The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-06-02
PRELLER'S MURDERER.
Testimony Of the Defendant, Who Says HIS
Right Name is Hugh Il. Brooks
He DiscIOses to the Jury all the Circum-
stances Attending the Death of Prel-
Ter, and Claims That 1t Was
Accidental.


ST. LOUIS, May 26.-Mr. Fauntleroy for the
defense after the routine business OF the
court had been concluded arose and COM
menced his opening address to the jury. He
stated that he wished to impress them with
the fact that no one knew how Preller came to
his death, except the defendant and.h propos
ed to disclose to the jury all the circumstances
attending it. After stating the manner in
which Preller and the defendant became ac-
quainted and the closeness of their friend
ship, thereafter, he stated that the defense
intended to prove that Mr.. Preller was suf-
fering from a structure and that the defend
ant foolishly undertook to remove it. The
defendant was unwilling to perform the
operation alone, but Preller did not wish
the nature of his ailment to be known and
insisted that Maxwell should perform it.
To lessen the pain, he administered chloro-
form but in too large quantity and death
resulted. He cut the clothes from his
friends body and attempted to resuscitate
him, but failed. He said the defense
would prove that Preller knew that Maxwell
had no money and had promised to pay his
expenses to Auckland. Robbery, therefore
could not have been a motive for causing
his friends death, which was at any rate &C
cidental. : The remainder of Mr.. Fauntle-
rows speech was devoted to a description OF
his clients actions after the death of Preller,
and assigning reasons therefor, all of which
was contained IN MaxwelPs confession made
few days ago. Maxwell was then placed
on the stand.
He showed little evidence of feeling, al
though there was some degree of nervousness
both in his face and hands. There was
rustic through the court room and .I4dge
Van Wagner in brief speech. dehanoed
absolute quiet in the audience. Tie witness
then, IN reply to questions by MIR. Fauntle-
roy, stated in substance as follows:
NV full name is Hugh NJ. Brooks; am
TWENTY-FIVE years old; was born in Hyde
Chester, England 1 commenced to study
law with Mr.. Brown at Stockport, near
HYDE. in 1878, nd remained there four years;
lam a lawyerOv profession; 1 also studied
medicine anSsurgery at the collegiate at a
school in Winchester, but am not licensed
Dhvsician / first met G. Arthur Preller at
The Northwestern Hotel, at Liverpool, but
did not ct acquainted with him until met
him O. the steamer Cephalonia; also met
Mr. warren on the steamer. Mr.. Preller and
wee both Englishmen coming to strange
coIatry and our acquaintance ripened into
a arm friendship. We talked much about
or plans and proposes for the future, and
Jur acquaintance and friendship continued
after our arrival IN this country. We
reached Boston February g. and after three
or four days Preller started on a business
trip. had conversations and correspondence
with Preller about going to New Zealand; We
frr INK ox.1S 20
gether; told him about my financial condi-
ton, telling him in letter that l had 800
all told. / treated Preller several times
medically in Boston and by letter. and he
acknowledged having received decided bene-
fit from the treatment; he knew that | had
never practiced medicine regularly; 1 never
used any deception with him in this regard"
The witness then described various events
about Preller leaving Boston for Canada,
about his own and Preller's arrival in St.
Louis, and stopping at the Southern Hotel;
that he had $50 to $50 when he arrived here;
how he tried to pawn some of his things be
fore Preller came; his visits TO Fernows
drug store and his conversations with Fer
now; bis purchasing various articles, among
them chlorofOrm, which he used himself in
treating bad tooth that troubled him; that
Preller arrived on the Friday prior to Easter
Sunday; how they went together to try to
sell his magic lantern and slides, and vari-
Gus other occurrences which took place be
tween frlday ana sunday, all OF winch are
familiar to nearly everybody.
Court then took a recess.
After recess the examination of the de-
fendant confined: 1--WE, Mr.. Preller and >"
he said, "made two trips between the South
ern Hotel and the Union Depot, where we
attempted to discover the cause of the deten-
ton Of my trunk which contained the
magic lantern, and were told by the baggage
man there that ii was probably detained in
Port Huron, Canada, by the customs officers.
We visited Aloe, the optician, in the en-
-deavor to ascertain if he would purchase
the lantern and slides, when they should
arrive. From the time t. at Mr.. Preller ar
rived In st. Louis down to Easter Sunday,
we saw great deal of each other We were
as a former witness has stated, almost in
separable. l visited his room several times
but when we were not looking round the
city or playing pool, we spent most of our
time In my room. We played pool a great
deal and whoever lost the game paid for
it. We played about even, so the expense
was about equally divided. We drank some,
but not much. He paid for most of the
drinks. Mr.. Preller was accustomed to call
at my room early in the morning and we
would go down to breakfast together, return
to my room, converse and smoke for while
and then go down to the r)tunda. On
Easter Sunday, before / went to the drug
store, he and had a conversation about the
performance OF the operation heretofore al
luded to, and also at times before that Mr..
Preller described to me his symptoms, and
concluded that he was suffering from a
structure, and that the best method of treat
ing him was by passing a catheter. / took
my authorities On medicine and read to Mr..
Preller the directions as to the proper meth
DDS OF administering chloroform, and re-
freshed my own mind as to the precautions
to be used. There were marginal notes on
the bottom of the pages as to the treating
OF the simplest method of using the drug,
lint i mo- do fhaua frxra1 h.
fore / left England. After this conversation
with Mr.. Preller went to the drug store
and purchase four ounces of chloroform and
a quantity of absorption cotton. This same
day Preller and / went TO another drug store,
one under the Southern Hotel, and made
some purchases, which he said we must have
and could probably not get on our journey
to auckland before we should arrive at San