The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-04-16
A DEAD MAN IN A TRUNK.
A GhastIy Discovery ut the Southern
Hotel, 81. Louis.
FOUL AND MYSTERIOUS KILLING.
The Head Chopped or aud n "TmitSr"
Note Attached.
WAS IT A POLITICAL MURDER ?
The Alleged Assassin u Dudeish and Dan
diiied EnGlishman, With Connsc-
tlops In London-rho Victim
Apparently n Friend.
WAS IT A POLITICAL MURDER ?
MOST HoRRlsLEcAsE OF CRIME.
A norrible Story from St. Louls.


ST. LOUIS, April li.-Quite sensation
was caused at the Southern hotel be-
tween IL and II o'clock to-day by the
discovery OF the horribly mutilGted
body of man packed in trunk, which
was taken out of room No. 3sj. The
stencil from the trunk caused the dis-
covery. The hotel register reveals tho
fact that on March 30 u gentleman reg
istered as Walter III, LennoX Maxwell,
Nj. -. from London, and was assigned
10 the room. On opening the trunk IL
was found that tho head Of the man was
severed from tho body, and written on
q paper Inside the nunk were the words:
$50 perish all traitors TO the great
cause"
Tho trunk and its contents were ia
ken TO the morgue.
MORE OF THE HoRRIDLE DETAILS,
Mr.. Maxwell is described as a very
girlish-looking blonde young maG,
wearing dark, woody coat, cut Of Eng
lish stuff. His face cloan-sh wen and
he wore his hair banged fashion, not
parting it. He was seen with company
and hsquently with q dark-loOkiDg
gentleman, about feet 10 inches high.
The latter wore . dark mustacha and
had dark hair. This gentleman regis
tered rs G, Arthur Preller, London, Eug-
land, and was assigned to room No. IS4.
Four DAYS alter Maxwell had regis
tered, a telegram WAS received from
Prelier, asking whether Maxwell was
guest OF The house, He was answered
in the affirmative aud he soon came on,
and was assigned to the room above
given. Both men occupied room No.
lSi in common a considerable part of
The time, each OF thom calling Tor the
key at times, and the clerk giving it out
to each indiscriminately, as they
seemed 10 be good friends and old ac-
quaintances. The men were much re-
marked about the hotel for their
DUDIsH, DANDIFIED ACTS.
Maxwell left the hotel a week ago
Sunday night, but he had paid bis full
weeks board promptly, and it was sup
posed that he would return any day. No
suspicion was attached to his absence
until the horrible smell called attention
10 the room ard led to the opening OF
the trunk. When the trunk containing
the body was opened in the hotel COR
ridor to-day it was found to contain the
body Of a middle agen man, face and
hips and knees that it filled
the receptacle. On the side
of the trunk over the head
of the corpse was printed in large letters
the words: $50 perish all traitors to
tho great cause" The trunk and its
gastly contents were Immediately hur-
ried to the Four Courts. The body as
it appeared in the trunk presented
HORRIBLE ASPECT.
The face and parts of the body were
uncovered, the only garment being a
pair of drawers reaching TO tife knees.
They were entirely black and shO" ed
advanced decomposition. The head ana
neck were doubled up at one end of the
trunk and the arms were forced down
l.,, 81 al I,n hoo M
legs were bent at the knees
and the thighs. being nearly
perpendicular, as if great force had been
used i'll putting the body into the trunk.
The face was smooth, the hair jet black,
and, as tar as one could judge, the dead
man could not have been more than 30
years old. The body was that of a com
mon-sized man in height and build.
Tho only evidence of violence as the
body lay in the trunk,
WAS A CUT OR STAB IN THE BREAST
The trunk was n medium-sized COM
mon trunk, bound with wooden strips.
The most mysterious and sensational
feature of the trunk was the inscription
pasted inside near the head. rhe
the freight elevator. The whole corri-
dor of the hotel was filled with a horri-
BILE stencil, which seemed to disappear
when the corpse was taken away. 1t
soon became evident that tho second
trunk, which was very heavy, was
emitting fetid smell also. Attempts
were made to open it, but it was found |
to be securely locked. 1t was also |
carted off to the morgue, whore it WAS
opened and found to contain numerous
articles. 1t also contained
MAXwELL'S LONDON ADDRESS,
at IA Papen Building Temple, London.
An envelope addressed Ill ms
hand writing 10 Rev. G. A, Lewis, b. A
cur ator Of st, Paul's, Leeds, Yorkshire,
England. He came over on the steamer
Cephalonia, from England.
has Russian passport vized by the
Russian ambassador at London, In 1885, |
and passport for 1888 for Spain and
Mexico, vized by the Spanish minister |
and signed by Granville. Seven trunks,
four valises and hat box were left at
the hotel, and contain clothing, etc.,
valued at hundreds of dollars. This Is
believed to make the theory a hoax un-
tenable, The belief is that the corpse is
either that of Maxwell or Prelier. No
one remembers which one OF the two
men left the hotel last.
CHIEF OF DETECTIVES BURKE.
after making an examination of the
rooms at the Southern hotel, says: 81
think the dead man is Preller, who ar,
rived at the hotel on the Sd instant, and |
that he was killed by Maxwell, who
registered there on March 81. The
murder took place in Maxwelrs room,
No. IA, and the trunk in which the
body was stored was one which Max
we'll brought with him from the east:
On last Tuesday he bought the second
trunk found in his room at store on
Broadway, near Walnut street. Into
this he transferred the books,
clothing, papers, Instruments,
Photographic views, etc, which IL
contained, probably in great bury, as
If they were in confusion. He also
placed the tray of the old trunk in this
to give him more room to pack 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 of
discovery, of course, at any moment,
and on this account he probably
changed his plans and decanpeF 70
avoid discovery. He went away With
out taking any of his effects. l have
no idea what prompted the
murder. l found a black stiif
hat, with large brick in 1t,
as ii it had been struck blow, but at
the same time the body gives evidence
of death from poisoning. 1t is certain
that the men were intimate, and that