Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-17

REFUSING ABSOLUTELY To TALK ABOUT HIS
CAsE-NEw EVIDENCE

REFUSING ABSOLUTELY To TALK ABOUT HIS
CASE-NEw EVIDENCE.
Walter III. Lennox Maxwell, the supposed
murderer of c. Arthur Preller at the Southern
hotel in st. Louis on the 5th of last April,
arrived i'm that city sunday morning from san
Francisco I'm charge of officers. A crowd OF
from 1000 to 5000 people were at the depot,
and there was great scramble among them To
get a view of the prisoner, but good order was
preserved. Maxwell refused positively TO talk TO
reporters about his case. Detective Tracy
thinks that further developments will show
Maxwell 10 be a week man mentally. but that he
has got the one idea wedged into his mind that
his safety depends upon his silence, aud that
he will startle nobody with "A surprising or
romantic defense. Tracy thinks he killed
Preier for money; that the very few ad-
missions he has made point I'm that direc-
ton; that his voyage from st. Louis To
Auckland was a money-spending debauch,
and not a well-planned escape from Justice
The body OF Preller was eNhumed Saturday
to ascertain its condition and determine
whether il would be worth while tn summon
witnesses to identify il when Maxwell is put on
trial. The remains, which were embalmed be-
fore burial, were found TO toe In an excellent
state OF preservation. The trial OF Maxwell cam
not be brought on until the October term OF the
maker recognized Maxwell as the man to whom
he sold the trunk in which Preler's body was
found, and porter at the southern hotel recog-
nized him as having been a guest at that house
Animportant point in the case has just leaked
out. Much speculation had been INDUCED i'm
by the authorities concerning the mutilarion OF
the corpse and the manner in which 1t was
extremities Were too short and did not reach
within a foot of the ankles. The drawers were
subjected TO minute examination, and on the
inside OF the waistband was found the name Of
Hugh NJ Brooks" half written and half
printed in that peculiar hand since SO thor
oughy identified as Maxwells. The only time
the name had been heard of before was at the
San Francisco ticket office under which cog
nomen Maxwell purchased his ticket 10 Auck-
land 1t was also discovered written on the back
of a leather matchbox among Maxwell's effects.
The deduction from these facts is that Maxwell
ctr fkaa
a suit of his, Maxwells clothes. First he put
the drawers on, but finding IL hard work, quit,
ton of shipping 1T to some point where IL would
be found and buried as Hugh NJ. Brooks. The
rapid decomposition of the body alone prevented
him from carrying out his plan. A communi-
cation from London some months ago said that
Brooks was the real name OF Maxwell. Why
he should desire to dress the body In a suit OF
his own underclothes, marked with his own
name, is another puzzler i'm this puzzling case.
WAS PRELLER ACCIDENTALLY KILLED?
A st. Louis special to the New York World
gives the following as the result OF the repor-
tiers attempts to get Maxwell TO talk. II was
intimated to Maxwell that he had killed Prel-
Ter by accident and that he had told the detec-
tives as much. In response % this he admitted
and that at the right time this would be the
defence he would enter Upon his person by
podermic syringes and other medical instru-
ments were found, and when asked IL he had
not used them on Preler, and medicine well,
he admitted that he had, and gave the repor-
giving him an overdose of chloroform. 81 had
often dosed him before" he said, and thought
knew his constitution well, but L may have
been mistaken. Coming over on the Cephalo-
mia prescribed for him for cephaigia or head
ache. I've forgotten now what prescribed,
but have copy Of the prescription however,
and can show IL when the time comes. L gave
him plenty OF medicine on the voyage" He
said that he and Preler bad had boisterous
time together; that after a night OF dissipation
Preiler was sick and that he had at first admin
istered hypodermic injections OF morphia.
They had not acted, aud then the chloform
was brought into play. IL Was only used To
allay great suffering on the part OF Preller.
When it had produced death Maxwell, IL Ia
supposed, became alarmed. He knew that he
was a stranger in this country, that no excuse
he could give could clear away the mystery sur
rounding his friends death. This, OF course, is
the theory, but there is not a doubt but that
after dosing his friend in a friendly way at first
the idea of murder occurred To him and the
chloroiorm was used with deadly intent. The
motive was, of course, the money and jewelry
which Preller had, and Maxwell acknowledges
that he had over 81 900 the night he left this
city. Besides the money he took Preler's
diamonds with him, and they were found on
his person i'm Auckland. They consist of a
full set of solitaire studs and shirt buttons.
When asked about the other property found
in his trunk at Auckland and identified as
Preliers, Maxwell asked that the subject be
changed.