Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-02
Mysterious Affair in Baltimore.
THE DEAD BODY OF MAN FOUND IN A LADY's
TRAVELLING TRUNK

THE DEAD BODY OF n MAN FOUND IN A LADY'a
TRAVELLING TRUNK.
The Baltimore Sun Of this morning saws:
very mysterious affair has Just come to
light in baltimore, the particulars OF which, so
far as has been ascertained, is as follows On
the arrival of the Fortress Monroe steamer, on
Friday morning, woman, dressed in black
Of medium size and thin features, who was q
passenger on board, engaged Mr.. John Stark,
boarding house, where she could spend the
day, deslgning to leave in the evening train Of
the Northern Central railway for Chicago
Here she kept herself very secluded during the
entire day, whenever seen by any of the fam.
lily being closely yelled. She declined eating
during her stay, partaking only OF q cup OF
eoiiee, alleging as an excuse that she was SUIT
fering with severe headache. About o clock
the same evening, Mr.. Stark again called for
her, and took her to the station, who she re-
duested to attend to her trnnk for q moment,
- she StepT = across .he straet to lake
- purchases. She went out OF the front en- .
2 e .e, Say which was the last seen Of her. This
2" gage, very large sized ira Yelling trunk on
~ hack and drove home, placing it~in his
mouse, where it remained until Saturday eve.
ming, about O'clock. The wife of Mr.. Stark
who was absent, about this time imagined tina.
an offensive smell came from the trunk, and
sent for hr. John Burns, residing at No. IS
CRANKY street, who, on arriving at the house,
and after cons uting with sons friends, pro-
cured q chisel and priced it open, when to his
horror he discovered that the contents con.
sisted OF the dead body OF man. He at once
3
the police, II was carried TO the central po-
lice station, and the body placed in the dead
house.
The body OF the unfortunate unknown ap-
peared 10 be that OF a man about forty years OF
age, sandy hair, dressed only in shirt and
pants. Ihere We're no marks Of violence On
Inc body, and the pre- Willing impression is that
the man, from some motive or other entered the
trunk alive, and died from snffocation. There
were several holes in the sides OF the trunk
made from the inside, as if by the unfortunate
man in order to get air.
Coroner Brewer summoneda jury OF inq nest
yesterday, full Investigation of the matter
was had, but no facts other than those given
above Were elicited and the jury rendered a
verdict or "death from causes unknown to
the Jury"
The general supposition is that the man was
eltner soldier or "hounty jumper" and, aided
by the woman, was in the act of deserving, but
being left too long in the trunk, died for want
o1 air. a colored porter on board the Fortress
Monroe steamer is confident that he saw the
trunk Cn hoard the boat on Thursday nig hit last
on the trip up the bay.
Previous to leaving the boarding house Oh
watson street the woman nailed card 10 the
top OF the trunk, on which was written Mrs
Brown, Chicargo.'
About halt. past O'Clock last evening, the
woman connected with the above mysterous
affair gave herself up to Captain SnaveIy, OF
the western police station, and she made a
statement substantially as follows Her name
Is Mary Louisa Under, native OF Germany,
residing at the corner OF Little Water street
and Good Side lane, Norfolk. Va. She ac-
hnowledges herself to be 8 woman OF lewd
habits, and had lived on terms of intimacy with
the deceased during the past three months. The
name OF the man was Samuel Freeborn, but
she is unable to state from what part OF the
country he hailed; he led her 10 believe he was
thtry -one years of age When she first bac1ma
intimate with him, the deceased was citizen,
but shortly thereafter enlisted as a private in
the goth New York cavalry, on duty at Nor
folk.
Some two months since. Freeborn obtained
leave Of absence from camp and came to her
house, but overstaying his time he was afraid
to go back and became deserter. Since tina.
time he has been concealed in her house. a
few weeks since he conceived the idea OF
making his escape by the very means which
subsequently caused his death. Miss Linder
asserts that she used every persuasion to cause
him to give up the plan, but without success.
Previous to attempting the carrying out of the
novel mode OF escape, he told her he had tried
1t before, and actually caused himself to be
locked up in the trunk during the time usually
occupied by the boat in making the trip from
Norfolk to Baltimore, coming ont without in
jury. She AYERS that she continued to diss ade
him from his purpose, but he succeeded at
last, by ardent entreaties, in causing her TO
consent to act her part in this plan.
On the arrival Of he boat in Baltimore she
street, and, as soon as she could do so without
exciting suspicion, she opened the trunk, and
was almost paralyzed by finding Freeborn
dead. She states that she did not know what
to do, and in her terror adopted the plan she
did of getting rid Of the body, but that after
leaving the Calvert station she wandered the
entire night distractedly through the streets
until last evening, when she found she could
stand it no longer, and resolved to give her,
self up and tell all she knew of the affair.
Marshal Carmichael detained her at his Of
flee last night, and this morning she win be
handed over TO Col. Wooliey.
ex-governor Swami spoke hopefully Of
"Free Maryland" at the Winslow- -Kearsage
dinner, Philadelphia.
IVA Water Board has been organized in
Charlestown, Massachusetts, OF course, rum
has been abolished.
~ The steamship Cuba took from New
York, yesterday, $53i, ,225 in specie.
SWiard's musket proof light -draught
steamer Savannah has gone to Hilton Head.
SThe rebel General Slaughter's army in
Texas is whiting. Cause. desertion.
UThe Callornians are lauding Sherman.