Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-19
MAXWELL'S STORY.
How the Man Who Il illed PreIIer Hopes
to Escape the GallOws.

The trial of III. NJ Brooks, alias Walter II
Lennox Maxwell, for the horrible murder o
Charles Arthur Preller, was begun in earnest In
the criminal court IN st. Louis yesterday. AT
ter the jury was sworn Mr.. c. o. Bishop made
the opening for the state, and gave graphic
description OF the events which led up to tht
crime. Maxwell flushed and grew pale In turns
while Mr.. Bishop speaking. There were
present many ladies, who were given seats in
side the BAR The court was damned and the
adjacent streets filed with people The only
witness examined was Merritt X. Noble, for
merly clerk at the Southern hotel, but now liv.
ing IN Texarkana, Ark. He identified Max.
scribed how he obtained the key to Preller's
room, and told of the finding and identified
cation OF the murdered mans body.
AN ALLEGED CONFESSION.
There appeared in st. Louis afternoon paper
the following alleged confession of MAXWELL:
"Mr. PTelier WAS suffering from private dis
ease. for which / had previously prescribed.
mixing the medicines myself from the bottles
his aiIment had reached q stage when 1t was
necessary for me TO make q certain investiga-
ton. was Obliged to use a catheter and in us
had previously applied chloroform, in order to
produce condition of narcOtism. / used chlorO-
form In this manner on a man named Harrison
In Liverpool without any serious result ex-
planned the process To MIR. Preller and told him
what should have 10 do. He was not only
willing, but was very anxious for to treat
him in this manner. During the day pur-
chased four ounces of chlOrOfOrm, which was
standing in a bottle on the edge of my wash
stand, where / was washing some surgical in
struments. This washing of instruments took
place sunday afternoon and was intended n
preparation for the operation. In washing the
Instruments l overturned the bottle of chlorO-
form and il went headlOng into the basin, the
cork coming out, and all but about an ounce and
quarter or an ounce and a hall going down in
the sink.
This was probably 8 o'clock, and after get
ting my Instrument ready Invent out 10 secure
mi 81 tn "A rI1o
j don't know where. but the store near the
hotel tFernows), and asked for the chloroform.
The clerk said that l was excited and in "a
hurry. This not SO. / sat down in a chair
in the drug store for more than quarter OF an
hour and was altogether very leisurely about
my business. for there was no hurry. III / am
not mistaken / had a long conversation with
some one in the drug store.
"When got the chloroform repaired to my
room. PreIIer had been in and out Of nv room
and his own all the afternoon. About D pm.
We began the operation. i administered the
chloroform in the usual way, holding "A satu-
rated cloth to the nose Preller passed through
the first stage all right. It took several mo-
Inenfs, don't know exactly how long; then he
entered the second stage and here the terrible
result came. i discovered too late that he was
dying Imagine my horror when this fact
dawned upon me. Was wild with fright, but
had presence of mind enough to cut the shirt
and undershirt from the body, and, getting a
wet towel, L beat him around the neck and
shoulders tor halt hour more. / did not
give up until was ready 10 drop from exhaus-
tion and my efforts were not relaxed until he
ltO Dctn Oedu some tinie. All the clothes
he had ON at the time were his shirt and uI-
dershirt. He had stripped 10 these for the
operation.
Nv hat did do when / saw my friend was
dead? What could do: didn't know what To-
do except drink. and drank freely. I drank
everything L could get-wlne, whisky, every
thing. W hat Were my thoughts? i hadn't any;
ali remember IS that drew pair OF draw
ers, the first that fell into my hands, and put
the body into my trunk, from which l had re-
moved everything l put il iii the trunk an
hour after PreIler's death. What was done be-
side this have no recollection OF. Liquor and
CONSERVATION haG possession OF me ana knew
only that my feelings were those OF the utmost
horror. L remain ri in my room that night
the same room III which the remains were-and
IL would be a lie for 10 say that slept, Tor /
dldn I, and was glad when morning came.
w hat did after leaving my room you know,
for il has all been printed"
y ST. Louis special says: There Is little doubt
that Maxwell did make such a statementas the
above, very greatly To- his counsel's annoyance,
and that at their peremptory demand he de-
cilned To say anything about il. His counsel
DO now expect TO adopt that defense. Accord
Ing 10 his own story the cutting oil OF Prefers
moustache, the inscription about traitor
found in the trunk, and all the other queer in
cidents connected with the tragedy are 10 he
attributed 10 his liquor and fear-craZed condi-
uon alter the fatality.