The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-15
ST. LOUIS MURDER MYSTERY.
The Decomposing Body of Man Found
in Trunk in the Southern Hotel.
The Head Severed from the Body-Finding
Of Paper Inscribed, $50 Perish ALI
Traitors to the Great Cause"

ST. LOUIS, April 14-Quite sensation was
caused at the Southern Hotel, between Ii and IL
o'clock to-day, by the discovery of the horribly
mutilated body. of man, packed in a trunk.
which was taken out Of Room 1885, The stencil
from the trunk caused the discovery. The hotel
register reveals the fact that on March go gen
tleman registered as Walter H. Lennox Max
well, NJ d., from London, and was assigned to
the room. On opening the trunk it was found
that the head of the man had been severed from
the body, and written c.. paper inside the
trunk were the words: $50 perish all traitors to
the great cause The trunk and contents were
taken to the morgue.
Mr. Maxwell is described as q very girlish-
looking, blonde young man, wearing dark,
woolly, cutaway suit of English stuff. His face
was clean-shaven, and he wore his hair bang
fashion, not parting it at all. He was seen in
company, and frequently, with dark-looking
man, about five feet, ten inches in height. The
latter wore dark mustache, and had dark hair.
This gentleman registered as c. Arthur Preller,
London, England, and was assigned to room 1S4.
Four days after Maxwell had registered, tele-
gram was received from Preler asking whether
Maxwell was a guest at the house. He was an
swered in the affirmative, and he soon came On,
and was assigned to the room above given. Both
men occupied the room No. 1884, in common, a
considerable part of the time, each of them call
ing for the key at times, and rhe clerk giving it
out to each indiscriminately, as they seemed to
be good friends and old acquaintance. The
men were much remarked about the hotel for
their dudish, dandifed airs Maxwell
left the hotel a week ago Sunday
night, but he had paid his full weeks
board promptly, and it was supposed that he
would return any day No suspicion was at
tached to his absence, until the horrible smell
called attention to the room and led to the open
ing of the trunk.
When the trunk containing the body was
opened in the hotel corridor to-day, it was found
to contain the body of middie-aged man. The
body lay face and breast up, and so doubled
about the hips and knees that it filled the recep-
tacle. On the side of the trunk, over the head of
the the corpse, printed in large letters the
words: $50 perish all traitors to the great
cause" The trunk and its CHASTITY contents
were Immediately hurried to the Four Courts
The BODY, as it appeared in the trunk, presented
a horrible aspect The face and parts of the
body were uncovered, the only garment being a
pair of drawers reaching justto the knees which
were entirely black and showed advanced decom-
position. The head aud neck were doubled up
at one end of the trunk, and the arms
were forced down by the sides and under
the body; the legs bent at the
knees, the thighs being nearly perpendicular, as
if great force had been used in putting it into
the trunk. The face was smooth, the hair jet
black, and, as far as one could judge, the dead
man could not have been more than thirty years
of age. The body was that of common sized
man in height and build. The only evidence OF
violence presented, as the body lay In the trunk,
was cut or stab in the breast The trunk was
a med dunn sized, common zinc trunk, bound with
wooden strips. The most mysterious and sensa-
ticnal feature was the inscription posted inside
the trunk. near the head A second trunk was
left standing near the freight elevator. The
whole corridor of the hotel was filled with a
horrible stencil, which failed to disappear when
the corpse was taken away. Soon it became
evident that the 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 also carted off
to the morgue, where it was opened
and found to contain numerous articles.
1t also contained Maxwells London address,
which was given as IA Paper Building, Temple
London, and an envelope addressed in his hand
writing to Rev. ID. G.. A. Lewis. 3. A. curator
of St Pauls Merely, Leeds, Yorkshire England.
He came over on the steamer Cephalonia from
| q VfSeO
by the Russian ambassador in London, in 1878.
and a passport obtained in 1883. for Spain and
Mexico, vised by the Spanish minister and signed
by Granville
Seven trunks four vases and hat-box were
left behind at the hotel, the contents of which
are valued at several hundreds OF dollars This
is believed to make the theory of hoax unten-
able and the belief is that the corpse is either
that of Maxwell or Preller. No one remembers
| which one of the two men left the hotel last.
INVESTIGATING THE MYSTERY.
Chief of Detectives Burke, after making an
examination Of the rooms, said: II think that
the dead man is c. A. Preler, who arrived at
the hotel on the Sd inst, and that he was killed
by Maxwell, who registered there on the 31st of
March. The murder took place in Maxwell s
room, No. 144 and the trunk in which the body
was stored was one which Maxwell 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, instru-
ments, Photographic views, ETC., which it con-
| tanned, probably in great hurry, as they were
found in confusion. He also placed the tray of
his old trunk in this to give him more room
to pack the body. His intention then was prob
ably to remove this trunk, which could pass
out of the hotel with the least
suspicion. There was danger Of discovery, of
course at any minute. and on this account he
probably changed his plans and decamped TO
avoid discovery he went away without taking
any of his effects with him. ] have no idea what
promoted the murder. | found black stiff hat,
with a large break in it. as if it had been struck
violent blow, but at the time the body
gives evidence of death from poisoning. 1t is
certain that the men were intimate and that
Preller spent great deal of his time in Max
| wells ROOM"
| In an examination of the trunks left by Prel-
| Ter and marked &c. o. d" were found samples
of furniture finishing. tapestry, rugs, ETC. A bun
die of letters from Preller to the firm of j. III
| Dixon, Bradford Yorkshire, on business mat
tiers, was also found. as well as the address OF
several carpet firms in this city. A card plate,
| reading c.. A. Preller, 81 Abchurch lane, Lon
| don, England, was also found.
| Prellers trunks are Of much better quality
| than those of Maxwells, being made of fine
leather and the personal effects in them indicate