The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-20
TIE rnuNK MYs rEnY.
rrIRl of brooks for lhp nlurdsr of o. Arthur
PFeIleF.

rTlRl OF Brooks for the nluEdsr Of q. Arthur
PFsllsr.
sT, LOUIS, No., May lO.-H, NJ. Brooks,
alias Maxwell, on trial for the murder Of
@. Arthur Preller, was brought into the
Criminal Court this morning at 10 o'clock,
and waited patiently for Judge Van Wag.
goner to dispose OF unimportant cases on
the docket and call his own. The pris.
oner maintains his quiet demeanor and
prolesses great relief at having been al.
lowed to make a true statement Of the
manner In which Preler came to his
death, and feels confident that public
opinion has already acquitted him Of Ia.
.entional crime. all oil the witnesses for
the State were present In body and are
kept under strict surveillance by the
Sheriff.
l.. y. Hunt, present clerk Of the South
ern Hotel, was the first witness to-day,
and his examination and Cross-examina-
ton consumed the greater part Of the
morning. He testified that he was cashier
Of the hotel at the time OF the murder.
He identified the prisoner as the man,
who In April, 1885, registered as NV. II.
Lennox Maxwell, NJ. D., identified a
photograph as that OF O. Arthur PIeller,
who arrived at the house on April 3. His
testimony was repetition oil the facts SO
veil known, OF the intimacy OF the two
Euglishnen; Maxwel's apparent lack Of
money, the disappearance Of Preller; the
departure Of BrOOksfO for San Francisco, and
the discovery OF the body In the trunk.
During the cross.exalninatlon the wit.
ness admitted that he had no means oi
knowing that the man who registered aS
O. Arthur Preler did not register thai
name Us an alias; he had gone to the
morgue after Preler's body had been
placed there, but could not identify it
could not even state positively that the
remains were those oi q human body.
Mr.. Lyon, a partner at the Southern
Hotel, identified the trunks, hat boxes
ETC., found in Preller's and MAXWELL
rooms as those belonging 10 the two men
had seem together often. Brooks seemed
10 evinCe a great desire TO become closely
intimate with Preller. The two men seem
cd always on the best Of terms.
John Manyon, another porter, testified
that tho zinc trunk In which the body wa
found was among Maxwell's baggage wher
the Litter arrived at the hotel. He az
aisted in carrying the trunk down to the
Office and witnessed ils opening. He des
cribed the position In which the BODY waI
when the trunk was opened, the finding
OF the paper pinned to the lid Of the trunE
reading $50 die all traitors to the grea
cause"
L. Warden, Of Worcester, Mass, tes
titled that hs was acquainted with the
prisoner and pfeller; had met them OIL
board the steamship Cephalonia; haC
witnessed theirintroduCtio to each other
they seemed 10 become very intimate
but the prisoner was the more demon
Atrative In his efforts TO strengthen The
friendship. Maxwell gave 1t 10 be under
stood that he was q physician, having
graduated with honor from an Englis[
medical college. He also proiessed 10 bt
an attorney and stated that he had beer
regularly admitted to the bar. The pri
soner had written to the witness afteI
they had arrived In the United State
stating that he and preller were about L
engase In the cattle business In Texas
The witness had seen the remains fount
in the trunk and identified them as thoBt
oil y. Arthur Preller.