Evening star., 1937-05-21
WOMAN IN KEENE
MYSTERY APPEARS
AT HEARING HERE
Mrs. Mary E. Loper, Boat
Passenger, Denies She
Was Missing.
SOUND LIKE SHOT
HEARD BY WATCHMAN
William H. Bowen Tells of Pass.
ing Stateroom of Man
Who Disappeared.
BACKGROUND

6ACh hChOUND-
Charles F. Keene, 63-venr-oId
washington real estate man, has
been missing since last Frid1y
morning, Uhen his state room
aboard the steamer District of Co.
Hm6M uaS found racdnt after the
ship docked at Norfolk. AUTHOR
1t1eS inclined to murder theory
after bloodStainS uere found in
state room, 1Chtch lUdS in disordered
state. ReIatiUeS of Keene, uho
Hued at 200 Massachusetts, aUenue,
said he had planned a business deal
in Norfolk.
After considerable conflict ouer
jurisdiction. open hearing uaS or
dered By Federal Board OF Inqutry.
Mrs. Mary E. Loper, so-called
mystery witness in the strange dis
appearance of Charles F. Keene from
a blood-stained cabin aboard the
steamer District of Columbia. an.
peared before a Federal board of in.
qulry at the Commerce Department
today, and said she heard nothing un.
usual aboard the vessel on the trir
from Washington to Norfolk last
Thursday night.
Mrs. Loper, gray-haired matron,
occupied the cabin adjoining Keene's.
Although she is an unusually light
sleeper, she testified, she was not dis.
turbed during the night and did not
realize that the adjoining cabin was
occupied
Search for a Mrs. R. F. Loper"
was launched by police after they
were told a mysterious woman giving
that name telephoned Offices of shs
Norfolk & Washington Steamboat Co.
in Norfolk last FRIDAY after Keens
vanished and indicated she had in.
portant information about the case.
Denies She Was Missing.
Mrs. Loper, who denied having made
such call, Indignantly declared that
apparently no effort had been made
TO find her. She pointed out that he,
name is listed IN the Norfolk telephone
directory. Not until Wednesday. when
she saw her name in a Norfolk aper
Mrs. Loper said, did she realize thai
she had occupied the cabin ADJOINING
that of the missing man.
William H. Bowen, SO, of 1859 Gate,
street northeast, night watchmar
aboard the steamer, said he heard
peculiar noise which sounded like
muffled shot, about las am" al
the boat proceeded down the river.
''rGrhn
from the back of the boat and
walked out on the aft deck. but dio
not see anything unusual Bower
told the board. The lights were out
in all the state rooms. After makins
my rounds, 1 dismissed the noise
from my mind until that night. wher
the purser told me passenger had
disappeared"
Passed State Room Frequently.
Bowen said he passed Keene's STATE
room every 90 minutes during thu
night and heard no disorder. He
said he saw Keene three times earlier
in the evening. His attention was at
tracted. Bowen said, by the brown
beret worn by the 63-year-old rea,
estate man.
J. M Eby, who conducts a soft
drink stand on the steamer, sale
Keene appeared at his stand three
times between and IL o'clock. A
mysterious ''red-faced man" accom-
panied Keene on his last visit to the
stand and purchased a bottle of beer
for him. Eby said.
When Mr.. keene first came up tc
the stand wearing that beret. though,
he was foreigner Eby said. If he
had not been wearing that, I would
not have remembered him at all
When I heard him talk, decided he
was probably an artist.
He came to my stand first at .
| o'clock and bought a bottle of Coca
Cola. He gave me a S5 bill. About
an hour later, he bought another bot.
tie and gave me dime. Each tins
he took the bottles back to his room
Just as l was about to close the
stand around midnight. a red-faced
man came up and ordered a bottle OF
beer. After 1 poured it into the glass
for him, Mr.. Keene came up to the
stand. The two men did not exchange
word, but the red-faced man showed
the bottle of beer and a glass to Mr.
Keene. Then he bought a bottle OF
Coca Cola and walked away after
paying for both drinks Mr.. Keene
stayed and drank his beer.
Il thought that was strange
haven't very good recollection of
what the other man looked like ]
(See KEENE, Page A-5.)