The Mystery of Room 144

The Mystery of Room 144
News of the Times Episode 357  | 1885
1885 St Louis Missouri.
An Englishman arrives at a higher-class hotel in St Louis awaiting his English friend who has a number of business appointments around America and Canada.  The two, who had travelled together from Liverpool to Boston appear to be very good friends. The business gentleman is clearly flushed with money.  His good friend who waited for him is much less so.

The two dine together and then reception is told the next day that the business gentleman has some appointments but will be back in a week.  He pays for the room 1 week in advance and then departs.

A few days later a pervasive smell is coming from the paid room.  With management entering the room, a trunk is found.  The horror inside involves a very decomposed body, naked but for boxers.  The body is so decomposed it is hard for the hotel staff to tell which gentleman it was.

So unfolds an investigation and a chase that will take detectives to San Francisco and Auckland New Zealand, with witness testimony coming from England.  The story captured the headlines of papers on both sides of the pond and is memorable for the remarkable and persistent detective work of the police at the time.

The mystery of room 144 is today’s episode of Murderous Mondays.
Hosted by Robin Coles.

#NewsofTheTimes #VictorianCrimeStories #HistoricalCrimeStories #VictorianMurders #Historicalcrimedocumentary #historicaltruecrime

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newsofthetimes
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EPISODE
If you like this, here are links to some other recommended videos:
1893: The Murder of Rhoda Carter |  EP292
https://youtu.be/n57etH8CWeA
1917: SYC: The Regent Square Murder |  EP301
https://youtu.be/7j6QKTA751U
1893: The Ramsgate Murder Mystery |  EP313
https://youtu.be/1mjH8qmy6NM

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Chapters

• 10:42 [Ad] Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies - The Beltway Briefing
• 11:20 (Cont.) The Mystery of Room 144