The son of Swiss born soap manufacturer and New Orleans philanthropist, John Henry Keller. A sad account of Lee's death was published in New Orleans newspapers.


The New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Monday, November 15, 1909
Page 2

POLICE INVESTIGATE DEATH OF L. F. KELLER IN McDONOGH HOME.

As the result of a complaint made by Oscar Keller, of 3435 Magazine Street, that he believed his brother, Lee F. Keller, who had died suddenly at a boarding house on Bourbon street, opposite the French Opera House yesterday afternoon, had passed away under suspicious circumstances, a police investigation took place, which established the fact that the death was due to chronic alcoholism. A death certificate to this effect was issued by Dr. W. Hincks, the physician that had recently attended Mr. Keller, who was a son of John H. Keller, the late soap manufacturer and philanthropist.

The circumstances under which Lee F. Keller died were these: He had been living for over a year at the boarding house kept by Mrs. M. McDonogh, opposite the French Opera House in Bourbon street. He had been ailing for several months, and was kindly cared for by Mrs. McDonogh, who had known him for some years previous to the time that he came to live with her at her house. Recently she had gone with him to see a physician in the Maison Blanche Building, who prescribed a certain regime of treatment for him. Yesterday morning Mr. Keller was not feeling well, and after a breakfast, consisting of three soft-boiled eggs, went to sleep again. Later in the day, Mrs. McDonogh visited him, and saw that he was comfortable. His room had a balcony in front, facing in Bourbon street and he asked that the windows be left open so that he might get some fresh air.

At about 4:30 o'clock in the afternoon Mrs. McDonogh noticed a neighbor living in a house next door to the French Opera House, on the opposite side of the street, staring intently at something in the front room of her house upstairs. Thinking that something might be wrong with Mr. Keller, Mrs. McDonogh rushed upstairs and found him huddled up in a corner on the floor. She called for help and the woman across the street came over to her assistance. When they picked up the body it seemed to be cold, and fearing if death had not already come it was close at hand, Dr. Hincks, who lives a few blocks away in Bourbon street, was called. He pronounced the man dead upon arrival at the house.

According to the statement made by Mrs. McDonogh, she immediately took steps to notify Mr. Keller's family of his death. She sent a messenger to the family residence in Magazine street, but the messenger returned saying that Oscar Keller was in Biloxi, Miss. An undertaker had been ordered by the attending physician in the meanwhile, and the body was laid out for burial.

Oscar Keller, returning to the city from Biloxi on an evening train, learned of his brother's death, and immediately went to the house in Bourbon street. Mrs. McDonogh said that he asked her all manner of questions, as if he suspected something wrong about his brother's death. She was not surprised, she said at his making a complaint to the coroner's office, and asking that post mortem examination be held to determine the cause of his brother's death. Night Clerk Davis received the complaint.

The police heard about the alleged suspicious circumstances connected with Mr. Keller's death, and Chief of Detectives Reynolds and Sergeant Sweeney of the Third Precinct at once went to the house in Bourbon street, where the body was laid out. Chief Reynolds interrogated Mrs. McDonogh who seemed reluctant at first to talk, but, realizing that an investigation was on, she revealed all that she knew about Mr. Keller, told of circumstances of his coming to her house, of her having nursed and cared for him for over a year, without compensation, excepting a mortgage note for $5000, collectable a year hence, in her favor.

Coroner O'Hara arrived about this time and took charge of the investigation. He called Oscar Keller into the house to face Mrs. McDonogh, and asked him his reason for wanting an investigation into his brother's death. Oscar Keller seemed somewhat embarrassed by the situation and, after floundering around for awhile, said that he was not entirely satisfied with the manner in which his brother had died, and wanted, on account of the family, to know the real cause of death. Before holding a post-mortem, Coroner O'Hara decided to see Dr. Hincks about the case. The latter stated positively that death was due to chronic alcoholism, and that he would issue a death certificate to that effect. Coroner O'Hara was satisfied with this and told Oscar Keller that no further investigation into the matter was needed.

It was learned from Oscar Keller that his brother carried no insurance, but it was thought that possibly he has made a will in favor of Mrs. McDonogh. The latter stated that the deceased had once said something about making a will in her favor, but had done nothing in that direction. He had, however, given her a mortgage note for $5000, in payment for her services in taking care of him. This mortgage note is held for collection by a local bank. He had paid her no board, and she had lost practically all her boarders on account of having to pay so much attention to Mr. Keller.

Lee F. Keller was forty-eight years of age at the time of his death. He was the elder son of the family. He is survived by a brother and sister, who is in Paris.

When John H. Keller died Lee F. Keller fell heir to a portion of a large estate. In police circles it is reported that Oscar Keller had employed Pinkerton detectives to shadow his brother, for the purpose of taking proceedings to have the latter interdicted. For this reason there had been a coolness between the two brothers recently. They met at West End about ten days ago and words are said to have passed between them.