The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-27
BROOKS DEFENCE.
The Alleged Murderer OF G. A.
Prener at ST. Louis
Outlines Has Defense to Local Reporter
He Admits PrelIer's Death at His
Hands, Eut Declares 1t Wasa
Professional Accident.

following statement, the first that the ac-
cuSed has ever made, will be of interest
1t is made by an attache of local news
paper:
visft-I Hn~h VI. Brooks. NOR widely
known as ". II l. Maxwell. in jul yeS:er-
day, as have frequently visited him in the
interest of the Post Dispatch, ant found him
as calm. composed, self Possessed and self
reliant Us he was on the sunday morning
when I've left the train at the Union De3oE
after his long, tedious, and. might say. tri-
mphant trip from Auckl9nt.
lie came from his cell with n more than
usually cheerful smile upon his ia'e, anil,
though he wore 4 new Write straw hat,
which heightened the palencSS OF his com =
piexion and male n little more pronou nced
u e soft melancholy of hhS features. AMI the
effeminate deI"acy of their outlines, he
still looked well, and was in ali essentials
unchanged.
He is wearing his beard shortcut dow n
TO almost the same proportions as he wore
It during his stay at the Southern in Holy
Week OF last year. and he tells me he looks
now very much ~ he looked then, so that
the question of his personal identification
by the attaches of the house and all who
came in contact with him at that time will
be rendered all the easier.
II anything Maxwell Is much improved
since his advent in st. Louis, not. perhaps,
physically, but i'm such traits rs are readily
recognizable by the casual observer lie is
a little more Subdued in his speech and does
he did in the first few weeks when he WIS
called upon to breast his earliest notoriety.
IIe was always open, frank and unreSerTed
In his talk. and frequently in his convcr-a-
tions with me has to som" extent disregard
ed the ban placed upon him. first by Napier,
his New Zealand attorney; next bv Lawyer
Cluney in san Francisco and lTtterlY by his
attorneys here. each of whom told him in
most positive language that, innocent or
guilty, his safety Law in silence.
In my opinion the great mistake of the
whole thing-after the crime, of course-was
made in accepting Napinr's advire. IL it
hadn't been for this, and II Maxwell hadn't
come 10 st. Louis committed 10 policy
which his Auckland attorney shaped for
him, the story of the killing Of Charles Arthur
Preller would have been known long ago.
and the frightful shadow that HIS hung over
the prisoner ever since might have been
lifted, or frightened at least.
MaXwells explanation of the death of
Preller iS his only defense That explanation
was made in writing to his attorneys.
M"ssrs. Martin and FauntlerOy, many months
ago, and NJ ,Nwell will go on the witness
stand and repeat it.
II he makes the statement on the stand in
the same candid, free and convincing
manner In which he made il to me. do not
see how it can fail to favOrably impress the
jury.
He gave mo the statement yesterdav-not
In its e1tircty-hccause he Expected that his
lawyers would consent To give me the state
ment which he wrote for them-and 1t has
not differed matei tally from the impressions
I gathered concerning his defense from all
the bits and shreds of facts that he gave me
on other occasions.
In giving il lie said his desire all along had
been to unbur1en himself to the public, and
allow his actions previous to and after the
crime to suNStantiatc his declarations. These
n tiOns show that he neither premeditatetI a
crime or tried to conceal one for from the
moment of his arrival at the Southern Hotel
until his departure for san Francisco every
act and almost every word of his had been
the property Of the public, and these acts
and these words form the strongest links in
the chain of circumstances which they have
forged to hold the culprit to his crime.
"The only act" said Maxwell. about
which there has been any doubt ut all has
been the net of which | am now accused.
recognize now as much rs ANYBODY could
defense; bur what could | do? l was here
alone in q strange world, with no one to ad-
wise me but my coun>ci. and followed the
advice they rave me. to the letter. MesSTS.
Martin and FauntlerOy told me that should
have made Il statement when was first ar
rested. but aS ! hal not done tnis. aud a. |
had been i'm st. Louis some day, before they
had time to consult with me. I had bctt I
continue the polly which had started I'm
on and say nothing at all about my case"
believe this statement because Maxwell
has told me over and over that he wanted tC
give out his defense hut could not afford tG
ignore the advice of his lawyers. and 50 tha
public would he obliged to wait for the case
to come to trial before lcIrniu" the d"f.ns o.
