St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-05-29

in chair in the drug store for more than a
| quarter Of an hour, and was altogether very
| lelsurely about my business, for there was
| no hurry. If / am not mistaken had long
| conversation with some one IN the drug
| store.
| "When got the chloroform 1 repaired to
! my room. Preller had been in and out OF
| my room and his own all afternoon. About
| p. m. we began the operation. / admins
| tered the chloroform In the usual way. hold
| Ing saturated cloth to the nose. Preller
| passed through the first stage all right; II
| took several moments-I don't know exactly
| how long; then he entered the second stage,
| and here the terrible result came. l discov-
cred too late that he was dying. Imagine
my horror when this fact dawned upon
me. | was wild with fright, but had pres
sence OF mind enough to cut the shirt and
undershrt from the body and getting wet
towel, beat him around the neck and
shoulders for half hour or more. did
not give up until was ready to droD from
exhaustion. and my efforts were not relaxed
| until he had been dead some time. All the
clothes he had on at the time were his shirt
and undershirt; he had stripped to these for
the operation"
What did | do when l saw nv friend was
dead? What could l do? I didn't know
what to do, except drink, and l drank freely;
l drank everything could get, wine, whisky
-everything What were my thoughts? I
hadn't any. All remember is that drew ON
pair of drawers-the first that fell into my
hands-and put the body into my trunk,
from which | had removed everything.
put it in the trunk an hour after Preller's
death. What was done beside this have no
recollection of. Liquor and CONSERVATION
had possession of me and | know only that
my feelings were those of the utmost horror,
l remained in my own room that night-the
same room in which the remains were-and
it would be lie for me to say that / slept,
for didn't, and | was glad when morning
came What did after leaving mvroom you
know, for it has all been printed"
'tWas a catheter found among your medi-
cal Instruments"
81 don't know. / carried some of my in
struments away in alise and threw them
into the Pacific"
Had you any plans about disposing ofthe
body?"
"Sone whatever. / meant to leave it there,
expecting that it would be diScove red
sooner than it was, and thinking that post
mortem would reveal the true state OF facts
that Preler had met his death while I'M
dergoing such an operation as l have desig
mated"
How about PrelIers moneys l asked.
Il know nothing about PreiIer's IN oney. L
had plenty of money of my own, I could
not have made the long trip which l did
make"
This statement was thus incomplete, be-
cause it was intended that should obtain
the prisoners written statement which
occurrences in room IA. The attorneys,
however refused to give the written state
ment, and by their advice Maxwell refused
to say any more.
According to his own story the cutting off
of Preller's mustache, the inscription about
TRAITORS" and all the other queer incidents
connected with the tragedy are to be at
ton after the fatality
This Is the story of the KILN = of PreIler
as Maxwell told it to me yesterday after
noon. JOHN j. JENNINGS.