Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-14
Maxwell's Strange Story.

THE TRICK WHICH HE CLAIMS WAS PLAYED TO
DEFkAUD INsURANCE CoMPANIES-HISS STATE
MESTS DISCREDITED.
As stated in the dispatches to THE STAR yester-
day Maxwell. who is charged with numbering
c. Arthur Preller at the Southern Hotel in st.
Louis, now says that in due time he will pro-
duce Preller alive and well, and show where he
got the body found in the trunk. Maxwell as
serts that the body in the trunk was bought by
himself and Preller and left in the hotel for the
purpose or procuring insurance money upon
Preller's life.
Maxwell is quoted as saying 81 can tell you
now that the corpse was brought to the hotel in
u trunk in broad daylight, and was carried up
to room IA. Everything was arranged to give
color to the theory OF a sudden murder and
haStv flight. Nothing was omitted which I
thought would add to this misconception. My
design was to get clear out of the country before
the body was discovered, and once in Australia
in the East Indies until things had been forgot
ten. | will show you how entirely trusted
Preller, and how completely was his assistant
in this scheme, when tell you don't know to-
day how large an insurance he carried on his
life. knew 1t was Tor big sum, and gave my
help in the enterprise simply because he was an
arrangements have for communicating with
him, of course it is out of the question for me
to tell, but you can rest assured of the accuracy
of these facts have given you, and they will all
Toe proven on trial.
on the other hand, c. o. Bishop. assistant
have evidence of 5laxwelis guilt that has not
been made public and will not be until pro-
duced in court. 1--WE have letters from abroad
he say Showing that Maxwell had obtained
almost complete control over Preller, whose ac-
uuaintance he had made Oh the steamship
CepiIaionia. In one of his letters home Prelier
said that his com panion had succeeded to his
baronetcy. and had also received his degrees
from Christs college. These letters 90 to show
tEat Maxwell had successfully imposed on
Preller, and was entirely in his confidence, or
at least to such an extent intimate with him
that he knew P.elier'S financial condition and
made an easy victim Of him..
Mr. Bishop says the mutilated remains OF
PrClier, found in the trunk at the hotel, are en-
is disposed Of Preller's cousin. NJ '.Schies>inger,
of New York, sent on his check for $500 to meet
the funeral expenses, and eventually the body
may he shipped to England for interment.
Mr. Bishop, in speaking OF the insurance story,
said That's all nonsense. The insurance phase
sen 'atinn, and it is entirely without founda-
ton. We looked into that matter thoroughly,
and have not been able TO find any in
surance OIL Preliers life. The only insu-
rance he had was an accident policy iOr
$1,000. which expired when he disembarked
iron, the Cephalonia. If he had his life in
sured think we would have found some trace
of the fact among his papers, but l have been
ali through them and there is not q scrap re-
i.,ting to life. or any other kind Of insuf ance
A..n, If he were insured it would lie for the
benefit Of sone;,ndy, his family or somebody
else, aud that somebody would have the policy;
bat we have not been able to hear Of anybody
holding such document. Maxwell hasn't got
any policy on Preller's life. Pfeiler's family
say nothing about any insurance. Nobody else
existence the company or companies holding
the risk would apply to the coroner or the
health board for certificate of death, and NO
such application has been made"