home OF
his brother, D. E.. Keister, l27 BerK'
lev avenue. He is still alive, but ms
physicians says he will die.
The police discovered near the Wom-
ans body piece of firewood, on the
end of which was clot of what is
supposed to be blood and quantity
Of hair. A piece of wearing apparel
also was found near by.
The body was near the stairway
which leads from the attic. Nearby
were 23 pieces of firewood and strip
of carpet about six feet long. The
carpet was saturated with kerosene.
La few feet away was an empty kero-
sene lamp.
The theory is that the house was
fired in two places. The fact that
the front and rear of the building on
the second floor were practically un-
Scared by the flames while the at
tic was demolished lead to this belief
Fire Chief Mclaughlin said The fire
was not due to defective wiring.
According to the story as related
to neighbors by Mr.. Keister the fre
was discovered by Mrs. Kcister
shortly before o'clock. 1t originated
in the basement. She reused her hus-
band and asked that he collect the
silver.
Neiehbors state that Mr.. Keister
told them he instructed his wife to
leave everything to him and to take
refuge in the home of Mrs. X. T..
Taylor, 4107 Gosnold avenue. The
husband said he thought his wife was
safely away. He went to ;the upper
floor to secure valuables and when ne
started to return found that his es'
cape was cut. off,: He threw trunk
and some silverware from an upper
window and ESCAPED by the same
exit.
When Mr.. Keister reached the
ground, he inquired for his wife and
asked if she was not at Mrs. ,Tay-
lor's. Mrs. Taylor said she had mot
seen her.
"shes must have gone to some other
naighbdr.1 Ny. Kester is said to
have stated.
Mr.S keister was clad only in paja-
mas and an undershirt, and was wei
to the skin. He was nearly distracted
neighbors say.
81 know that Estelle is SAFE" ne
said. 81 know that she has gone to
tho home of some of the neighbors.
Search of neighboring houses falli
cd TO locate the missing woman. The
fremen had nat seen her nor had any
of the neighbors. The building was
then searched and the charred remains
of Mrs. Keister were found face down
on the floor of the attic.
No explanation for her going to
the attic could be given, unless she
had gone there to secure papers said
to be contained in a metal trunk.
The key to the trunk:;wass found II
the lock, but it's contents were prac
tically destroyed by the flames.
The husband was taken to tn
home of W. j. Hudgins, 635 Georgi
avenue. He was cold and shaking:
mnstatd bath was given him and h
was dressed in some of Mr.. Hud
gins clothing.
Shortly after z o'clock D. E. Keis
+er came to the Hudgins' home in a
automobile. He took his brother wit
him to his home in Berkeley. Accor'
ing to D. E, Keister, his brother W:
nearly crazy. He could not unde
stand what had led his wife to r
turn to the burning house. The brot
ers arrived in Berkeley shortly ait
8 O'Clock, and S. NJ. Rirdseng,
friend of the family was called IN
The brother went downstairs
send kilograms and the griet-craz