The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-01-26
MAXWELL OR PRELLER?
The Scene of the Great st. Louis Trunk
Murder Now Enlivened by Ghostly
Visitors - Mysterious Manifestations
Which Disturb the Peaceful Repose
OF Transcient Gussts-A Sensation In
the Southern Hotel.

There is more trouble at the Southern
Hotel, st. Louis, over the Maxwell
Preller crime. a dispatch of the Dist
gives the following details: Guests at
the Southern are in a ferment over the
peculiar experience of a gentleman who
occupied the famous room Ill witch
Maxwell murdered Preller. The room
was No. IA when Maxwell oc-
cupied it, but it achieved such
notoriety on account Of the trag
edv that the proprietor changed the
number to 1873. Every employs Of the
hotel, from bell-boy and porter to clerk,
was sterniv cautioned not 10 give any
information about the room. One old
lady, confirmed spiritualist, ac-
complshed her end by bribing a bell
boy to give her the revised number.
Her room was 135 and 1873 was the
only vacant room on the floor. She
was assigned to the much coveted
apartments. When she emerged from
the room next morning her face was
full of painful melancholy and her
hands of letters and communications of
various kinds from the spirit world,
which she alleged she received direct
from Maxwell and Preller. The old lady
was ordered to tell no one outside of the
hotel what had occurred and retrained
from doing so.
The experience of gentleman who
occupied the room last night, however,
was of 30 startling a nature that it could
not be kept secret. The gentleman in
question is a reputable business man
and one not in the least inclined to be
nervous. He was assigned to the room
several days ago and was unconscious
that he was occupying the apartment
IN which a diabollcal crime had been
committed. He went TO bed early the
first night and soon fell asleep, but was
awakened by tapping on the head of
the bed which was kept up at intervals
through the night. lie was worried but
said nothing to anyone of the matter,
and occupied the room the next night.
The tapping began about midnight and
he arose and examined the room. but
could find no one there. He noticed,
however, that the bureau drawers were
open. He shut item, but they opened
again and the tapping on the bed con-
tinued to disturb him until morning.
He returned to the dread apart
ment last night, mad at himself and de-
termined to sleep IN spite of the myste-
rious rapping. He retired early and
slept until about l O'Clock, when he was
aroused by a loud explosion in the fire
place. A second and third followed in
rapid succession. The gentleman, who
was not afraid of spirits, sprang from his
bed and struck light. Several bricks
had been blown from the fireplace anj
| pieces of some slaty substance were
scattered about the room.
The occupant of the chamber called
| the night clerk, but that individual re-
| fused to enter the chamber. The dis
| turbed guest removed his things from
the abode of spirits before breakfast
and at his own suggestions Was trans
| ferred to other apartments. The mys'
| terious affair has caused a tremendous
sensation here and it will be some time
| before the proprietors of the hotel can
find any one hardy enough to occupy
| the dread chamher