Evening star., 1937-06-02
Evidence May End Theory
D. c. Real Estate Man
Committed Suicide.
SAIL0RlIKE KNOTS
CONVINCE FISHERMEN
Friends in Washington Also De-
clare He Could Not Have
Tied and Shot Self.
BY JAMES CULLI\ANE,
STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF The Star.

CRISFIELD, Nd, June 2.--1nVeSti-
gators delvlng into the violent death
of Charles F. Keene went BY boat to
Smiths Island this afternoon to ex-
anime a length of marlin rope said
to have been knotted tightly about
keene's neck in addition to the bow
llne-tied cotton cord which secured
the body to an iron-laden brief case.
Detective Sergt. Marlin Brubaker
of the Maryland State police was in
formed that an iron weight had been
tied on the marlin line Presence of
this additional cord and weight in
vestlgatorS believe. might obviate the
possibility of suicide
Magistrate j. P Bradshaw. who con-
Quoted an inquest on Smiths Island,
the result of which was a murder
verdict, told Sheriff William H. Dry
den that he saw weight attached to
the marlin line and that the line was
so tightly looped about Keenes neck
1t had to be cut loose.
Line and Weight Left Behind.
Through some oversight, neither the
line nor the reported weight were
brought here along with the body and
curious assortment of objects found
In the brief case
After the visit to Smiths Island,
about 30 miles out in Chesa peake Bay,
investigators probably will bring the
evidence to Washington to learn if
the objects found attached to Keene's
body can be identified as Keenes.
Meanwhile, the body of the 63-year-
old Washington real estate operator
was returned to the Capital today to
the funeral chapel of Joseph Gawler
& Sons, 1855 Pennsylvania avenue.
The sailorlike knots on the two
cords about Keene's neck have con-
vlnced fishermen of Crisfield and
Smiths Island that Keene was mur-
dered aboard the steamer District of
Columbia on the night of May 13.
1t was a seaman that killed him.
all right" said Edward Smith of
Smiths Island. who found the body
floating in Chesapeake Bay near the
mouth Of the Potomac River Tuesday
afternoon. Only water man uses
marlin rope-the only place you can
get it is a ship chambers or on a
boat-and the man that tied that
bowline in that cotton cord was an
expert rigger."
Friends Scout Suicide.
Capt. John Whitlock, a veteran
waterman, also said the knot had been
tied by an expert rigger
In Washington. friends of Keene
said he never could have tied the
knots which secured the weighted
brief case about his neck. Walter
Blount, a distant cousin and friend
OF 80 years standing. aboard whose
yacht Sunshine Keene visited before
leaving for Norfolk, said Keene never
felt quite safe on the water and could
never understand why Blount had
purchased a boat. Blount was sure
Keene had no knowledge of seamens
or rigger's knotsD
DR.. w. F. Stout, also of Smiths
Island, who first examined keene and
testified before the coroner's jury,
expressed the belief that the real
estate man had been knocked uncon-
Stiouo DtIOlS DeulS ollOU anu Thrown
overheard.
He had been struck terrific
blow over his left eye" said DR.. Stout.
Blood had coagulated around the eye
and that convinces me that he was
struck at least three-quarters OF an
hour or an hour before he was killed.
You see, there was no coagulation
around the bullet wound He must
have died instantly after he was shot"
The shot which killed Keene was
fired into the center Of his throat
near the Adams apple. 1t took an
upward course through his brain and
lodged in the bone at the crown of
his skull.
Bullet Compared to Keene's.
The bullet was recovered by DR.. r.
r. Norris, who performed an autopsy
last night. Detective Brubaker
weighed the lethal bullet with
(CAe KEFNE pooo A2N