, 1886-05-19
THE ST. LOUIS MYSTERY
Brooks Confesses to the Killing
of Preller
By Accident, While Acting as
His Physician.
His Remorse After the Death
of His Friend.
The PrelIer Case.

ST. LOUIS, May lS.-The Post Dispdtcl
prints the statement made by ii. Nj
Brooks, alias Maxwell, now on trial fol
the murder of g. Arthur Preller, which
will constitute his only defense and which
will be urged BY his attorneys in the trial
In a word, he will confess to the killing OF
Preller by accident while acting as his
physician, and that being excited and
frightened, he concealed, instead of max
ing known the fact of the death. He
declares he has always wanted to tell the
facts and only RETAINED by the advice OF
his attorneys.
The following is Brooks statement
"Mr. Preller was suffering from a private
disease, for which | had previously pres
cribed, mixing the medicines myself from
bottles in the medicine chest carried with
me, but his ailment had reached a stage
when it was necessary for me TO make Ger
tain investigations | WAS obligei to use a
catheter, and In using the cathe ter when
the parts were infamed, | had previously
applied chloroform in order to produce Il
con lition of narcotism. | explained the
process to Preller and told him what |
should have to do. He was not only will
ling, but was very anxious for me to treat
him in this manner
Brooks then tells Of the purchase OF the
chloroform, which was spilled in a sink
on Sunday afternoon while he was wash
ing the instruments preparatory TO opera
items; of his going to Fernow's drug store
and buying more; denying incidentally
the statements that he there showed evil
dences of hurry and excitement. and con
operation, | administered the chloroiorm
in the usual way, holding a saturated
cloth to his nose. Mr.. Preller passed
through the first stage all right. 1t took
several moments; | don't know exactly
how long, then he entered the second
stage, and here the terrible result came.
| 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, | beat him around the neck
and shoulders for half an hour or more. |
did not give up until | was ready to drop
from exhaustion, and my efforts we're 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'tknow what to do
except to drink, and | drank freely. /
drank everything | could get-wine,
whisky, everything. What were my
thoughts? | had not any. All | remem-
Der was that | drew on a pair Of drawers,
the first that fell into my hands-and
put the body into my trunk, from which |
had removed everything. What was
done beside this | have no recollection of.
Liquor and CONSERVATION had possession
of me, and | knew only that my feelings
were those of the utmost horror. ! re-
NAMED in my room thai night--the same
room in which the remains were-and it
would be a lie for me to say | slept, for |
did not, and was glad when morning
came. What | did afer leaving my
room you know, for it has all been
printed"
He says he supposed the post norton,
when the body was found, would disclose
the nature of the operation and the cause
of death. According to his own story, the
cutting off of Preller's moustache, the in
scription about traitor found in the
trunk, and all other queer incidents con-
nccted with the tragedy, are to be attrib.
uted to his liquor and fcar-crazed condi-
ton after the fatality.