Evening star., 1937-05-21
Keene
Continued From First Page.)

just remembered he had a red face
and I thought at the time that he was
probably an old soldier from the
Soldiers Home"
Eby said he opened his stand the
next morning before the boat reached
Old Point Comfort, but did not see Mr..
Keene again.
Earlier Purser Thomas j. Shannon.
jr.. of Norfolk. told the board a maid
came to his office after the ship docked
at Norfolk and informed him some
thing had happened in state room 70,
which had been occupied by Keene.
When he found the room in disarray
and bloodstains on the bed, he sum-
moned police, Shannon said.
His berth, Shannon said, was only
five state rooms removed from Keene's,
and he heard no unusual noise during
the night.
Son Questions Witness.
Later Shannon was recalled to the
stand at the suggestion of Charles F..
Keene, jr, the missing mans son. who
asked him if he recalled a conversa-
ton they had had last Saturday. Judge
j. Frank Staley of the Justice Depart
ment, chairman of the Board of IN
quiry, said he did not think the board
would be interested in the conversa-
ton, and young Keene bristled and
said:
you are interested in fakehooGs.
aren't you?"
Staley told Keene he could proceed
and the former naval officer asked
Shannon the following question:
DO you remember telling me q
blond named Mrs Loper, whose first
name you did not know, called your
Norfolk Office and said she had oc-
cupied the state room next to my
father and had some information
about his death?"
Shannon said he did not recall such
a conversation and likewise denied
having told newspaper reporter that
a mysterious woman had telephoned
the steamboat company's Norfolk Of
fee.
Detective Sergt. j. J. Cassidy of the
State police, told Judge
Staley conflicting statements" had
arisen in the case and asked per-
for a private conference.
Young Keene asked permission to at
tend the conference, but this was de-
MED him by Judge Staley.
Cassidy and another detective ser
geant, Marlin Brubaker, said the ap-
pearance OF Mrs. Loper was COM
plete surprise to them. They did not
know she had communicated with
either the steamboat company or the
Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat
since her name was brought
into the case.
The 1ast witness at today's hearing
was Ella Montgomery colored stew
ardess, who discovered Keene's dis
She said she did not
know whether his cabin door was
locked before she opened it with her
key last Friday morning, but she re-
that a key fell from the
lock inside the door when she applied
her key. After one look at the room
she summoned the purser, she said.
Judge Staley recessed the hearing
to date to be determined later.
Son Disappointed.
The appearance of Mrs. Loper on
the witness stand came as a distinct
shock to the son of the missing man,
who had believed the woman who oc-
cupied the state room adjoining his
fathers would be able to aid in solu-
ton of the mystery.
Richard c. Daniels, attorney for
Keene, asked Mrs. Loper why she had
not communicated with authorities
earlier, and she replied she did not
realize she was being sought.
Il have an affidavit from the steam
boat company to prove I did not call" I"
Mrs. Loper said, regarding the report
ed telephone call to the steamboat
company.
Later in the day, Mrs. Loper testi-
fled, she read of Keene's disappearance
in a Norfolk paper
cAcV 4AAAd6AAAC oily GAAAAlS 41AC GlldL
happening on board, said to myself"
Mrs. Loper testified. "Ihe story did
not say what cabin the man had dis
appeared from and I never dreamed
that it was the one adjoining mine.
"All this to-do with my name in the
papers was very discourteous, I think.
There was no reason why I could not
have been located very easily. My
name was on the records of the boat
and in the telephone book, but I never
heard anything from any one until
saw my name in the paper"
Mrs. Loper said she retired to her
state room early, but did not go to
sleep Immediately because some men
in the salon outside her door were
playing pinball game
I'm the kind of sleeper that can't
sleep when there is any noise, and
didn't 60 to sleep until all the noise
outside died down." Mrs. Loper testi-
fed. II guess it was after IL o'clock
before I went to sleep and didn't
awaken until S o'clock. II there had
been an unusual noise, am sure
would have awakened, because I al
ways awaken at home when there 4
any unusual sound
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