The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-29

The mystery surrounding the find
ing of PROSPER Chazars body in a
trunk in Chicago remains unsolved
Yesterdays investigation developed
but one fact-tfat the body found in
the trunk was IN all probability that of
PROSPER Chazal who disappeared so
mysteriously from Salt Lake in Jan
uary or February. 1893.
Who is the murderer? That is a
question the police both here and in
Chicago are trying to solve. Three
years is long time, and d murder so
shrewdly planned and successfully ex-
ecuted as that of ChazaPs is difficult
TO locate when almost all the associates
of the victim are scattered among for
eign countries, while those who re-
main have but faint recollections of
the man. The murderer will be diff
8ficult to trace and if found, still hard
er to convict. The peculiar circum-
stances surrounding the case warrants
this assertion.
As above stated. +he developments
yesterday brought netting startlingly
new to the surface. The only thing
that might have direct bearing on the
case is the description given by F. O.
Webb, who was assistant cashier of
the Union Pacific freight depot at the
time, OF the man who brought the box
down to the depot for shipment While
Mr. Webb says his recoliections of the
transaction are very distinct, it is a
question how much reliance may be
placed on the accuracy of the descrip-
ton. Mr.. Webb, however, says the
man was of medium height, rather
heavy-set and had dark hair and
moustache. What impressed the cash
Ter with the man was his apparent uu-
easfness- That may or may not have
a bearing on the case.
MISSING LINKS.
But even though Mr.. Webb has cor
rectly described the man who brought
the box to the depot. the plot is far
from solved. There are two missing
links, in the shape of the expressman
who carried the trunk TO the freight de-
pot and the man who constructed the
box or rather the zinc receptacle on
the inside, which. according to the de-
tails in the Geographic dispatches,
must necessarily have been construct
ed by mechanic. Diligent search was
made among the tinsmiths yesterday,
hut none recoilected having constructed
such box. There We're some who ad-
mitted that they might have made the
box. or it might have been built by
some of their workmen now away
from the city. but all such theorizing
is of but little value.
The police yesterday made a diligent
search to find the expressman who
hauled the box to the depot. The same
obstacles were met in this direction.
Several admitted that they might
have hauled the box; others
were quite sure that they had
not, and there it stops. Ii the dray
man who hauled the box is in the city
Ii is more than probable he would have
reported the matter TO the police. None
lay claim to having hauled it to the
freight office and if such man is now
in Salt Lake he is keeping very quiet.
MANY THEORIES.
OF theories regarding the murder
there were many. The most probable.
however, seems to be that ChaZal was
slain by some of the colony of French
naaequereaux who were holding forth in
the city about the time of the muir
dered mans disappearance. There were
about ten of these specimens of human
ity. all of whom made q regular bust
ness of contracting for French women
to be SEM over for immoral purposes.
All of them left the city within a
month or two after the disappearance
of Chazal
An attempt yesterday TO secure their
names was fruitless. They have never
been arrested for any offense but on
account of their business were pretty
well known to the police. When they
shook the dust of Salt Lake from their
feet. FIVE of them went to Paris
France. where they are supposed to be
now. three departed FIR South Amer
lea, one of the party named Cham
J,aigne went to California, where he
died shortly afterwards and the where
abouts of the others is unknown.
THE WOMEN ARE SILENT.
ThR women added to make up this
party of social outcasts have also
gone. There are but two French wo-
men now IN the cFty who arrived
shortly after the colony had dispersed
and they cannot or are unwilling to
throw any light upon the subject One
is May La Belle, a demi monde on
Third South street. When seen by a
reporter yesterday afternoon she said
that she knew Chazal and his mistress
by reputation only. Later she said
she was personally acquainted with
both. To draw from her even a de-
scription of Chazal however was i'm
possible. Reticence is one of the char
acteristics of that class of people, and |
May was no exception to the rule. /
Outside Of these women there has |
been but one man found who knew |
Chazal and his consorts, and |
that Is q Frenchman named Leon.