The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-15
A TALE on A TRUNK.
THE urAD1Ess BODY OF A MAN

Creates n sensation in n st. Louis Hotel
Diystery Two Men uasolyed-T Plot
Thiekens wiz, Very Thin Thread
for the Sequel of tho Murder.
sr. LOUIS, April 14.-A sensation was
caused Mt the Southern Hotel this morn
ling by the finding Of a trunk containing
the headless body Of man, with note
within the trunk saying: $50 perish al
traitors to the great cause" Tho room
was assigned March 80 10 Walter Lennox
Maxwell, NJ D., London, England.
Mr.. Maxwell is describedas q very girl.
ish looking blonde young man, wearing a
dark woody cutaway suit Of English stuff.
His face was clean shayen and he wore
bis hair bang fashion, not parting it at all.
He was seen in company and frequently
with a dark looking man about five feet
teninches in height. Thelatter worea dark
mustache and had dark hair. This gentle
man registered as @. Arthur Preller, Lon
don, England, and was assigned to room
t1S4. Four days after Maxwell had regis
tered atelegram was received from Preller
asking whether Maxwell was guest at
the house. He was answered In the eatlirm-
alive and he soon came on and was assign
ed to the room above given. Both men
occupied the room numbered 1S1 in com.
mon a considerable part OF the time, each
Of them calling for tho key at times and
the clerk giving it out TO each indiscrimi-
nately, as they seemed to be good friends
and old acquatntances. The men were
much remarked about the hotel for their
dude, danJifed appearance.
Maxwell left the hotel week ago Sum
day night but he had paid his full weeks
board promptly and It was supposed he
would return any day. No suspicion was
attached to his absence until the horrible
smell called attention TO the room and led
to the opening OF the trunk.
TIE TRuNEs' SECRET.
When the trunk containing the body
was opened in the hotel corridor to-day it
was found to contain the body Of mid
dle.aged man, face and breast up, and SO
doubled about the hips and knees that It
flied the recepticle. On the side Of the
trunk over the head Of the corpse was
printed in large letters the words, 80
perish all traitors to the great cause"
The trunk and its contents were immedi-
ately hurried to the Four Courts. The
body as 1t appeared in the trunk present.
ed a horrible aspect. The face and parts
OF the body were uncovered.
Pfsller,s trunks are OF much better quail
lity than those Of Maxwell's, being made
of fine leather and the personal effects in
them indicate their owner was q gentle
man OF means and culture. The trunks
have on them the label OF the Cunard
steamship company and Continental Hotel,
Philadelphia, where he occupied room
No. 1856 on March 26, and he had also been
| at the Hossin House, Toronto.
Following is description OF Maxwell
given by the person who saw and con-
versed with him at the Southern Hotel.
lie was about fve feet nine and half
inches in height, weighed something like
Iaod gds Hs sses9s ss q se sef EnsB ER
type and cleanly shayen; eyes light blue
aud think at least they were not dark in
color. His hair Of a light sandy color, cut
very short behind and rather bushy in
front, without any part and banged likea q
girls. Inhis manners he was very efemi-
nate, ghiGh he eyer carried 10 Tar as 70
walk with short mincing steps like q wo-
man. .
EXPOSED roR IDESrlricArIoS.
This afternoon the body Of Preller was
exposed on slab In the exposition t.aom
Of the morgue for further Identification
yiththe following description given by
superintendent Ryaai peaeaaed was
about 5 feet inches in height, weighing
about 40 pounds, black hair, eyes brown
in color; wore white knit drawers. No
other clothing came with the body. De
ceased was about 22 or 2S years old, Tba
body was very mich dstotaposed. He
has been dead ten or twelve days, the
tongue protruding; large biisters on both
legs there is cross cut into the flesh on
the breast.
The following telegram, found among
the papers 9f Preller, is tha bast slew II
the relation oi PrelFer and MAXWELL "
BpsToS, MAS, March 10, 1885.
c. A. Preller, Btlpidere Hotel, corner Fourth
Attnae aud Eighteenth Street:
Yes; could go direct to Auckland from
here. viii write Philadelphia tomorrow:
W. i. LESNoX MAxYEtp.
From q letter IRON the steqmsllip COM
| pahyit is inferred that Preller sailed from
England for this country on tlle Cephe.
lonia, January Glst, 1855, on . commefcial
tour Of this country and Australia. The
telegram given above would indicate that
Maxwell agreed to accompany him to
Australia.
YaE fttf ek Fhf ttIfrff, I:sf IT,
Among the letters found In Pfeiler's
trunks was the following:
No. aoS4ggERsOS ptAcE NV I YSRs o. !; CIR. o!Ty,
Ihave great pleasure fn' introducing 10
you BY this note our dear brother Mi. o;
/ pte!le,, st London, England, known ID
VIII ssBs H5pip$ st gsu nB 81? g nEtasiiSy
pro6ted bythisfriendshlp daring his stay
In Soar city, am yours L y, e,..,.,...
To Rev. DR.. James II. Brooks, 2l9, North
Fifth Street, st. Louis. Mo.
9tig, Grierson, 80, EewM Montgomery street,
San EfannlsaG
Mr.. A. Gals, San Francisco, Cal.
Ed. Moyse, Evangelist, care Of w. L.
Leese, New Zealand.
yahR Afagree, care ia. Campbell, Napier,
New 7ealald.
This friendship was wakened by my
bringing him 70 meeting for young men
at WHICH prt H. G. Grunners spoke from
his way.l ~ ;!
Dari Olson, $40 Valencia street, San