Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-02
WHO KILLED
KENT LOQMIS?
Disappeared From Ship - His
Body With Wound Under the
Ear Was Found on the
British Coast
By JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS

Early in 1904 the American Government
ratified an important treaty with King
Mcnellk of Abyssinia, who called himself
also Emperor of Ethiopia, and who boosted
of being a descendant of that Queen Of
Sheba who is mentioned in the Scriptures,
The Assistant Secretary of State. f. b.
Loomis, commissioned his brother, Kent ].
Loomis as his confidential representative
to bear the treaty TO the dusky monarch at
.hls capital Adds Ababa. The mission was
one entalling little responsibility and much
interesting travel, and Kent Loomis, being
the editor of n newspaper In Parkersburg,
w. Va, had the mental equipment to both
enjoy and fulfill 1t, After delivering the
treaty he expected to hunt big game in
Abyssnia.
Stating that he would be gone two
months, he bade his wife and child good-by
in their southern home, and on June IL
sailed for Cherbourg on the Kaiser Wilhelm
IL But before the ship reached its destina-
tion he was missed, and no sooner had the
cable flashed word of his disappearance
than all sorts of puzzling rumors sprang
up from various sources.
Investigation showed that Looms had
been last seen an hour or two after mid
night, June 10, when he had gone on deck
following the usual captains dinner which
had been given on the eve of the vessefs
arrival at its destination. Shortly after
that time the ship made a stop Mt Plymouth
England, where one passenger was positive
he saw Mr.. Loomls land with the crowd, In
which he was borne along in what was de-
scTlbed as a sort of daZed condition. But
the Kaiser Wilhelm's captain and head
steward who both had stood at the gang
way when the passengers alighted, were
equally sure Uncle Sans confidential mes
scnger did not leave the ship with the other
passengers Finally, when the vessel
reached Cherbourg, whittier he was booked,
vain search of all Of the cabins was made
for the vanished passenger. A promoter
William II. Ellis who was Loomls's cabins
mate and travelling companion, and who
claimed to be a Cuban. stated when ques-
toned, that the editors absence from his
berth had not alarmed him after the vessel
touched Plymouth, late at night. since the
young man had been up very late the sew
eral previous nights.
Ellis continued on the journey to Abyss
sinla, bearing the tin box containing the
treaty, and a week went by without the ap-
pearance of a single clue 10 the mystery
Then followed reports that the lost man
had turned up alive at Paris. that he had
been found dead Mt CheTbOurg also that he
had been placed in a sanatorium at Ply
mouth-there TO be kept until he might re-
cover from fit of abstraction This fit
according to the aforementioned rumor had
seized him about = o'clock on the night Of
his disappearance and while he was acting
strangely In the company of a man and
woman on deck.
All sorts of contradictory statements as
TO Loomis's fate continued until July is
when-four weeks after his disappearance
his body was found washed up at Warren
Point, some fifteen miles from Plymouth
Under MS right ear was a circular wound
which appeared to shaYe been inflicted be-
fore death, and based upon a post-mortem
examination OF the lungs. the verdict of the
Coroners jury stated that death had been
caused by blow rather than by drowning
Against the theory that the young man had
lost his balance and aceidently fallen over
hoard was advanced the argument that
the sea on the night OF his disappearanea
was unusually calm and that the rails Of
the two main decks OF the Faiser Wilhelm
III We're high.
The circumstances OF Loomis's dlsappsar-
anee from the ship will probably remain .
mystery OF the sea until all watery graves
yield up thelr uneanny secrets
(CoAyFightl