Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-04-16
THE ST. LOUIS MUhDER.
Some Facts Regarding the Matter from
San Francisco.


rs F. Bulletin, April 10TH
1t was about $50 O'Clock last evening
when Chief of Police Crowley received a
dispatch from Chief Harrigan, of St. Louis,
containing description of w. Ill. LennoN
Maxwell and asking that he be arrested, If
he could be found, for the murder of his
roommate in the Southern Hotel, G..
Arthur Preller With Capt. Lees and De-
tective John Coffey search for Maxwell was
immediately begun. 1t was found that a
young man whose description tailed fairly
with that given of Maxwell had arrived in the
city last Saturday on Southern overland
train and had stopped at the Palace Hotel.
He remained there over night and the next
day is supposed TO have sailed as q passen-
ger on board the steamer City ofSydney for
Honolulu and Sydney. The name of Max
well does not appear on the passenger list,
but this, of course, was not expected. De-
tectives were busy on the case to-day. 4
late dispatch says that Maxwell purchased
a through ticket for San Francisco over the
Missouri Pacific. via Mojaye, on the 9th
inst, giving his name at the ticket office
The difference in time between these dates
is just the time occupied in the journey be-
tween st. Louis and this city.
Count Smith, Chief Clerk of the Palace
Hotel, whose acquaintance with tourists is
more extensive than that of any other man
in this city, was asked this morning if he
knew anything of either of the men con-
cerned in the mysterious tragedy at St.
Louis. Mr.. Smith said he knew nothing of
Maxwell or Preller, and, to his knowledge,
had never seen either. According to the
description OF Maxwell he was much like
the numberless English tourists who stop
at the Palace Hotel and might have stopped
IL i
name without attracting special attention
A Bulletin reporter who sought for clews
of the murdered man in various directions
this morning, called at $40 Valencia street,
where the dispatches from st. Louis state
Dora Olsen, to whom Preller had a letter
of introduction, resides. The house is now
Occur led by family named DeForest and
Miss Olsen has not been there fors years
Later it was found that until two months
ago she was housekeeper at the American
Exchange Hotel. kept by Charles Mont
gomery, a well-knOwn citizen.
Mr.. Montgomery, who is the head of
religious sect i'll this city, known as the
Plymouth Evangelists, stated that both
Mrs Grierson and Miss Olsen are members
Of the sect, but that neither is acquainted
with the murdered man. Brother Prel
lei" said Mr.. Montgomery, " was an Evan
gelical preacher, of not much reputation,
but an earnest Christian and a member
high III the Plymouth Brotherhood. He
was on his way to this city.to deliver
series of lectures when killed in st. Louis,
and from here would have gone to Aus
tralia was not personally acquainted
with Mr.. Preler but knew him by reputa-
ton, and for some days / have been eX-
pecting him to arrive here. The Plymouth
Brotherhood is an evangelical or mission
airy sect, composed largely of persons Of
wealth who devote themselves TO resCuing
mankind and smoothing the asperities OF
the other churches. II takes its name
from Plymouth, England, where it was
first organized. Richard W. Owens, who
gave preller his letters of introduction to
this city, is the head Of the brotherhood in
New y ork, us | am here, and when mem
bcrs arrive there from England he con-
signs them to brothers in other parts of the
world In this way Preller obtained his
letters of introduction
Was the murdered man the possessor
Of any money"
" Yes" replied Mr.. Montgomery. 81 I'M
derstand he was wealthy, and probably at
the time of his death had considerable
property about his person in the shape of
money and letters OF credit Undoubtedly
he was killed for his money. My idea of
the matter is that Maxwell got acquainted
with him, being Il brother Englishman,
and, having discovered that he had money,
used chloroform for the purpose of robbing
him, and administering too much of the
drug, killed him. That is the way it looks
to me from the dispatches"
The motive could not have been po-
litical?"
oh no; that is impossible Brother
Prcller had nothing whatever TO DO with
any political organization. | am certain of
that. In fact, as | tell YOU he was an
Evangelical preacher, and no one could
have had any motive for numbering him.
except robbery. The note found with the
body, saying, So perish all enemies of the
cause is unQuestionably blind. Preller
was not an enemy Of any cause. | know
enough about him to state that positively"
Mr. Montgomery said further that r. ".
Owens is employed in Stewards dry goods
store in New York that he was the man
from whom he had obtained all he knew Of
Preller. In addition to running three gro
Gerry stores, two hotels, ard being the head
of the Plymouth sect Mr.. Montgomery is
President of the Ex-Convic;s' Home.
ii the British Consulate this morning
nothing could bc learned concerning c.
Arthur Preier in addition to what was al
ready known. An opinion was expressed
that his supposed murderer had escaped to
Australia.