Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-15
AN AWFUL MURDER
In q st. Louis Hotel In Which Two
English Dudes Figure.
A STRANGE AND MYSTERIOUS CASE
A Headless Body Found in a Trunk at the
Southern Hotel With a Note
Saying $50 Perish
ALL TRAITORS TO THE GREAT CAUSE

NSSN 90 bAS SOubAO1h hOICA A4SAh
by finding in it a trunk containing the
headleSs body of a man with note within
the trunk saying: $50 perish all traitors to
the great cause" The room was assigned
March 30th to Walter 81. Lennox Maxwell
N. D, London, England. Mr.. Maxwell is
described as a very girlish looking blonde
young man, wearing dark woody cutaway
suit Of English STUFF His face was clean
shaven, and he wore his hair bang fashion,
not parting it. He was seen in company
and frequently with dark looking gentle
man FIVE feet ten inches in height, the latter
wore dark moustsche and had dark. hair
This gentleman registered as c. Arthur
Preller, London, England, and was assign,
ed to room lS4. Four days after Maxwell
had registered. a telegram was received
from Preller asking whether Maxwell was a
guest at the house He was answered in
the affirmative, and he soon came on, and
was assigned to the room above given.
Both men occupied the room numbered 1874
in common a considerable part of the time,
each of them calling for the key at times,
and the clerk giving it out to each indis-
criminately as they seemed to be good
friends and old acquaintance. The men
we're much remarked about the hotel for
their dude and dandyfed airs. Maxwell
left the hotel q week ago Sunday, but he
had paid his full weeks board
promptly and it was supposed he would re,
turn auy day. No suspicion attached to his
absence until the horrible smell called atten.
ton to the room and led to the opening OF
the trunk. When the trunk containing the
body was opened in the hotel corridor to-day
it was found to contain the body of mid
die aged man, face and breast up, and 50
doubled, ,abou'the hips and knees that it filed
the reception on the side Of the trunk. Over
the head of the corpse was printed in large
letters the words $50 petish all traitors to
the great cause" The trunk and its con.
tents were Immediately hurried to the four
courts. The body, as it appeared in the
trunk, presented horrible aspect. The
face and parts ofthe body were uncovered
Prellel's trunks are of much better quail
ity than those of MsxwelPs, being made of
fine leather, and the personal effects in them
indicated that their owner was gentleman
of means and culture. The trunks have on
them the label of the Canard Steamship
Company and Continental Hotel, Philadel
phia, where he occupied room No. l86, on
March 26th, and he had also been at the
Rossin House, Toronto.
Following is a Maxwell given by person
who saw and conversed with him at the
Southern Hotel: He was about five feet
nine and half inches in height, weighed
something ike 40 pounds, we'll proper
toned and of rather good figure. His face
was Of the English type and clesnly shaven,
eyes light blue, think at least they were
not dark in color His hair light sandy
color, cut very short behind and rather
bushy in front without any part and banged
like girls. In bis manners he was very
cffeminate which he even carried so far as
20 walk with short, mincing steps like q
woman. Tbisafternoon the body of Preller
was exposed on slab in the exposition
room at tbe moigue for further indentifca-
ion with the following description given by
Superintendent Ryan: Deceased was about
five feet nine inches in height weigh
irg ab,ut 10 pounds, black
hair, eyes brown in color and wore white
knit drawers. No other clothing came with
The body. Deceased was about % or %
old. The bod y WAS very much decomposed
He has been dead ten or twelve days
Tongue protruding and large blisters on
both legs. There is cross cut into the
q sh on the breast"
The following telegram, found among the
DarerJ of Preller is the best clew to the re.
atoms ofPreller and Maxwell:
BosroN, MASS, March 10, 1885.
C. 4. Prefer, Belridere Hotel, corner
Fourth arenue and Eighteenth street:
Yes; could 90 direct to Auckland from
here Will write Philadelphia tomorrow
W. II. LENNON maxwell.
From the letter from the steamship COM
psny it is inferred that Preller sailed from
England for this country on the Ephelonia
January 2lst, 1885, on a commercial tour
of this country and Australia. The tele-
gram given above would indicate that Max
well agreed TO accompany him to Australia
1t is believed by those who have studied
the case most closely that Maxwell chloro
formed.and killed Preller on Sunday, April
), and it is known that he has not been seen
in the city since Monday, April 6. Some Of
the detectives were at first inclined to be
lieye that the body had been placed in the
trunk by some medical student with
a view Of playing a ghsstly joke
upon the community. Bat this the
ory of tie case has now been
abandoned by all. Chief Detective Burke
said to a reporter: 1T is foul murder and
nothing else. The man in the trunk was
killed in the room. Marks Of bis blood are
there. Here is the trunk strap with blood
on it. The idea that it could be hoax is
absolutely absurd"
What do you think of the placard in the
trunk2' $50 perish all traitors to the great
cause" That may or may not be clew.
1t may be deliberate attempt to make US De
lieve that the murder was political assas-
sinatior while it is a murder for money.
"Of course all that can De done 70 run the
criminal down Will be done
Surely the man must not escape. Every
thing that can be done will be done to caE-
,ure bin. The public may depend on that
To Elevate Kinks.
NEw YORK, April l4-Sixteen roller
skating rink proplietors Of this vicinity held
a meeting here to-day and organized an
association for the elevation Of the tone Of
Kinks generally.
Not Mr.. Riley.
Coroner Schultze went to Short Greek
Yesterday and examined the body OF the
foater found the day before he came to
the conclusion that it was not
the man Riley, whose description
he had. but said be was man
of about 40 years Of age and somewhat re.
sembled tramp, as he had on two pairs OF
pants and showed other evidences Of that
tant Tnn hndr was huried near the river