Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-20
"MkXWElL'S" TRIAL.
witnesses Testify to the Relations of Il
Trun

Two Men.
ST., LOUIS, Mo, May l9.-H. NJ Brooks
alias Maxwell, on trial for the murder Of
c. 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 prisoner
maintains his quiet demeaner and processes
great relief at having been allowed by his
attorneys to make true statement OF the
manner in which Preller came TO his
death, and feels confident that public opin-
ion has already acquitted him of inten-
tionsl crime. All the witnesses for the
State were present in body and are kept
under strict surveillance By the Sheriff.
L. E. Hunt, present clerk of the South
ern Hotel, was the first witness to-day, and
his examination and cross-examinstion
consumed the greater part of the morning.
Ne testified rtiat ne ~Ss tSsnief Of the
hotel at the time of the murder. Hs iden-
titled prisoner as the man, who in April,
1885, registered as "W. h. Lennox Max.
we'll, NJ. D" )" identified q photograph as
that of C. Arthur Preller, who arrived at
The house on April Sd. His testimony was
O repetition OF the facts 30 we'll known, of
the intimacy of the two Englishmen, Max
wells apparent lack OF money, the disap.
pearance Of Preller; the departure Of
Brooks for San Francisco, and the dis
eovery Of the body in the trunk.
Daring the ecross-examinstion the witness
admitted that he had no means of knowing
that the man who registered as G. Arthur
Preler did not register that name as an
alias; he had gone to the morgue after
Preler's body had been placed there, but
could not identity it; could not even state
positively that the remains were those Of
human boGy.
Mr.. Lyon, porter at the Southern Ho
tel, identified the trunks, hat boxes, &c.,
found in Preller's and Msxwells rooms, as
those belonging to the two men; had seen
them together often; Brooks seemed TO
evince great desire to become closely in
innate with Preller; the two men seemed
a ways on the best of termss
JohH Manyon, another porter, testified
that the zinc trunk, in which the body WAS
found, was among Msxwells luggage when
the latter arrived at the hotel. He assist
ed in carrying the trunk down to the office;
witnessed it's opening. He described the
position in which tne body was when the
trunk WAS opened; the finding Of the paper
rinDed TO the lid Of The trunk, reading, so
die all traitors to the great cause"
E. Warden, Of Worcester Mass, testi.
fed that be was acquainted with the pris-
oner and Preller; had met them on board
the steamship Cephslonia; had witnessed
them introduced to each ether; they seemed
to become very intimate, but the prisoner
was the moro demonstrative IN his efforts
to strengthen the friendship. Maxwell
gave it to be understood that he was
having graduated with honor
from an Euglsh medical college. He also
professed to be gu attorney, and stated that
he had been regularly admitted to the Bar.
The prisoner had written to the witness
after they had arrived in the United States,
stating that he and Preller were about to
engage in the cattle business in Texas
The witness had seen the remains found in
the trunk aud identified them as those OF
G. Arthur Preller.
After recess Reneick Brown who had
charge OF the Billiard room at the 6oqth-
ern Hotel at tho time Of the murder, testi-
fed that Preller and Maxwell played pool
together almost every afternoon. Preller
being inexperienced, paid for most Of the
games and drinks, and in doing 80 exhib-
tied money in large amounts. Whenever
Maxwell paid for anything it was generally
with small change.
Maggie Caddy, chambermaid, recog.
nized the prisoner as the occupant of room
No. l44 during q part of the month OF
April 1885 Prisoner wHs late riser and
it was II o'clock before she could ever get
into his room to perform her duties, but on
Monday morning after the death OF Preiler,
the prisoner had arisen early, for she saw
him in one OF the corridors at about Il a
m. He appeared nervous and excited.