The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-04-23
A Murderer ON the wing to Australia.


The ADVERTISER was misinformed regard
ing the person registered as 81. Dalziel,
Oh board the steamship City of Sydney,
which sailed for Auckland on Sunday night
last. 1t was not Mr.. Dalziel, of the Chica go
Ne11S Letter, but a man who is wanted for
a CHASTITY murder in st. Louis. The muir
derer is young Englishman, described as
being of feminine cast of features, and
wore blonde moustacke, his hair short cut
He was traced by San Francisco Chronicle
repOr ter, through private dispatch, TO the
Brooklyn Hotel, Pine street where he regis
tered as -. Dalziel, and thence on board
the City of Sydney. His identity with
the murderer is undOubted, and as New
Zealand is in cable connection with the
States, the Auckland police will doubtless
be prepared to shadow him until an officer
from st. Louis arrives by next steamer to
take him in Charge.
The murder was a remarkable one. The
victim, G. A. Preller, was also a very young
Englishman, who travelled partly on
business, but really for pleasure. He
purposed going to Auckland, New Zea-
land, as his letters of introduction
and kilograms show. The murderer was
apparently a travelling acquaintance, as he
telegraphed to Preller at Boston that he
could join him and go direct to Auckland.
The murderer, however, went to st. Louis
and registered at the Southern Hotel as
Walter A. Lennox Maxwell. London, Eng
land" Four days later the hotel manager
received dispatch asking if Maxwell were
registered at the house. Preller subse-
quently arrived and was assigned to room
1874, which he occupied for some time in
common with Maxwell, alias Dalziel. The
latter left the hotel on Sunday, April 9TH
having paid full weeks board, and he was
expected back any day. Nothing was seen
of Preller, until the room was opened owing
to the smell of decomposing flesh, when his
headless body was found doubled up in a
trunk, on the 14th instant, in an advanced
state of decom position. A note was pinned
on the lid of the trunk, which read: so
perish all traitors to the great cause" AS
Preller was we'll known to be a decidedly
religious man, it was at once concluded that
this was an attempt to show that it was a
political murder. The detectives declare
that is was a murder for money. Blood
stains were visible in the room. A bottle of
choroform was also found.
remarkable circumstance is that Richard
w. Owens, a well-known city missionary
of New York, who had given PrelIer letters
of introduction to San Francisco and Auck-
land, states that Maxwell, alias Dalziel, g is
a younger son of Somerset Maxwell, Lord
Farnham, of England, and is a man of
high standing in England" The truth
would appear to be that he is dangerous
criminal. At the Brooklyn Hotel, in San
Francisco, he is thus described by the hotel
clerk:
The man had an extensive wardrobe. He
was always changing his clothes and had one
or two diamond rings on his hands. There
was nothing refined about him. he had
come overland, he said, and was travelling
for pleasure. Yes, he had huge pair of
field glasses, am positive of that. He was
a peculiarly noticeable fellow, full of brag
and had way OF worming himself into the
confidence of people, picked up with every
one and got into their good graces before
any one else would have learned their
names. There was Canadian staying here
who was reported wealthy, and Dalziel once
left card with him which said: IF you
have the time, come to room 81 The man
did not even know who ne was, and of
course did not go. Dalziel wore a long
waterproof coat; close fitting to the figure,
with a short cape. He looked fresh from
England and spoke constantly of London.
He came here from the East by the overland.