The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-16
A Body In a Trunk.

Hass OF Austin, purchased large box
at auction from auctioneers who were
selling a large quantity of unclaimed
freight for the Chicago q Northwestern
Railroad. Two days aftervard the box
was opened at Austin and found TO con-
tain "A medium sized trunk, bound with
iron strips. The space between the trunk
and the side of the box was packed with
sawdust Several layers of white oil
cloth were wrapped around the trunk
Within the trunk was a zinc box, the
cover solderod tight. This box was also
wrapped in oil cloth Within the inner
box was found the decomposed BODY of
n man. 1t had been bound with light
rope. so rs To fit compactly in the box,
and some chemical had been placed
around IL to destroy the flesh. The box
was shipped from Salt Lake, Utah. on the
morning OF Feb 8, 1893. IL was left at
the freight office of the Union Pacific at
that place the day before by man giving
his name as &. NJ. Morgan and was
billed TO G.. NJ. Morgan No lG6 jefferson
street Chicago. The freight was prepaid
and the shipper left ostensibly for this
city, the same day. IL was shipped as
household goods and weighed $40 pounds.
The box arrived in Chicago, Feb l6 and
remained in the &. E n. W. freight depot
until July %, 1873 IL was unclaimed
and notices sent To the address on tho box
elected no reply. On that date il was
delivered To the warehouse belonging To
the auctioneers where il remained for
nearly three years On Feb O. il was de-
cided To sell tho box at auction to get
back the freight and storage charges. A
notice was sent 60 the consignee at Salt
Lake that he would be given until Feb %
20 pay the charges and and redeem it.
No notice being received from tho con.
signee it was sold. AT l66 jefferson street
{. Nj. Morgan was unknown except TINT
an cxprcssman had called few weeks be-
fore the box was sold and asked for G. NJ
Morgan An examination Of the body dis
closed the fact that the skull had been
fractured in two places plainly indicating
a murder. The blows wcrc supposed To
have been struck with hatchct.
Two Clues Followed.
Two clues were followed by the police.
Henry Eeyere and Bas Marcel two
Frenohmen living here told n story of the
disappearance of n friend Of theirs named
Jones Prosper Chasal at salt Lake during
February, 1898. No trace OF him has ever
been found. Cbasal was a native of
Lyons, France, and was we'll To do. The
two men identified the body as being that
of their friend and strongly maintained
that everything pointed To the correctness
Oh their suspicious that he had been muir
dered for his jewels, OF which he always
wore collection Of great value.
Inc second theory was that the body wns
that of Oliver Pike and that ne had been
murdered in Seattle, Wash. His relatives
identified the body and had &c taken 60
fayetto for burial lie disappeared from
Seattle July 3, 1892 and was never heard
rom until few days ago whom he wrote
~ his relatives. IL was thought That Pike
had been murdered for some dauagine,
knowledge be possessed concerning the
operations at an insane asylum ht Stcil-
;oom, Wash; An Investigation was made,
)ut no definite proof was ever establisl cd
hat Pike had boon done away with hv
nc suspected persons nc the Stciicooin |
isylum and the matter was dropped.
A Mistake I'm TIent'fv