The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-04-30
A MURDER AZ A JOKE.


The latest phase of the 81. Louis muv-
der IL that 1t was just a jokei that the
body found In the trunk was not Prel'
ler's, but a corpse or "siif" that Maxwell
had got, and not being able to get u
away from the hotel, left It, The b.
Louis Republican has devoted much aI'
lentlon to the case and tays;
Either the corpse Ia the morgue Ia
that of Preller murdered for his money
by criminal crank, or IL 10 not Preller
and there has been no murder com
mitted.
The Republican has reviewed both
| theories without being able 10 reach q
decision In the absence OF positive evil
dence either way.
The theory that the corpse is that OF
Prellpr has been the more probable on
| the face OF the facts, but the French
DrOyeTb which says that probability IL
not always on the side OF truth" IL es'
peclally applicable In such mysteries AZ
this, where there 10 only probability TO
| 20 on.
Then comes the Boston Herald, with
statements showing that Maxwell just
b fore leaving h : city for St, Louie,
succeeded In procuring a corpse for ex
perimental purposes. This rests on the
authority Of DR.. Dewey, OF Boston, who
says. according TO the Herald;
He thinks II q practical joke on the
part OF both the men, that Ii Preller ana
MAXWELL. He says that II such be the
fact, Preller will never make II known
unless Maxwell Ia arrested. while In
BostOn Maxwell was very anxious 10 get
a dead body. He asked DR.. Dewey II he
knew where one could be obtained,
THAT gentleman stated that the laws OF
this State were strict In regard 10
"stiff,," and he could not get one for use
outside the medical school
Maxwell said no wanted the BODY 10
experiment on. A few days after THIS
conversation Maxwell went away ana
was gone about three days, When no
turned up he told DR.. Dewey that he had
obtained a 'stifI." He was asked how
no obtained II and he replied that he
rot IL In the Old-fashloned way-he
anatched II. He told Dr.. Dewey when
questioned that he would not tell him
where no got the body, but be would got
no many more as he wanted, and II he
wished to procure one he woul SEQ that
he got IL,
This, In connection with the leaiing
circ lmstances Of the case, and the want
of resemblance OF the corpse TO Preller,
and especially with the testimony OF the
Southern Hotel porter, that after taking
DR.. Maxwelrs trunks TO tho room, no
uacorded all of them except the one
which was aiterward found to contain
the corpse, and this trunk Maxwell
would not allow him to touch. All
these circumstances suggest doubts to
the Republican whether there WAS mnr'
der, or anything more than u ghastly
practical joke. The sensational inacrip'
Ion placed on the dead body, "thus
perish all traitors 10 our great cause"
Ia more suggestive OF Joke than a
tragedy. The Republican says;
We have indicated the possibility that
the corpse was left for aome fraudulent
purpose, but have only iodlc tod II ~ a
D isslbllity. Another possibility IL that
Maxwell, having bought the corpse,
having IL In hls trunk In a warm room,
and finding that the process OF dec0m'
position was going ON with uncomfort.
able rapidity, made up hie mind that
both he and Preller, who had shared hie
room, could decamp and leave II more
easily than they could take " away or
remain, and, allowing II TO be discovered
In their possession, explain how they
came by II.
A corpse In ones trunk at q leading
hotel would obviously bo enough 10
frighten any man who had come by II
without murder when ec0 ! erod the
certainty that, being found with ~ no
would be arrested az q murderer, VIII n
case OF circumstantial evidence against
him.
This remarkable case is ghastly In all
its Rp,ets. The joke theory eoCm'
rather strained, but II rests on the de-
yelopments made In Boston and the
failure To absolutely identify the dead
body as that Of Proller, Maxwell's travel
Ing companion. and Rnglish tourist OF
wealth. When Maxwell Ia arrested at
Auckland for the purpose OF bringing
him from the antipodes to the Uoited
States, the Joke, II such II II, may lose its
favor, unless Preller should alao turn
nm nj Auckland and thua dlaprOye the