Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-04-04
IS IT PIKE OR CHAZEL?
DISPUTE OVER THE IDENTITY OF
TIE MYSTERIOUS BOnY.
r formation Ot sdepocere. i'h HSiciauS
Say. Proved Ii to BE Cnazel
Beyond Doubt.

Chicago, March 3t.-Thc mysterious
body in the box has been positively
identified as that Of Prosper Chazel. the
Identification being made possible By
phenomenon SO rare in medical annals
that its occurrence under lhe present
circumstances IS looked upon by physi-
clans as almost a miracle
The phenomenon referred to i The
Formation Of adipocere q corpse wax.
which N this Instance has formed in
large quantities ana has partially pre-
served the body 10 such an extent that
what under ordinary conditions would
have been q formless mass OF decay can
be recognized by Well known marks as
the body Of Joanes Prosper Cnazel,
murdered in Salt Lake City three years
ago, it is claimed, by man known to
the French population Of that city as
Jules, the assassin.
The Formation Of corpse wax is rate
under any circumstances, and science
affords little or no eXplana ton ii its
cause. in the ease Of thu body IN the
trunk, natures forces have operated
under conditions which seemed to make
its occurrence impossible.
The body was inclosed in a zinc box
placed III a trunk. and the trunk in turn
was packed i'm a dry goods case, being
completely surrounded by sa awdusl
which must have absorbed amy moist
ul'e which came near it, The case with
its contents. after arriving in Chicago.
was deposited in a dry and airy ware
house, where il has remained undis-
turbed for three years. Nevertheless
there is no Longer any room for much
doubt as to the manner in which Cha
gel met his death.
Henry Devere and Bas Mariol, two OF
his Sals Lake friends, now in this city,
told this afternoon what they believe is
the whole story. According 10 them
Ciazel was the victim oi cold-bloodeeI,
deliberate plot TO rob and murder him
He was deeoyed and murdered by
jules, the assassin ana his French
woman. Jules was 4 'reuehman and
had earned his title beto.. he came to
America. lie and bis 5al4nour disap-
peared shortly after Chazel's disappaar-
anee, and the last heard Of them they
We're in Caracas. Nene2uela
Chazel disappeared in February. 1898
He left the house to 60 to the Safety
Deposit vault and get his diamonds.
These We're quite valuable and he re-
marked as he went out that he had
unexpectedly learned Of purchaser
who would pay him a good price for
the gems. He never returned. A friend |
of Mariol was sent Il few days ago to
Salt Lake and the Safety Deposit vault |
where the diamonds We're known to |
have been kept was opened. The jew |
els We're gone but there remained a |
Louis ID Or souvenir piece, which had |
been presented to Chazel by Mariol |
the F'renchman had gone
to the vault and secured his diamonds
He went to the address of his prospec- |
tive purchaser. He fell into the trap |
which had been carefully laid and was |
added to the victims of Jules L'Assas- |
sin.
When the fatal trunk was once des-
patched the murderer and his mistress
lost no time in fleeing from the country
No trace of them was found, except |
the far away report from Caracas, |
Venezuela.
THE CHAIN COMPLETE.
Gradually the details and circumstan-
tial evidence has been piecing out the
story. The last step in completing the
chain vas taken yesterday when
cablegram was sent to the mother of |
Joanes Chazel in Paris inquiring on !
which side of the body the hernia for |
which the truss was worn was located.
This information is in tne hands Of the
here and all that is needed |
is the corrOhorati0n of the mother. BY
the wonderful preservation Of the mus
cular integuu1ents. made possible by |
the formation Of the adipGcere, the 10 |
"a ton Of the rupture has been deter |
mined with an exactness extending to
the smallest anatomical detail, notWith
standing that the body had lain dead for
three years. In addition there are the /
small regular. perfect teeth, the un I
usually long legs. the long arms, tn"
noticeably large hands and feet and I
over the whole body the symmetrical |
muscular development of Chazel, whom |
his friends ROW here had first known |
in France and later in Salt Lake city, /
Now the police are asking themselves |
If the second box addressed to G. NJ.
Morgan at M. 766 jefferson Court also |
d he body Of q murdered man |
and if his assassin returned from |
Caracas to add another to his list Of |
victims /