The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-28

The story which came from Chicago
over the wires to the effect that the
box addressed to G. NJ. Morgan, 166
Jefferson street, Chicago, containing
the body of an unknown man. which
was sold as unclaimed property left on
the hands of the Northwestern Rail-
way company, at Chicago on Thurs
day, was shipped from Salt Lake, Gre
ated quite a little stir here yesterday.
The outer box in which the body
was found by Philip Grief and Charles
Haas after they had purchased it
without, of course, knowing what it
contained, is . feet, inches in length,
] foot, 10 inches deep, and / foot, six
inches wide. 1t was apparently made
expressly to fit the trunk and was
lined with marble oilcloth and heavy
canvas. With the body was found a
chenille portiere and a. piece of Turkish
toweling. The trunk was new one.
WAS SHIPPED FROM THIS CITY.
Diligent inquiries at the railroad Of
fees developed the fact that the box
was shipped from Salt Lake on Feb
ruary 8, 1888. over the Union Pacific
road The bill of lading showed that
it was sent by G. NJ. Morgan and con-
signed to himself at 166 Jefferson
street, Chicago. 1t weighed $40
pounds. was designated as household
goods and shipped as freight, and the
charges, which amounted to S1775,
were not paid. Owing to the lapse of
time (oyer three years. the railroad
employees could not remember any
thing either about the box or the
person who shipped it; neither could
any explanation be found as to how an
unknown man succeeded in sending
a freight consignment without paying
the charges. Mr.. ". P. P. st. Clair,
who at that time was agent, but is not
here now might, however, be able to
throw some light on that point, a.
though it is doubtful, after more than
three years have passed, If he will re-
member anything about it, so that
the shipper of the CHASTITY freight re-
mains a mystery.
There is no such name as G. M.
Morgan in the directory of Salt Lake
as far back as 1892, but that cuts very
little figure, as anyone shipping
freight of that kind would not
be very apt to give his real name.
WAS IT CRAWFORD?
Several theories have been pro-
pounded as to the identity of the re-
mains which are in such a decomposed
condition that identification is scarcely
possible. One is that the body is
that of William Crawford, the wealthy
ranchman who disappeared from
Evanston, Wyo., in January, 1893, and
has never been heard of since as far as
known The box might have been
shipped into Salt Lake from Evanston
or brought in by team and then tran
shipped to Chicago.
PROSPER CHAZZELL.
Police officer Matt Rhodes, however.
has better theory than that and one
which is very likely to be the true
one. A Frenchman named PROSPER
Chazzell came to Salt Lake late in the
year 1892 or early in 1893. He appeared
TO be a man of wealth and had dia-
monds and jewelry worth many thous
ands of dollars and also had cash in
the Deseret bank. He kept his dia-
Inonds and jewels in a lock box with
the Safe Deposit company and lived
with g. French woman. of the demi
monde. He came from Chicago or New
York. but evidently had not been long
in this country as he spoke but very
little English.
Early in February, 1898, he disap-
peared and has never been heard of
since A day or two after his disap-
pearance the woman he lived with. |
who said she was his wife, notified the
police and search was instituted, Matt |
Rhodes, who then was serving in the |
capacity of a detective, being specially |
detailed to look up the mystery. His |
suspicious fell upon a number Of COM
patriots of the missing man, but moth
ing tangible could be found and the !
suspected parties soon after left this |
city for Chicago.
VALUABLES ALL GONE.
The lock box which was known TO
contain Chazzells jewels was opened |
by order of the court and found empty, |
but there was about $1,000 standing to
his credit in the DesereI Bank and it
is still there.
About q year ago Chief Pratt receiv-
ed a letter from Paris, France. from
a lady claiming to be the sister OF
Chazzell desiring information about
her brother and stating that she had
not heard from him since early in 1893
and that he was then in Salt Lake
Taken altogether this theory seems a
very plausible one and Matt Rhodes
says he is convinced that the remains
found in the trunk in Chicago are those
0f Prosnier Cha zzel1