Evening star., 1937-06-13
BY JAMES J. CULLINANE,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
CRISF1ELD, Md. June l2.-The
death OF Charles F. Keene, sr.. who
vanished from the steamer District
Of Columbia with bullet through his
brain and a weighted brief case tied
around his neck, was a suicide
States Attorney F. Kirk Maddrix Of
Somerset County was told tonight
Sergt. Marlin Brubaker, crack in
vestigator for the Maryland State
Police, laid before Maddrix q lengthy
report. eliminating the Official inves-
tigation of the case.
Possibility that the 63-year-old
Washington real estate man was
murdered was mentioned in only one
place.
Maddrix said he would take the
report under advisement and reiter-
ated his earlier announcement that
he would not consider the case as
long as any clues indica ting murder
remained unanswered.
After submitting his report, Bru-
baker told Maddrix that Keene could
have committed suicide in the fol-
lowing manner:
Tied Case to Neck, Shot Self
He looped the weighted leather
brief case around his neck, after ar
ranging his cabin to indicate 4
struggle. and climbed through his
state room window to the narrow cat
walk outside the boat.
Holding onto the handrail above the
cat walk. Brubaker surmised, Keene
shot himself through the neck slightly
to the right OF the adams apple. The
bullet took an upward course through
the brain and fractured the roof of
his skull three times.
There was an immediate outpouring
of blood, Brubaker theorized, and be-
fore Keene fell over backward into
wind carried spots of blood into the
cabin to stain Keene's bunk and wash
basin and smeared the aft deck rail
aft Of the window
Brubaker hastened to explain that
he had not closed his investigation
and Is prepared to reopen 1t if any
new evidence is discovered.
Unable to Find Weapon.
The Baltimore detective said he did
not have an opportunity to look at
the strand of Marlin rope, several fe 1
long. which was tied around Keene' S
chest under the arms
Brubaker said he had been unable
to trace the death weapon, or the
owner OF the automobile jack, tire
iron and hammer, which were found
in the brief case around the dead
mans neck.
After listing 10 reasons why Keene
might have committed suicide, Bru-
baker said the only motive for murder
he could discover would be robbery.
He scof1ed at the robbery theory, as
he revealed evidence which showed
that Keene was in dire financial straits
and could hav had only a small sum
with him when he died.
keene's family insists that he had
at least $40 with hin: when he boarded
the boat. The elderly real estate man
Is known to have changed a IS bill at
the refreshment stand only a few
hours before he vanished. His wallet
was missing and his left rear pants
pocket was turned inside out when his
body was found.
Brief Case Thought His.
Brubaker revealed for the first time
tonight that Charles Osborne, ieweler
with whom Keene shared office space
In the Union Trust Building, had par
TALLY identified the leather brief ease
which was found around Keene's neck,
The Baltomore detective said that
Osborne had told him Keene had
owned brief case similar to the old
leather one before he bought a new
(see KEENE, Page A-l31