Morning journal and courier., 1885-04-16
THE TRAGEDY OF THE TRUNK.

Evidences That PreIler Met His
 keath By Poison at the Hands
 of MaxWell-The Murderer on Ris
 Way to Australia.
 ST. LOUIS, April 15.-The coroner this afternoon made an autopsy of the re- mains of c. Arthur Preller of London, whose dead body was found in trunk in room in the Southern Hotel yesterday. The autopsy disclosed the fact that the stomach contained poison, but what particular kind was not de- termined. The stomach has been given to a chemist for analysis. The inquest, which was to have taken place this afternoon, was indefinitely postponed by the coroner. He is awaiting the following up of the latest clues and advices from relatives. partly filled bottle of chloroform was found in Maxwel's trunk to-day. It will be remembered that the druggist stated that he sold chloroform to Maxwell on two or three occasians. It is now thought that Maxwell deliberately planned to murder Pre2ler for his money. Sunday night, the 9th, bottle of wine~ was ordered to the parlor and it is believed the wine was poisoned The next morning the body was put in the trunk and the money and jewelry taken. Maxwell left on the 9th, saying he was going east On the same night L. Bauman, head of 8 large wholesale house here, saw Maxwell on San Francisco train going west. He identified him by photo
 graph. They met casually and Maxwell, who is very English in accent, said he was in the employ of the Turkish government and was getting information in this country. He was excited and nervous Maxwells s picture wasssfound among Preller's effects and Bauman identified it. It transpired to-day that Maxwell two or three days before the murder was in great need of money aud that he attempted to pawn his watch but failed. On the Monday following before he left the city he was known to have money, as he informed persons to whom he had tried to sell personal effects that he now had money and displayed plenty of cash. He also purchased several things, including a valuable field glass and pair of spectacles. SAN FRANCISCO, April 15.-On receipt of telegram yesterday from Chief of Police Harrigan of St. Louis the police here com menced to search for Maxwell, the alleged murderer of Preller. Investigation devel- oped the fact that a man answering Max wells description arrived here on Saturday last and went to the Palace Hotel. He only staid there one night and it is believed that 1 he sailed in the steamer Sydney for Hawaii | and Australia which left the next day.
 BOSTON, April 15.-Late in the afternoon l of February A last the victim of the St. | Louis trunk tragedy registered at Young's l Hotel in this city c. A. Preller, London lie r0LQalneO Wueu Ho pdlu 1 his bill and departed. During Preller's stay | Maxwell called at the office several times fol | letters. The two men are not known to have | met there Preller held no intercourse witt | anyone about the hotel. The cashier re 1 ferred to in Maxwell's letter to Preller pub
 lished to-day is respectable young lady | She was not little astonished at finding | herself mentioned in connection with tht
 case She says that sometime in February l MT. Powers of the custom hous 1 introduced Maxwell to her in th
 restaurant where she is employed
 and that the latter introduced Preller few days after. Preller and Maxwell dinet
 there together almost every day for weel
 and seemed to be on the best of terms
 After Preller had ceased coming Maxwell
 came alone. Preller rarely spoke to the lady l but Maxwell sometimes talked with her, al | though she did not encourage his converse
 tion as he made disagreeable impression
 upon her. She never saw either of the mel
 outside of the restaurant. Several of Max | wells acquaintances here remark upon hi
 ways. Martin Mcintyre, whose drug stor
 Maxwell frequented, says that while not
 perhaps, insane, Maxwell was strange maj
 whose carriage was extremely eccentric.