Evening star., 1937-06-08

GU oOuy " IftufLeS r. heene, ST.,
Washington real estate man, uus
found near Smith Island, Nd. tuo
weeks after he mysteriously disap-
2eared from the steamer District OF
Columbia
Maryland coroners jury de-
cldred the UaS murdered, but no
substantial progress so jar has been
made in solu1ng the mystery
Another stumbling block was en-
! countered in the investigation of the
! strange death of Charles F. Keene
| today when it was discovered the
! knots had been removed from
strand of marlin rope attached TO
the Washington real estate mans
body when 1T was recovered
Although the rope was sent yes.
terday to the Baltimore headquarters
! OF the Maryland State Police. who had
considered the knots a valuable clue,
itLvas learned at Crisfeld, Nd. where
the marlin was mailed, that it no
longer was knotted
The rope, Of the thickness of
lead pencil, was reported as being
, tied with intricate knots, probably
nautical ones, when it was taken from
Keene's body week ago yesterday at
Smith Island, Md
Marlin Strand Missing.
When detectives went TO the island
! to collect evidence including q
weighted brief case which was secured
to Keene's neck by smaller cotton
rope, the marlin strand could not be
found.
When located on the island beach
yesterday. where it apparently was
thrown by some one, the rope con.
tained no knots, according TO Ferry.
boat Capt. John Whitelock. who took
the evidence to the mainland
Reached at Darlington Md, where
he was instructing a police school
today, Detective Marlin Brubaker, who
has been investigating the case along
with Washington police, expressed dis
appointment at the finding.
From the description of the knots
the rope originally is said to have con-
tanned. it was believed they could not
have been fashioned by the elderly
Keene
This fact had supported the theory
Of those who believe Keene was mur.
dered and his body thrown from tho
steamer District of Columbia more
than three weeks ago.
While Washington police continued
with their part in the investigation,
Brubaker indicated the Maryland au-
thorities had virtually exhausted every
clue thus far found.
Unless something else turns up
and I don't see anything now" Bru-
baker said Il intend to hold a con-
ference on the status of the case late
this week with States Attorney Mad
dirk"
Brubaker denied he had already
compiled a report definitely labelling
the case suicide. He said, however.
he was satisfied personally" about
several apparently battling clues
States Attorney F. Kirke Maddrix
of Somerset County reiterated that it
is still murder as far as the State is
concerned. Regardless of the ulti-
mate determination of police, the
case will 60 down on the records as
murder, a Maryland coroner's jury
having returned a verdict to that
effect.
One of the strongest links in the
theory that Keene was murdered-the
knots tied in the smaller rope attached
to the bcdy-weakened when Wash.
lngton police expressed doubt that the
rope was knotted by seaman.
1t has been the contention of fisher
men that the knots were intricate
ones.
Detective Chief Bernard w. Thomp-
son, who has been collaborating with
Maryland authorities in an attempt
to solve the case, revealed, however.
that one of his detectives familiar with
nautical knots disagrees.
The rope, brought here by Nary
land detectives, was submitted for ex-
animation to Detective Sergt. Guy
! Rome, a former member of the Army
Engineer Corps.
Declared Simply Tied.
The knots were not scientifically
tied. Thompson quoted Rome as in.
forming him, and could have been
made by any one"
THOMPSON said he had offered to
take the rope to the navy yard here
for further examination and expert
opinion, but the Maryland investi-
gators had to leave town before this
was done.
Despite this development and other
doubts that Keene met with foul play,
the possibility that the real estate man
was murdered continues to hold the
attention Of investigators.
Having questioned two women who
claimed knowledge Of the case yes
terday. Homicide Squad Detectives
jeremiah Flaherty and Charles Carver
today were making systematic cam
vas Of the city in an effort to trace
an automobile jack used TO weight the
body.
1t had been thought at first that
jack belonged to Keene, but this
proved wrong when his car was
located with the tool case intact.
One OF the women questioned yes.
terday, described as "one close to the
family" told police she was satisfied
Keene had taken his own life.
She said the real estate man 8
sister, Florence Robins Keene. head
Of the music department at McKin-
ley High School, who died about two
years ago, had worried because her
brother intimated several times he
intended to kill himself.
The woman also told police she was
certain the brief case. which the Keene
family has maintained did not belong
to Keene. was left to the real estate
man by his sister. along with al her
other personal property.