New-York tribune., 1886-05-25
PRICE THREE CENTS
MAXWELL'S CONFESSION.
TELLING HOW PRELLGR WAS MURDERED
FACED IN COURT BY A FELLOW PRISONER ~ WHOM
HE CONFIDED-A DETECTIVES STRATEGY.

FACED IN COURT BY FELLOW PRISONER, ~ WHOM
HE CoNFIDED-A DETECTIVES STRATEGY.
lBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBusRl
ST. LOUIS. May 2i.-The manner in wlich
Prelier was murdered made public to-day for the
first time on February % a tall. heavy man was ar.
rested at the Mechanics Bank while trying to negotiate
check for $500. which purported to be signed by d. ii.
Smith. local treasurer OF the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
At the moment Missouri Pacific detective happened 10
he In the bank lie called and pronounced the Sig
nature forgery, and arrested tho man. Tho
prisoner taken TO the police he iiquarters: and
letter found him which showed that he con-
nccted with largo gang Of expert forgers The news
papers published accounts Of the and the prisoner,
who gave the name OF " Frank Dngieder." was com.
mitted to Jail. lie waived preliminary examination ani
was indicted. lie IN jail fortyseven days and was
mysterously released This morning in the Maxwell case
the maine Of John Mccullough ed In response
the man known as Dngfelder took the witness stand
In answer to queries he said that he detective.
had been with r. A. Pnkerton in New-lork and wti
his uncle A. L. Drummond. chief OF the United states
secret service for the Eastern District OF New-York
Before coming to st. LOUIS he had been emp Dyed
by John Wanamaker the dry goods merchant OF PhIlI-
delpha. When Mccullough stood facing the unsusp'ct-
ing throng. there one man IN the court TO whom
the sight OF the witness appalling. That man was
Maxwell He shrank and covered at the first glance
It only for Instant The change. the paor OF MS
face and the CONSERVATION depicted ms coantenauce
noticed by only few With marvellous selfcon
troll lack Of genuine feeling. the prisoner became
again almost instantly the restless spectator There
change that might have been marked by =
shrewd observer This that the interest
Of Maxwell in the trial redoubed and moro
since the egnnlng OF the he In
close consultation with the other OF his at
torneys To outsider the detective the most In
terestng witness tho stand To Maxwell lie was his
fellow prisoner. whom he regarded as companion IN
distress and to whom he had poured out in confidence
and for hope OF relief the burning secret carefully con-
cealed all others The detective after mostblter
fight by the defence, allowed to testify
and his story surprise. lie saw Max.
we'll the second day he was In JAIL
first refused speak with him until he had COM
manded his respect and Impressed him with his secret.
veness They then BEGAN to talk, aud the witness said
he had bal OF forgery but he would beat 1t by
getting OF his gang to testify for him. Maxwell
said
III had two witnesses to that they mo
have 800 IN Boston when was with Pre!ler would
be acquitted"
They talked frequently, and fnally the pretended
forger said:
"Well tell me all about your case aud will get somo
Of my gang to help you out"
Max well then told him how the police OF this city hal
tried pump him aud failed. From day to day after
that he told the story OF his crime Fist he said he
Preller in London tho night before sailing, but
amended it and said they met tho CephsIonii. ami
thrown much together. After landing in Boston
they registered Youngs Hotel, aud Preller stopped
two weeks. Maxwell. however. took a room at No.
1j0s Westinghouse after stopping at the hotela few
days. He and Preller had talked about trip u New
Zealand, and after weeks Preller left Boston
business trip They agreed meet in 81. Louis aud
Maxwell first Preller arrived ia a few Gays
said business good He short Of fun Is
woIld have only money enough to pay his own ex-
penses Maxwell SAT-:
81 made up my mind then to get even with hm for
his He occasionally had pains in his sto mach
and | intended to work him on that On sunday
afternoon we went TO my room aud he was attacked
by pain in the abdomen. told him that had a rem-
edy fOr it, and asked him to try It, He asked me what
it and told him hypoiermic injections OF NOR
phBc He said, Try IT, IL IL Will do me good took
the syringe and him good dose in the arm and no
to sleep. Then got the choroform and held 1t
under hs until it all gone. He still
breathing, So now went out and got more choroform
and held "A saturated cloth under his until he
dead. got 500 from him and then threw things
of my trunk and put the body in it. The next MORN
ing bought two trunks, packed my things and
skipped
The witness noxt gave Maxwelrs account OF his trip
to Auckland On reaching san Francisco con.
idence beat him out of 500 by
Old game. and with what he spent in ST.
Louis left him $40 on reaching New-Zealsud. Tno
detective made with him TO ard
to furnish the two witnesses TO commit the perjury.
The wrote tue name Dlnsfeler on card. tore
1t in Two and gave Maxwell halE He kept the other
half and told Maxwell that when the Witnesses Arrived.
they would present the hall OF the card 10 hi 80 taas
he could be sure that they were al rgiL Atter ia,
witness left the lall, he went TO New Ork ami
Orrcsponded with Maxwell through his attorney, ant
received Two answers. The witnesses wero 10 arrive
here May -. but did not. though the detective dd.
Mccullough went into details reSlrtn< the converse
with the prisoner. He was SUBJECTED To
bltter examination and wa, made 10 admit that
he would lie In his business, AMI that no III s 10 MN
well and would lie to criminal, as he would have ID
them their level.
Mr. Foun-roy said the plot nctariOus proceed
ing stranger, snOuld not De aO wei hear.
us n The he I
same vein. and but for the irnness OF Judge Won
WAGNER. collision would have occurred between tho
attorneys.
The b.nk officials. the city police, Treasurer smith.
whose name forged, and the Grand jury were *
noraut OF the facts and taken surprise Another
batch OF correspondence between Preler and MlxwcP
was read The state Will close to.iLOIrOw.