Connecticut western news., 1885-04-22
FOUND DEAD IN A TRUNK.
A DIYsrERIOUs nIrRDER IN A ST.
 LOUIS HOTEL.
The Victim m FnzIishmHH-Cireumsta Indicating that the Case May Become Celebrated.

A sensation was caused at the Southern Hotel, St. Louis, by the dis covery of the mutilated body of a mau packed in trunk, which was taken out of room. The stench from the trunk caused the discovery. The hotel regis ter shows that on March 30 a gentleman registered as Walter II. Lennox Max we'll, M. D, from London, and was as- signed to that room. On opening the trunk it was found that the head of the man wss severed from his body, and written on a paper inside the trunk were the words: 'So perish all traitors to the great cause" The trunk and its contents were taken to the Morgue.
 Mir. Maxwell Is described as blonde young man, wearing 8 dark cutaway suit of English stuff. His face was clean shaven, and be wore his hair bang fashion. He was seen in company ire quently with dark-looking man, about feet 10 inches ill height. The latter wore a dark mus tache and had dark hair. This man registered as 70. Ar thur Preller, London, England, and was assigned to room No. 1S4, four days after Maxwell had registered. A tele- gram had previously been received from Preller asking whether Maxwell was q guest at the house. He WAS answered in the affirmative, and he soon came on and was assigned to the room above mentioned. Both men occupied the room numbered 1S4 in common a con- siderable 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 aCquaintances. The men were much remarked about the ho- tel for their "dudIsh, dandiied" airs. Maxwell left the hotel week ago Sln- day night, but he had paid his full weeks board promptly, and it was sup posed that he would return any day. No suspicion attached to his absence until the horrible smell called attention to his room and led to the opening of the trunk.
 When the trunk containing the body was opened in the hotel corridor 1t was found to contain the body of a man. face and breast up, and so doubled about the hips and knees that it filled the recep- tacle. The trunk and its contents were immediately hurried to the Fur Courts. The body, as it appeared in the trunk, presented horrible aspect. The face and parts of the body uncovered, (the only garment being a pair of drawers, reaching just to the knees), were entire- ly black, and showed advanced decompo- sltion. The head aud neck were doubled up at one end of the trunk and the arms were forced down by the side and under the body. The legs were bent at the k. Khiobo h.afu.F pnarlu dicular, as if great force had been nsed in putting the body into the trunk. The face was smooth, the hair jet black and, as far as one could juige. the dea man could not have been more than 9 years of age. The body was that of a common sized man in height and build. The only evidence of violence presented as the body lay in the trunk was a cut or stab in the breast. The whole corri- dor of the hotel was filled with a herri- ble stench, which remained after the corpse was taken away. Soon it became evident that a & cond trunk, which was very heavy, was emitting a fetid smell also. Attempts were made to open it, but it was found to be securely locked. It was also carted off to the M1rgue, wSere 1t was opened and found to contain numer- ous articles, among which were Max wells London address, etc.
 Maxwell came over on the steamer Cephalonia, from England. Preller has Russian passport vised by the Russian An, b issador in London in 1878 and a passport of 1883, for Spain and Mexico, vised by t',e Spanish Minister and signed "Cfranville." Seven trunks, four valises, and hat box were left behind at the hotel, and the conteuts-elothing etc are valued at hundreds of dollars. The belief is that the corpse is either that of Maxwell or Preller. No one remembers which one of the two men left the hotel last.
 Chief of Detectives Burke, after mak- ing an examination of the rooms at the Southern Hotel, said: "I think that the dead man is 0. A. Preller, who arrived at the hotel on the 31 inst, aud that he was killed by Maxwell, who registered there on the 31st If March. The mur- der took place in NJ .xwells room, and the trunk in which the body was stored was one which Maxwell brought with him from the East. On last Tuesday be bought the second trunk, found in his room. at a store on Bro Idwsy, near Wal nut street Into this he transferred the books, clothing, papers, instruments, photographic views, etc, which it con- tained, probably in great hurry, as they were found in confusion. He also placed the tray of his old trunk in this to give him more room to ack the body in. His intention then was probably to remove this trunk, which could pass out of the hotel with the least suspicion. There was danger or discovery, of course, ai any minute, and on this account he probably changed his plans and de- camped, and to avoid discovery he went away without taking any of bis effects with him. haveno idea what prompted the murder. l found black stiff hat, with large break in it, as if it had been struck violent blow, but at the same time the body gives evidence of death from poisoning It is certain that the men were intimate, and Preller spent a good deal of his time in Maxwell's room"
 Preller's trunks have on them labels of the Cunard Steamship Company, and the Continental Hotel, Philadelphia, where he occupied Room No. 1S6 on March 26. and he had also been at the Rossin House, Toronto. The following is a description of Maxwell, given by a person who saw and conversed with him daily while he was at the Southern Hotel: "He was about feet 9J inches in height; weighed something like TAO pounds; well proportioned and rather good figure. His face was of the Eng lish type and cIeauly shaven; eyes a light blue, think, at least they were not dark iu color. His hair was of @ light sandy color. He wore it cut very sholt behind and rather bushy in front. without any part, and banged like a girls. He generally dressed in a brown tweed suit of clothes of English cut, Q