Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-04-15
A HORRIBLE SIGHT,
On Opening a Trunk in st. Louis Hotel,
a.Mangled Body of a Man was
Discovered.
ST. LOUIS, April IA.

ST. LOUIS, April IA.
A sensation was caused at the Southern
Hotel, between Il and IL today, by the dis
covery of horribly mutilated body of man.
packed in trunk, which was taken out of a
room.
The stencil from the trunk caused the dis
covery. The hotel register shows that on
March, 30th,a gentleman registered as Walter
II. Lennox Maxwell, NJ. ID. from London, and
was assigned that room.
On opening the trunk, was found the head
of a man, severed from the BODY, and written
on paper inside the trunk, were the words,
$50 perish all traitors to the great cause"
The trunk and its contents were taken to
the morgue
Mr.. Maxwell is described as very girlish
looking blonde young man. His face was
clean shaven, ard he wore his hair bang fash
ion. lie was seen frequently in company
with dark looking gentleman, who had reg
| istered as c. Arthur Preller, London, Eng
land, and was assigned room 1874, four days
after Maxwell had registered.
Both men occupied room 1874 in common,
a considerable part of the time. Maxwell
left the hotel week ago Sunday night, No
suspicion was attached to his absence, until
the horrible smell called attention to his
room and led to the opening of his trunk.
w utl TIE uuEk CUHldlulUR tne DOuy, was
opened in the hotel corridor, it wa. found to
contain the body of middle aged man, face
and breast up, and so doubled about the hips
and knees, that it filled the receptacle.
The body presented horrible aspect. The
face and parts of the body, uncovered, (the
only garment being pair of drawers, reach
ing just to the knees,) were entirely black.
The face was smooth; hair jet black, and as
far as one could judge, the dead man could
not have been more than 80 years of age
The body was that of common sized man,
in height and build. The only evidence Of
violence was cut or stab in the breast.
The second trunk contained numerous arti-
cles, among which were a paper with Max
wells London address, IA Paper Building
Temple, London and an envelope, addressed
in his hand writing to Rev. ID. G. A. Lewis,
B. A., rector of st. Paul's Marley Leeds,
Yorkshire, England.
Seventeen trunks, four valises and a hat
box were left behind at the hotel, and the
contents, clothing, ETC.. are valued at hun
dreds of dollars
This is believed to make theory of hoax
untenable, and the belief is that the corpse is
either that OF Maxwell or Preller.
No one remembers which of the two men
left the hotel last. The chief of detectives
Burke, believes the dead man is Preller. In
the trunks left by Preller, were found sam
Piles of furniture finishings, tapestry, rugs.
etc. card plate, reading, &c. A. Preler,
81 Abchurch Lane, London, England" was
also found.
The coroner's autopsy this afternoon dis
closed the fact that the stomach contained
poison. The stomach has been given to a
chemist for analysis.
BosToN, April IA.
1t is learned that Walter II. Lennox Max
well who figures in the st. Louis trunk trag-
edy, arrived in this city by steamer Cephalonia
in the early part of January. He boarded
with Mrs. Cook at l4Os Washington street,
and soon became acquainted with the attend
ants in a neigbboring drug store to whom he
represented he was about to open a doctor S
Office on Shawmut avenue. In conversation
with the clerks he casually mention his ac-
quaintance with Preller. with who his name
is associated in the St. Louis despatch. Max
well left Boston suddenlyebout the last of
March and n6thing since has been known of
| his whereabOut