The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-01

CHICAGO, March 3l.-Ihe mySterl-
Gus body in the box has been posi-
lively identified as that of Prosper
Chazal, the identification being made
possible by phenomenon so rare in
medical annals that its occurrence un-
der the present circumstances is looked
upon by physicians as almost a mir
acle.
The phenomenon referred to is the
formation of adipocere. a corpse wax,
which, in this instance, has formed in
large quantities and has partially pre-
served the body to such an extent that
what, under ordinary conditions, would
have been a formless mass of decay,
can be recognized by well-known
marks as the body of Joanes Prosper
Chazal, murdered in Salt Lake city
three years ago. it is claimed. by a
man known to the French population
Of that city as Jules FAssassin.
CORPSE Wax.
The formation OF corpse wax is rare
under any circumstances, and science
affords little or no explanation of its
cause. In the case OF the body in the
trunk natures forces have operated
under conditions which seemed to
make its occurrence impossible.
The body was enclosed in a zinc box,
placed in a trunk, and the trunk, in
turn. was packed in a dry goods case,
being completely surrounded by saw
dust, which must have absorbed any
moisture which came near it. The case.
with its contents. after arriving at
Chicago. was deposited in dry and
airy warehouse, where il has remained
undisturbed for three years. Never
rheless, there is no longer any room
for much doubt as to the manner in
which Chazal met his death. Henry
Devere and Bas Marcel, two of his
Salt Lake friends, now in this city,
told this afternoon what they believe
IS
THE WHOLE STORY.
According TO them. Chazal was the
victim of a -blooded, deliberate
plot to rob and murder him. He was
decoyed and murdered by Jules rAs-
sassin and his mistress
earned his title before he came to
America. He and his paramour dis
appeared shortly after Chazal's dis
appearance, and the last heard of them
they were in Caracas, Venezuela.
Chazal disappeared in February.
1888. He left the house to go to
The safety deposit vault and get his
iii =
and he remarked as he went out that
he had Unexpectedly heard of a pur-
cha er who would pay him a good
price for he gems. He never returned.
A friend of Marcel was sent a few
days ago to Salt Lake, and the safety
DEF osit vault. where the diamonds
were known to have been kept, was
opened. The jewels were gone. hut
there remained a louis dor souvenir
piece, which had been presented to
Chazal by Marcel Apparently the
Frenchman had gone to the vault and
secured his diamonds He went to the
address of his prospective purchaser
Iae
FELL INTO THE TRAP
which had been carefully laid. and
was added to the victims of Jules
TAssassin. When the fatal trunk was
once despatched, the murderer and his
mistress lost no time in fleeing from
the country. No trace of them was
found, except the PARKWAY report
from Caracas Venezuela
Gradually the details and circum-
stantial evidence has been piecing out
the story. The last step in completing
the chain was taken yesterday. when
a cablegram was sent TO the mother of
Joanes Chazal in Paris inquiring on
which side Of the body the hernia for
which the truss was worn was located.
This information is in the hands of the
physicians here and all that is needed
is the confederation of the mother.
BY the wonderful preservation of the
muscular integuments. made possible
by the formation of the adipocere, the
location of TIE rupture has been de-
termined with an exactness extending
to the smallest anatomical detail. not
withstandiDg that the body had lain
dead for three years. In addition
there are the small. regular, perfect
tech, the unusually long legs, the
long arms, the ncticeably large hands
and feet, and over the whole body the