Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-20
THE TRUNK TRAGEDY.
Yesterdays Proceedings in thocels-
brated Murder Case--Ths
States Witnesses.
Some Very Damaging Testimony Given
by the Head Waiter at ihe
Southern Hotel.
MaSweirs Actions on THAT Fatal night,
lie Was Drunk and Talked
About Murder.

u. LtNlSi MOI may lN.--H. Nj,
Brooks, alias Maxwell, on trial for the
murder OF G. Arthur Preller, was brought
into the criminal court this morning at 10
O'Clock and waited for Judge vanwag-
goner TO dispose OF the unmportant
cases on the docket and call his own.
The prisoner maintained his quiet do
meanor, 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 puolic opinion has already
acquitted him Of intentional crime, All
OF the witnessesf for the state were present
In n body and are kept under strict sur
yeilience by the sheriff. l.. Il. Hunt, the
present clerk OF the Southern hotel, was
the ilrst witness examined this morning,
aud his examination aud cross.
examination consumed the greater
part OF the morning. lie tes-
Titled that he was cashier of the
hotel al the time OF the murder. He
identified the prisoner as the man, who in
April, 1885, registered as w. II, Lennox
Maxwell, M. ID, He identified photo
graph as that Of G. Arthur Preller, who
arrived at the house April .. His test.
mony was q repetition of the facts so
well known Of the intimacy OF the two
Englishmen; Maxwells apparent lack OF
money; the disappearance Of Prcller, the
departure Of Brooks for San Francisco
and the discovery Of the body in the
trunk. During the cross-oxamlnn,ion
the witness admitted that he had no
means OF knowing that tho man who reg
istered as G Arthur Preller did not reg
lister that name SIS an alias. He had
gene TO the morgue after Preller's body
had been placed there, but could not
Identity &c; could not state positively
that the remains wero those Of u human
beng.
William Lyon, porter at the Southern
hotel, Identified the trunks, hat-hoxes,
etc, found in Preller's aud Msxwell's
rooms as those belonging to thetwo men.
He had seen them together often.
Brooks seemed TO evince great desire
to become closely intimate with Preller
The two men seemed always ON the best
Of terms.
Jo5n Manyon, another porter, testified
that the zinc trunk In which the body
was found was among Maxwell's bag
gage when the latter arrived at tic hotel.
He assisted in carrying the trunk downto
the office He witnessed the opening and
described the position In which the body
was found, also the finding OF the paper
pinned to the lid OF the trunk, reading,
$50 die all traitors to the great q, lse.nn
Il Warren Of wsrestot, &asa., ttsti-
fed that he was acquainted with the
prisoner and Preller; had met them on
board the steamship Cephalonia. He
had witnessed their introduction TO each
other. They seemed to become very in-
innate, but the prisoner was the more
demonstrativc In his efforts to strengthen
the friendship. Maxwell gave him To
understand that he was physician, hav-
ing graduated with honor from an
English medical college He was
also stated TO be an attorney, and
said that he had been regularly admitted
TO the bar. The prisoner had written TO
the witness after they had both arrived In
| the United States, stating that no and
| Preller were about TO engage In the cattle
| business In Texas The witness had
seen the remains found in the trunk and
! Identified them as those OF Arthur Preller
The court then adjourned for one hour.
Maggie Cuddy, chambermaid az the
| Southern, took the stand She recognized
the prisoner as the occupant OF room No
| la during part Of the month OF April
| 1855 She was shown photograph which
she said was that Of Prellcr, whom she
had often seen In the prisoners room
She identified various articles fount
among Preller's and Maxwell's baggage
The prisoner was s late riser, and II wal
III O'Clock before she could ever get into
his room to perform her duties, but or
Monday morning however, after The deatt
Of Preller, the prisoner had arisen very
early, for she saw him Ia one Of the cor
riders AZ about q. m. He appeared
nervous and OK, tied.
Henry Arlington, head waiter at tht
Southern hotel, next testified. He recog
nized the prisoner as Maxwell, He flfs
met him on April 2, 1885, In the hote
dinnlDg-room. He next saw him OF
Good Friday, when he and Prellcr weri
at lunch. This was the first time he hat
seen Preller. The witness here recog
nlzed photograph of Preller. III
had a talk with both Tat this tim,
but particularly with Maxwell, who sale
he knew Manchester, Eng well and bat
been a surgeon al tn hospital there. IL,
next SAW Preller on Easter Sunday morn
ing, when be was at the plana 10 the par
lor. Maxwell was seated near by. III
did not see Preller again, but san Max
well about l0;l5 that night. He cam'
into the ordinary and called for win
card. He ordered small bottle Of cham
( payne, He was a little drunk. The win
was brought Tut he only slipped q Ut
tie OF II. He told me 10 Civ
the remainder to the boys. lie thel
pulled out roll OF bank bills AM
dropping them on the table said: 4" Sup
pose man was 10 murder somebody II
this country aud he had $500 or eC00
could he get Of ~
"GOod God," said, "you are 10
civilized country now, young man"
From that he wandered of 10 his ex
perience IN the Turkish army. He sai
the sultan had made pasta out Of mn
4 for service on the feld. He talked a
4 random and i0olshiy. Finally he wake
out, but stepped ~ the door and pnilinl
out large pistol said, Ism
that daisy7n aud adde
that be had knocked several Russian
ia the head. asked him where he an
bis friend were going. He sad bis frIen'
was away In the county, but that be
himself, was going 70 the Cape. He sal
be would change his clothes for Wesi
ern outfit, ana ! advised him to retail
the suit he had on. Then he asked me I
90 aud have good time with him. X
said be didn't give damn for b9endin
flty or sixty dollars, but told hID ! wa
ON watch and c0uldnit get away and b
l,.ft. The next time I saw Maxwell wa
ON Monday evening following He wa
Ia 49,. ....4{..np.. auEa.