The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-28
THE MURDERER OF PRELLER
Maxwell Completes His Story the Man.
ner in Which His Friend Died.
He Denounces Detective Mccullough as
Liar, and Is Himself Shown To Be Surpris-
ingly Economical in the Use of Truth.

IN the Maxwell case were allowed to enter the
Criminal Court room this morning, aud large
number of those who did gain admittance were
ordered to leave By the Judge who feared that
abe floor would fall in under such heavy weight.
Mr. Fauntleroy, of the defense. continued the
direct examination of the witness. He asked
abe defendant why it was that his father and
mother had not come from their home at Sunny
Bank, Hyde, Cheshire, ENGLAND, when their son
stood charged with such henous crime The
prosecution objected to this question, ard they
we're sustained.
In continuance of his story of the crime, the
witness said in substance Returning from
Auckland, arrived il st. Louis in charge of the
States officers some time in August 1 don't re-
member the exact date, and was Immediately
placed in Jail, where have remained ever since.
Soon after my Incarceration met this man who
testified under the name Of Mccullough, but
never made any arrangements with him about
the manner in which my defense should be con-
Quoted
But how about his testimony" interrupted
Mr. Fauntleroy, 'in which he stated that you
confessed to having murdered Mr.. Preller' be-
cause he would not furnish you money for your
"trip to Auckland"
His whole statement" replied the witness,
was an infamous lie from beginning to end. I
never saw the letter signed Mann which he says
he wrote to me, until it produced in court
never tried to secure false witnesses nor to
manufacture bogus defense My attorneys re-
Ceived a letter from some one signed Stratton,
In which the writer stated that he was willing to
Bwear that corpse had been brought to the no
eel the day before Mr.. Preller's death, and
that it was the one found in my trunk. told
my attorneys that all such schemes were NON
Bense."
Mr. Fauutleroy showed the letter to the wit
ness and asked him if he could tell by whom it
was written. The prosecution objected, and Mr.
Pauntleroy said he desired to show the jury that
attempt had been made to entrap the de-
PENDANT. and that Mccullough probably wrote it
The objection was sustained.
Continuing his statement the defendant said:
stMr. Preller was affected with disease of a
private nature some time before the attempted
operation and I have no doubt that the structure
Ehich che operation was intended TO remove re-
quilted from it"
The witness was then withdrawn, with the un-
nerssandng that he be allowed to testify again
should it be found that any i'm portant points had
been omitted.
The prosecution then took the witness and pr o.
Heeded with the cross-examination In reply to
questions, Brooks stated that he introduced him
self as w. II. Lennox- Maxwell to Mr.. Preller on
board the Cephalonia, soon after leaving Liver
pool, but that not his name. II assumed
that name almost Immediately after leaving
Hyde l never told any one why left not even
my father and mother, for I wanted to come to
America, and knew they would oppose my go
Ing. began studying physiology, anatomy
chemistry and medicine when was about twelve
years of age and attended lectures at one of the
hospitals in London, and became proficient in
shese branches of science I also studied pri-
vately"
t'When did you first inform your parents Of
your whereabouts after leaving Hydef'
The defense objected, but the objection was
-Overruled and exception taken
In reply to questions about the magic lantern,
be said it was not his own; 1t belonged to Mr..
s,5ldeftom He bought it at about SO.
The witness admitted that he told Mr.. War
zen, passenger on the Cephalonia, that his
father and mother were dead, and that he had
expected to inherit large property, but when
the provisions of his fathers will had been car
ried out he found that he had very little He
confessed that this was all false. He also adj
mitted that the statements in a letter written by
him to Mr.. Prel,er, that he the witnessl had
found in the Gazette that the College of Christ
Church had bestowed upon him the degrees of
A. NJ. and B. NJ. because had held the degrees
of A T. and NJ d. for seven years. were wholly
Rutrue-were lies.
The medical books were again brought out,
mud the prisoner examined to why he
wrote after his name the titles NJ D.. B. NJ and
n. ID. Z. y On the hy-leaves. The witness de-
MED that his purpose was to deceive, and being
pressed as to the reason, replied that it was for
his own personal qualification, to some extent.
Being questioned as to the time when he wrote
the marginal note in the Wade Mecum about the.
best method of administering chloroform. the
witness acknowledged that he had testified in
his direct examination that it was written some
twelve months before he came to this country.
But" said the counsel "this note is signed W.
III. l.. NJ, and you dld not assume that name
until just before you left England. How could
the note then have been written except in this
Honntry?p
at was written in this country" replied the
witness.
Mr. Clover, of the prosecution. brought out
prominently, at this point, the fact that the wit
. ness had looked at the marginal notes during his
testimony yesterday, and had repeatedly said
that he had written them in England, and that
one at least, must have been written in this
country, as was shown by the signature. In re-
ply toquestons as to statements in a letter writ
tsn on the Monday after the murder by the de-
PENDANT. to Mr.. Warren. of Boston, stating that
he and Preller were going to Texas. the witness
replied that he was at the time under the influence
OF intoxicating liquor, and that therefore, did not
remember why he had written such and such
things, aud acted IN this or that manner, and in
sopiy to all questions introduced with why"
when or how" answered II don't know" or
s1 don't remember
Replying TO question as to why, when in San
francisco. he had written an alleged cipher let
Ter to the French Minister of War, he replied
HAT it was only written joke.
Then you had jolly trip to San Francisco
when you knew Mr.. Preller was lying dead in st.
EouisS"
"Oh, no." replied the witness: "that was
Baused by the champagne which drank"
did You buy this champagne. which made
Jon so humorous, with Mr.. Preller's money!"
II don't know
Where did You obtain this2' showing the wit
mesa q forged diploma of the Royal College OF
Surgeons of London.
SIT was written by msn
why did you write itl"
Simply as an exercise in penmanship, TO keep
myself in practice"
The witness explained the nature of a structure
and the methods for treating it, saying, at the
same time that ne had operated for structure
while in England my catheters now are at
she bottom of the Pacific ocean," said the wit
meas; ~ threw them overheard on my way to
Auckland, because 1 was disguised with the
whole affair