The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-04-15
ST. LOUIS SENSATION.
horrible Discovery Made at a
Hotel There.
The Dead Body Of a Supposed Spy
Found In a Trunk.

ST. LOUIS, Apfil 14.-A sensation was caused
at the Southern Hotel between IL and II
O'Clock to-day by the discovery of the horribly
mntllated body OF man packed in trunk
winch WAS taken out OF q room. The stencil
from the trunk caused the discovery The
hotel register shows that on March 80 a gentle
man registered as Walter IH. Lennox MaxA
well, NJ. D., from London, and was assigned
that room. On opening the trunkit was found
that the head OF the man was severed fTom
the body, and written a paper inside the
trunk were the words: $50 perish all traitors
to the great cause" The trunk and its con-
tents were taken to the morgue.
Mr.. Maxwell 10 described as very girlish
looking, blonde young man. His face was
clean shaven and he wora his hair bang
fashion. He was seen in company frequently
with dark looking gentleman, who had regis
tsred as @. Arthur Preller, London, England,
and was assigned room 1874, four days after
Maxwell had registered, aud both men oCcu-
pied room 1874 in common considerable part
OF the time. Maxwell left the hotel week
ago Sunday night, but no suspicion attached to
DIS absence until horrible smell called atten-
tlon to his room and led to the opening of the
trunk. When the trunk was opened in the
hotel corridor, it was found to contain the
body OF middle-aged man, the face and
breast up, and 30 doubled about the hips and
knees that it filed tie receptacle. The body
presented horrible aspect. The face and
parts OF tho body covered (the only garment
being pair of draeers reaching lust to the
kneee) were entiralY black and showed adj
vaIiced decomposition. fha lace was smooth,
hair jet black, and 50 far as one could Judge
the dead man could not b ave been more than
80 years of age. The body was that of COM
mon sized man in height and huild. The only
evidence of violence was q cot or stab In She
breast. Another trank contained numerous
ARTICLES, among which were ps,,sr with May
wells London address, IA Pap Building.
Temple London, and an envelope addressed in
his handwriting to Rev. d. G.. A. Lewis, B. "A,
Curator Of St. PauPs, Morley, Leeds, York
shire, England. He came over in the steamer
Cephalonia from England. Preller had
Snssian passpors, vised by the Russian am
bassador in London in 1873. and passport for
1888 for spain and Mexico, vised by the
Spanish minister and signed "Granyille,"
Seven trunks, four Yalisss and hat box we're
left behind at the hotel, and their contents,
clofhlng, etc are valued at hundreds of dol
lars. IhlS is believed to make the theory of
hoax untenable, und the belief is that the
corpse IL either that OF Maxwell or Preller No
one remembers which OF tine two men left the
hotel 4ast. Chief of Detectives Burke believes
the dead man is Preller. In the trunks left
by Preller were found samples of furniture,
fnishings, tapestry, rugs, etc. A card plate,
reading sc. A. Preller, 81 Abchurch Lane,
London, EEg.," was also found.
BOSTON, A pril 14.-It is learned that Walter
ID. Lennox Maxwell, who figures in the ST.
LOUIS trunk tragedy, arrived in this city by
o1-T5 SIPuNioA,@ III tHS ecfiy parI OIL Janu-
airy. lie boarded with Mrs. Cook at 1908
Washington street and soon became acquainted
with attendants in neighboring drug store, to
whom he represented h5 was about to open a
doctors office on Shawmut Avenue. Ia con-
yersatien with the clerks ne casually mem
toned his acquaintance with Preller
with whom his name is associated in the ST.
Louis despatch. Maxwelis manners showed
him to bs intensely English and he frequent.
" expressed his contempt for the so-ealled
Irish sgitators. He also mentioned the fact
Of his having friends in Allston. Maxwell
ieft Boston suddenly abont the last of March
and nothing has since been known of his
whereabouts. Mrs. Cook, the lady with whom
hs boarded, has Eecsntly removed to New
Hampshire.
ST.. LOUIS, April 14,-I'he coronsr's autopsy
this afternoon disclosed the fact that the
stomach contained poison. The stomach has
been given to G chemist for analysis.