The Ordway new era., 1922-12-22
S1nRY'S
MYSTERIES
- .~sz br observation-disclosures
-.r MISSING MESSENGER
- .~s7hr szaxo~1~ JeNxsnr

Ias.,m IlvM H. bearing with him the text
w. W." treuty between the United States
Abyssinla-a treaty concerning
aa1 ,,h there had been much conjecture
"u, s,oculation on the part Of certain
European powers
h ~adsr ordinary circumstances Loom
"n,d have taken his wife and child
,,h him: on this occasion. he con-
.Idered 1t best to leave them behind
y parkersburg, w. ". both on account
:, tho fact that he was on diplo-
.,c mission and because he intended
nsrticlpate in some big-game hunt
w. sfter delivering the treaty to King
| Mepeik.
No,bjng unusual occurred on the
,rlu until the morning Of June 20, the
s.r ON which the steamer WAS due to
doet at plymouth, England. 1t was
.har noted that LOOMS seat at the
o,n,ain's table was empty and
seward was dispatched to find out II
+. were III. A few minutes later the
seward returned with the news that
LOOMS berth had not been occupied
and an Immediate search of the ship
uss ordered-but without bringing to
uabts,he slightest trace OF the repre-
sentative Of the American government.
Several passengers volunteered the
Inflammation that they had seen
IoOmIs on deck shortly after mid
plght and William Il. Ellis. cabin
mate and travelling companion of the
missing passenger. declared that his
friends absence from the cabin had
not alarmed him because of the fact
that Loomis had come In at fairly
late hour OH several previous evenings
British officials at Plymouth and the
French officers at CherbOurg repeated
the search of the steamer, but In vain.
Nothing was missing from the cabin
save the suit which Loomis was wear
Ing at the time and even the fiat DIS
patch box which contained the text of
the treaty was found concealed be-
meath pile of clothing In one corner
Of Loomls' trunk. Investigation de-
yeOped the fact, however, that the
State department messenger had been
IN the habit of carrying this box In
his pocket and had laid 1t aside on the
previous evening only because 1t made
an unseenly bulge in the dress clothes
which he had donned In honor Of the
captains dinner.
During the next few weeks rumors
Of all kinds filled the press on both
sides of the Atlantic Loomis had gone
suddenly mad and had been placed In
ssnatorium. He had slipped of the
steamer at Plymouth disguised as
second-class passenger. He was the
victim OF clique OF international
spies who, baked In their attempt to
secure possession Of the text Of the
treaty, We're holding him for ransom.
He was still confined in the hold Of
the Kaiser Wilhelm-and SO on to the
limit OF the imiginatiOns Of those who
But all these reports were set at
rest when, on the morning Of July 10
Just thirty-two days after Loomts
had sailed from New York--a body
was washed up at Warren Point,
about fifteen miles from Plymouth.
Believing that the body was that Of
common sailor. the local police were
about to inter 1t without further cere-
mony when. from the watch-pOcket
Of the trousers there dropped water
soaked bit OF pasteboard, upon which
was barely discernible the name.
Kent j. LOomis."
Careful examination of the body
developed the fact that, under the
right eur, there was circular wound
which appeared to have been inflicted
peiore death and pOst-mOrtem ex-
animation of the lungs of the dead
man showed conclusively that death
had been due to the blow which had
resulted in this wound, rather than to
drowning. The physicians were d.
Vlded In their opinion as to whether
the blow bad been delivered by an In.
Afunent similar to blackjack or
whether LOomis might have fallen and
Struck his head against projecting
portion Of the ironwOrk on the steam
CT. Examination of the Kaiser Will
helm's log showed, however. that the
sea mad been extremely calm on the
night that LOomls came to his death
anu that there had not been enough
run to cause anyone to lose his foot
ing. Besides, there was the evidence
VI the manner In which the body was
elothed. The coat was missing. ths
collar had been torn partly away and
'nefe We're other signs Of rough treat
ueht before LOomis had struck the
water.
II was therefore practically certain
mat the messenger had been mur-
uefed. But who had killed him--and
why! Had he been struck down on
account of the money he was carrying
VI because Of the treaty? Was his
ueath forecast of the World war
Whlch was TO follow twelve years