The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-08-29 00:00:00

THE MURDER IN ST. LOUIS.

A Chester correspondent says: The most extra-
ordinary speculations are current at Hyde, Cheshire,
regarding the young man who has been arrested for
the murder of Mr. Preller, the Bradford commercial
traveller, at St. Louis, U.S. Every conceivable trait
of the character of Mr. Brooks, junior, the solicitor,
has been raked up by assiduous local journalists, and
the general conclusion arrived at is that Maxwell and
Brooks are one and the same person. Mrs. Brooks has
been "interviewed," and she gives it as her deliberate
opinion that her son is not the man in custody, despite
Reuter's telegram to the contrary. These circum-
stances may be taken as absolute facts—namely, that
young Brooks, who had been living a somewhat
chequered life in Hyde, suddenly left there for
America early this year, and that there his
identity was lost until details of the terrible trunk
tragedy reached this country, and that there he
passed under the names of H. M. Brooks, and subse-
quently T. C. D'Auguier. The corroborative testi-
mony pointing to H. M. Brooks as the name of the
alleged murderer is furnished in this way: When
"Maxwell" was arrested, he wore a brand new watch,
and that led the authorities to the conclusion that
he must have either sold or pledged an old watch.
Investigation led to the discovery of the missing
watch, the number of which, 3262, with the name
written inside in ink, "H. M. Brooks," has led to its
recognition at Hyie, the watch having been in the
possession, or one exactly tallying with it, of Mr.
Thomas Maddock, jeweller, Market-place, Hyde,
and was by him sold to Hugh Mottram Brooks some
years ago. Mr. George Spencer, Hyde-lane, jeweller,
has also in his diary an entry of the same watch
having been cleaned by him for Brooks, shortly be-
fore the latter left England. Brooks had on several
occasions taken part in dramatic performances at
St. George's School, Hyde, kept by his father, Mr.
S. M. Brooks, and curiosity brought to light the pe-
culiar fact that " Maxwell" was one of the characters
taken by him on one occasion, and that " D'Auguier"
was the name of a French tutor under whom he
studied. Brooks' friends, while confessing that this
is testimony of a remarkably confirmatory character,
still assert that it will come out by and by that his
name has been most unjustifiably and cruelly used by
Maxwell. There is further this irrefutable fact that
an Easter card was posted from St. Louis the week
before the murder to a young lady in Hyde, with
whom Brooks had been on terms of intimacy, and as
she had no friends at St. Louis, the probability that
Brooks had sent the card was very strong. Then
again the ticket taken from St. Louis by the alleged
murderer " Maxwell " is said by the railway authori-
ties to have been "Hugh M. Brooks," and that they
possess his signature. The endorsement on the ticket,
and the name T. C. A'Auguier signed on the hotel
register, are the same, according to the authority of
the American detectives. It is thus clear that
D'Auguier is either Brooks, or Maxwell going under
the alias of Brooks.

It happened when "My Awful Dad was being
played at the Gaiety. Charles Matthews had turned
in for 40 winks after dinner, having given his servant
orders to wake him in time for the performance. The
faithful servitor went round the corner to see a man,
and forgot all about his master, who slept ion.
Waking at last of his own accord, Matthews went to
the theatre, leisurely, as was his wont, to find the
audience waxing impatient at the delay. Undisturbed
by the clamour, the cool comedian proceeded to attire
.libstelf for his part. Just before the curtain was
raised, a voice was heard—the voice of the usual Miff
in the pit—and this was what it said: "Pull up the
rag. If you don't do it soon Charley will be too old
to play the part." -

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