Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-25
TRUNK MYSTERY,
(cor,inued from Page one.)

Iuent to his student days l had from
him after we nad met once more in
New York. 1t seems that his brother
was the head Of a French company
operating in French Guinea and Sier-
IA Leone. on the African west coast.
Caller went out to enter his broth
er's cOmpany some time about 1896 or
1887.
He was there little less than
nee years, during which time he
says that he mad many adventures
in the bash. In the end his health
failed him, and he went back to
France. Subsequently he came to
America. That was in 1899. Caller
found that / was living here, and he
looked me up. He asked the privilege
of having his mail addressed to me.
because he said that he would be
moving from place to place in New
York and outside of the town. and he
would have no permanent address.
1.-THE man was q wanderer, and he
had much of the spirit Of the vaga-
bond in him. He didn't have to work
for Il living: his art was only Incl
dental and regular remittances came
Leone.
Caller never had a studio. He was
TOO lazy and too inept to attempt Sc
rious things. He told me that the first
place at which ne boarded was in the
Bronx, on Pelham road. That was too
far out of town for him. and later
he moved to West card street, so he
told me He moved once again just
few months before he disappeared,
but where his last lodgings were he
never told me.
"No, Caller never mentioned the
name of William Lewis to me. | didn't
know that he ever knew such a man.
He mentioned once or twice ha wing
been on good times with a certain
man who. he said. knew much Of the
Tenderloin. but whether that man
could have been this Walter Lewis.
do not know.
Early in June, 1902. Caller received
large draft from Africa. He told me
it was for a sum between $4,000 and
$4,000. There had been a reconciliation
between himself and his brother, he
said, and lie was going back to France
and then on to the west coast again
to engage in the business of the COM
pany in which he was interested.
"A few days later he showed me a
ticket on one of the French line boats
to France, and he told me that he was
sailing in few days. He would come
again to bid me farewell, he said.
''Ha didn't come again. Letters came
addressed to him in my care for sew
eral months. Then. when | had sent all
the letters to the brother in Sierra
Leone. no more correspondence came
for him. In April the following year.
1903, Rome Caller arrived in New
York from Africa. He came to see me
to ask me when 7 had last seen his
brother Albert, and he said that Albert
had not appeared either in his home in
Franc" or at the company's quarters in
Africa
1--WE went before the French consul
and Rene Caller told of his brother $
disappearance. Whether the consul no.
tilted the NeN York police or not
don't know. Caller himself did not go
to the police. He left for France with
in week and | have never heard
either from him or his brother since"
The man who told this story yester-
the body found in the trunk he was in
clined to believe that it was that of
Albert Caller. The man whom he had
known. he said, was about feet
inches tall rather slight of figure. and
must have weighed in the neighbour
hood Of $50 pounds. Caller had blond
hair and a thin blond mustache. lie
SAID The missing artist had been tat
tooed on the breast. The mark vas of
an ,n,lsual design, and had been done
by some native artist in Africa. 1t was
distinction of which Caller was
proud.
When inquiry was made at the office
of the French consul as to the report
of Albert Callers disappearance
which was made there in 1903. repre-
sentative of the consul said that it
was contrary to the procedure OF the
French consular service to give any
Information which might be on the rec
nrds of the office.