After Il little talk of this kind Yesterday
Maxwell came to the conclusion TINT ~ the
trial w"uli begin to- day. it would he best tn
Say something about his dc.cnsc. 81 n" toll
me in sn mauy words that his ATTORNEYS
would not deny the identity of the remains,
nnt you'll 1ckpo owi;''l"e the death Of rrellcr
At MaNwelIS hands, AMI insist that the
death was due to accident. arising from cir
which Prelker ha himself in
vitcd
lowing letter which he gave me to hand TO
MIR. Fauntlcroy for the purpose Of having
Mr.. FauntlerOy give me the written state
nent already referred to:
"F1UR COURTS, CITY. MavF.
"D. NJ. FtUNTLEVoY: If you think it ad-
visahe to make the defense public, / shall
be very glad If you will give the statement
Of mine TO Mr. Jennings of the Post DisDntch
Jennings has been very friendly to- us. SOm-
time a.o promised that | would give hun
the defense WHEN il was to he rnat.c Under
all the circumstances think 1t advisable to
make the defense public. Relieve me, dear
sir, Very faithfully yours.
"H VI. BROOKS.
"P. II. Fauntleroy. Esq"
His sentiment and feelings In regard IN
the statement are fully set forth Ia the last
sentence of his letter.
After receiving the letter, ana before de-
parting from the jail, Maxwell told me the
story OF the tragedy.
''Mr. Preller," said he. not using exactly |
lie language here attributed to him, hut eX /
pressing these ideas: Mr. Preller was suf- /
previously prescribed, mixing the medicines |
myself from the bottles III the medicine case |
carried with me; but his ailment had |
cached stage when it was necessary for !
obliged to use n cathetcr, and In using
,atheter when the parts were infiamed had I
leviously applied chloroform in order 20
produce Il condition of narcOtism- used
in this manner on man
famed Harrison in Liverpool without
my seTious result. explained tine process
hr prnII Iar nd tnl1 lfT 1nnf T hon
rave to do. He was not only wiling, but
vas very anxious for me to treat him in thiJ
During the day purchased fouI
,unces of cblorOfOrm, which was standing i'll
bottle on the edge OF my washstand when
was washing some surgical INSTRUMENTS.
This washing of the instruments took place
unday afternoon and WAS intended IA q
for the operation. In washing
he instruments l overturned the bottle OF
hloroform and IL went headIong into the
'asin. the cork coming out and all
'ut about one ounce and quarter or
n ounce and half going down in tine sink.
his was probably three O'Clock. and after
citing my instruments ready went out tn
ecure some more cnloro;orm. / went TO the
rug store-I don't know where-uut the
tore near the hotel lFerIow'sl and asked
or the chloroform. The clerks or srdn
ersOns there have said that WAS cx 'ir-l ,
nd ia u hurry. This was not so. / sat dow n
a chair In the drug store for more than a
narter OF an hour, and was altogether very /
lsCrely aDJut my business for there was Z
o hurry. II am not mistaken had long
JnYersatlon with some one in the drug
ore.
when got the chloroforIn / repaired to
" rOon- Prciler ha'l been in and out OF
y room and his own all afternoon. About !
D. m we began the operation admins
red the chloToforTn in the usual way. holt I
z saturated cloth to :hc nose. PrelIer !
issed through the first sta.c all right; ft :
ok several moments-I don't know exactly [
)w long: then he entered the second stage, q
ld here the terrible result ctme. / di<cog- .
ed too late that he was tlVins. ImHgin. 1
V horror when this fact dawneI upon q
G. Was Wild with fright. but hal pres
nee OF mind enough to cut the SHIRT an / .
from the holy and .ett.nga wet
wei, l beat him around the neck AMI n
ouiders for half hour or more. Idid i
't give up until vas ready to drop from J.
ha1stiOn. and my efforts we-e not relaxed =
It'll lie hal been deal som. time All the j.
,ti,..- - - - Il.