The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-05-27
MAXWET,L'S YARN.
The 81. Louis Murderer Makes State
msnt of the CircumItanccl
of the Crime.
He Gave PrelIer ChlOr0form i'm Medical
Treatment-The Fatal
Result.
iSt. Louis dispatch. I

st. Louis newspapers print a staten,Nt
made by ii. Nj. Brooks, alias Maxwell, now
on trial for the murder of G.. Arthur Prel-
Ter, which will constitute his only defense,
and which will be urged by his attorneys
in the trial. In word, he will confess 10
killing Preller by accident, while acting as
his physician, and that, being excited and
frightened, he concealed, instead of making
known the fact of death. lie declares he
has always wanted TO tell the facts, and
only RETAINED by advice of his attorneys.
The following is Brooks statement
Mr.. Preller was suffering from an acute
malady, for which l had previously pre-
scribed, mixing the medicine myself from
the bottles in the medicine chest / carried
with me; but his ailment had reached stage
when it was necessary for me TO perform an
operation" Brooks then tells of the pur-
chase of chlorofOrm, which was spilled in
the sink on Sunday afternoon while he was
washing the instruments preparatory to the
operations; of his going to Fernow's drug
store and buying more, denying incident
ally the statements that he there showed
evidences of hurry and excitement, and
continues
About D. m. we began the operation.
/ administered the chloroform in the usual
way, holding a saturated cloth to the nose.
Mr.. Preller passed through the first stage
all right. 1t took several minutes, j don't
know exactly how long. Then he entered
the second stage, and here the terrible re-
suit came. discovered, too late, that he
was dying. Imagine my horror when this
fact dawned upon me. L was wild With
fright, but had presence of mind enough
to cut the shirt and undershit from the
body, and, getting a wet towel, beat him
around the neck and shoulders for
n half hour or more. i did not
give up until 1 was ready 10 drop
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 for the operation. What did do
when / saw my friend was dead? What
could | do? / didn't know what to do ex-
cept drink, and / drank freely. L drank
everything i could get-wine, whisky,
everything. What were my thoughts2 l
had not any. All remember, that drew
on pair of drawers-the first thing that
fell into my hands-and put the body into
my tunk, from which i had removed
everything. I.put it in the trunk an hour
after Preller's death. What was done be-
sides this have no recollection of. Liquor
and CONSERVATION had possession of
me, and / knew only that my feelings
were those of the utmost horror. / remain
ed in my room that night-the same room
in which the remains were-and 1T would be
lie for me to say l slept, for did not, and
/ was glad when morning came. What
did after leaving my room you know, for 1t
has all been printed"
He says he supposed the post morton,
when the body was found, would disclose
the nature of the operation and the cause of
death. According to his own story the cut
ting off of Prellef's mustache, the inscrip-
ton about traitor" found in the trunk, and
all the other queer incidentals connected
with the tragedy are to be attributed to his
liquor and fear crazed condition after the
fatality