The Washington times., 1931-08-12
GIRL s PURSE
FOUND FAR
AWAY
State Attorney General Takes
Charge of Case;> Roadhouse
$ District Is Facing Cleanup

OIldTye OF OdSSI~ noduIIOuSe
District Is Facing Cleanup
s -
ANN ARBoR, Mich, Aug. IL
UN.S0 w. voorhees,, at
torney general of Michigan, and
Harry s Toy, militant prosecutor
of Wayne county. were expected
to arrive here this afternoon to
direct modified law enforcement
agencies in the Investigation OF
the Washtenaw county torch mur.
ders.
other developments were:
/. Finding of a white purse OF
one of the girl victims six miles
from the lonely lovers lane"
where the four charred bodies
were found. 1t shifted the niur'
der scene and led to a new
theory that the two high school
boys and their girl companions
were murdered elsewhere and
their bodies carried to the 1so-
lated dirt road where they were
soaked in gasoline and burned.
ROadhOuses Raided
: 2. Wholesale rA ids OH road
houses and inns in the, back
woods of WashtenaW county for
possible murder clues and a
aeneral cleanup of the district.
Fifty veteran State troopers COM
prise the raiding squad.
8 3. Report of University OF
Michigan medical officials, who
performed autopSieS on the bod
ies, that. none of the four young
eersons had been drinking on the
fatal night. Authorities admitted
that they had probed the posi-
bility as there are many roadside
hquor resorts in the area.
4. Rewards totaling $1,000
have been posted for the arrest
Of the ~slayerS.
Two Brothers Held
5. Arrest of two bachelor re-
cluse brothers, Paul and Law
renee Keene, who have stead
fastedly maintained their inno-
Cence.
IS. A private citizen, above re.
proach, came forward to claim
q high powered coupe lconfis-
Gated as the murder car. He ex-
planned that the motor failed
and, that he had abandoned it
for the night.
: Guard Against Lynching
4 Stringent me- assures against
possible lynching attempts were
taken by authorities as they
grilled the Keene brothers.
The Keenes were arrested on
suspicion late yesterday as they
we're discovered washing their
hlOOd,stained clothing and scrap
ing blood off two heavy clubs.
Grilled throughout the night,
the Keene brothers, attired in
overallS and in their bare feet.
both declared that I'VE were dead
drunk at the time"
Found Bottle Of Wine
Police search of the Isolated
scene of the tragedy revealed
partially filled bottle of wine in
the underbrush. A half barrel
of wine similar to that in the
bottle was found in the Keene
hut, according to State police.
The two brothers had been max.
ing wine and "moonShine" since
they were thrown out Of employ
nnent several months ago the
State police said.
Lived Like Hermits
For a year and q half the
brothers have led hermit-like
existence in a Shanty on wheels
near the spot where the two
boys and two girls were found.
Frank Walker, corporal in the
State police, and Deputy Sheriff
Lynn Squires said they crawled
I'D behind the Keenes near their
Shanty and watched them wash
ing their clothes and removing
caked blood from the clubs. The
officers said they found two rifles
in the Shanty.
Victims of the murder, dis
covered by farmers, were identi-
fled as Thomas Wheatley, II, of
near Denton. Mich; Harry Lore,
rs, of YpSilanti; Vivian Gold. Is,
df Cleveland, cousin OF Lore,
and Anna May Harrison. IS, also
of Cleveland. p.
The couples had attended a
theater and had driven to the
lonely road afterwards. The
ground about the car indicated
there had been a struggle between
8 the boys and their slayers.
One Of Boys Shot
After an examination Of the
victims, DR.. John c. Bugher, Uni
versity Of Michigan pathologist,
declared that the girls had been
killed-probably clubbed to death
before their bodies were placed
inside the car to be cremated.
He said that apparently Lore
was the only one who was shot.
Three bullet wounds were found
in his charred body.
Authorities said the position Of
the car indicated it had been
forced to the side of the road
and compelled to halt. The tire
marks of the aSsailantS' car were
visible. =,
while authorities last night
we're questioning the Keene broth.
ers inside the WashtenaW jail,
an angry mob of more than 2.OOO
H. muuAafAA Mar