Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-19
BY ARTHUR B. REEVE,
Creator Of Craig Kennedy.

HUNTINGTON, N. Y. September 10
(N.AN.A.) The mystery of the brutal
Staying of Benjamin P. Ceilings, the
retired and retiring Stamford, Conn.,,
yachtsnan whose body was left by
the tide on the beach Of Lloyds Neck
three days ago, has become as deep as
the waters of Long Island Sound. Far
from clearing up the mystery, the cor
orner's inquest In the little Colonial
town han at Huntington is kicking up
muss like a nor'easter on that same
body of water which shrouds the real
story.
Since the very beginning of the case
there has doomed in my own mind
the most important question Of what
was Mrs. Ceilings first story as actu-
ally related to Sergt. Robert @. For
rest of Cove Neck, that secluded COM
munity, where Theodore Roosevelt once
made front-page stories at Sycamore
Hill. Now We have It.
shall pass over the testimony Sergt.
Forrest gave that he found her 'smil-
ing" and that she Frequently laughed
and TESTED" in telling her bizarre story
to him To me the Important thing is
that she told him that while she was
in the canoe with her elderly abductor
he carefully tore up paper or some
papers, scattering the pieces on the
waters of the sound.
There is something very strange
about this action told by Mrs. Ceilings
in this first story, although passed
over lightly in the later versions. 1t
seems to me that the authorities have
been quite remisS in respect to follow
ing UP what is implied here. Were there
any papers on the Penguin itself? If
so, what has become Of themp
am told that for the first time IN
numerous visits to Northport, Ceilings
caShed q check at the First National
Bank for $40, instead of using his
habitual express money orders. Nine
teen of the $40 was found on the boat.
His sapphire ring was found still on
his finger. True, Mrs. Ceilings had
hidden two of her own rings in the
shoes of baby Barbara as though she
feared robbery. But the motive of this
attack was not robbery, most clearly.
What was the motive? Why were
the pockets of Ceilings turned inside
out when his body was found on the
beach of Marshall Fields estate as was
told in detail in the testimony yeSter-
day? The vicious and brutal attackers
were after something, something that
Ceilings had. They got it and they
did him in.
There were many other important
they are a matter Of news. Here am
concerned only with what gets forward
in solving the mystery.
For instance, the strange movements
of Herman p. Chelius, Mrs. Ceilings
father, the music master of Boston.
Why did he register at Block Island
as from Daytona, when, as far as is
known, he has never been in Daytona?
Why was there no communication.
as far as can be found out, between
Ceilings and Chelius when the Penguin
put in at Block Island over a month
ago?
What is the reason for the secret
departure of Chelius from Block Island
| few days before the fatal episode
Of Northport and Huntington? It wa:
only after search that he was located
registered at q hotel In New London
| Conn.
These are all facts perhaps capabls
| Of reasonable explanation, but In tn
present picture they seem strange.
Now as to the Ceilings family itself
Upon the statement of Mrs. Colling
as to the fortune Of Ceilings, it hardl.
seems enough to retire upon for a maj
| Of his age. What story. what possible
litigation may lie back of that in
| herftance? These are some of the ques
tions that promise to make the irlveSti
! gation interesting IT, drawn out longe
| than was to be expected.
In my judgment practically every
| thing that was brought out in thu
| testimony today tends to indicate thai
| there is far more in this mystery than
| has yet been told.