The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-19

withdrawal OF twenty from the 10 al
number of forty-seven, the latter fiji
teen, thus leaving twelve, which COM
pose the jury which will try the case.
The court then adjourned until 2:30
pm, when @. d. Bishop, for the
State, opened the case.
MaxWeIl's Statement OF How PreI-
Ter Met bis Death.
The Post Dispatch this afternoon
prints statement made by II. M.
Brooke, alias Maxwell, now ON trial for
the murder Of @. Arthur Preller,
which will constitute the defense OF
Brooks, and which will be urged to
the utmost by his attorneys in the
trial. The statement was made 10 Mr..
John. ]. Jenki 8, the present city
editor OF the Post Dispatch, and it has
been approved by Brooks's attorr eys,
Mr.. Jenkins premises the statement
with some Iema' ks, the clief points
of which are as follows: Maxwell
explanation Of the death of Preller is
the only defense. That explanation
was made in writing to his attorneys,
Messrs. Martin and Fauntleroy, many
months ago, and Maxwell will go on
the witness stand and repeat II. In
giving il he said his desire all along
was to unburden himself to the pub
lie, and to allow his actions
previous to and alter the crime
to substantiate his declarations.
These actions show that he neither
premedltated q crime or tried to con-
ceal one, for, from the moment OF his
arrival at the Southern Hotel until his
departure tor San Francisco, every act
and almost every word of his has been
the property Of the public, and these
acts and these words form the strong
est links in the chain of circumstances
which they have forged to hold him
to this crime. 1.-THE only act" taid
Maxwell, "about which there has been
any doubt at all has been the act Of
which / am accused, recognizs now,
as much as anybody could, that l
made mistsks in " withholding my de-
tense, but what could do? l was
here alone, in a strange world, with
NO one to advise me but my counsel
and I followed the advice they gave
me, to the letter."
The attorneys for the defense will
not deny the identity OF the remains,
but will acknowlsdge the death OF
Preller at MaxwelPs bande, and insis.
that the death was due to an accident
arising from circumstances which he
himself had inv ted. The following
is Brooks's statement:
"Mr. Preller was suffering from a
private disesse for which had pre-
viouely prescribed, mixing the medi-
cine myself from the bottles in the
medicine cfse l carried with me; but
his ailments reached stage when it
was necessary for me to make certain
Investigations. l was obliged to uee q
catheter, and in using catheter when
the parts we're irfamed had previ-
ously applied chloIoform in order to
produce q condition of marc otism. |
used chloroform in this manner as l
did on man named Harrison in Liv-
erpool without any eeious result.
explained the process TO Mr. Preller,
and told him what l should have
to do. He was not only willing.
but was very anxious for me to treat
him in this manner. During the dsy
/ purchased four ounces OF chloro-
form, which YVES standing in bottle
on the edge of my wsshstand when
was washing some surgical instTu'
mente. This washing of the instru-
ments took place Sunday afternoon,
and was intended az preparation for
the operation. In washing the instru-
ments overturned the bo.tle Of
,chloroform and it went headlong into
the basin, the e Tk coming out aud all
but about an ounce and half going
down the sink. This was probably I
pm, and after gtt.ip g my instrnmentt
ready | went out to secure sone more
cbloIoform. / went 10 the drug store
i don't know where-but the store
near the hotel (Fernow's) and asked
for chloroform. The clerks, or some
persons there, have said that l was
excited and in a hurry. This was not
so. sat down in a chair in the drul
store for more than quarter Of az
hour, and was al together very leisurell
about my business, for there was NJ
hurry, II am not mistaken had {
long conversation with some ont
in the drug aore. When L got tht
chloroiorm 1 repaired to my room
Preller had been in and out Of ml
room and his own all the afternoon
About 5 O'Clock pm. we began thu
operation. / administered the chioro
form in the usual way, holding a sat
ura,ed cloth 10 the nose. Prelle
passed through the first stage all right
it took several moments, don't know
exactly how long, before he entered
the second stage, aud here the terribl
result came. / discovered too lat
that be was dying. Imagine my hoI
ror when this fact dawned upon me
l was horri6ed, but had presence Q
mind enough to cut the chit and IN
.dershirt from the body, and getting
wet towel l beat him around the nee
snd shoulders for bali hour or more
lid not give up until 1 was ready
drop from exhaustion. he had bee
dead some time. All the clothes h
had on at the tina were a shil
and undershirt. He had stripped t
these for the operation. What di,
I do when / saw nv frien
was dead? What could ! DOT
didn't know what, except to drint
and drank freely. Drank every
thing 1 could get, wine, whisky
everything. Whst were my thoughts
hadn't any. All l remember ia tina
drew on pair Of drawers, the fir
that fell into my band, aud put tn
body into my truck, from which
had removed everything. Iput il ]
the trunk an hour after Preller
death. Whist WIS done beside this
have 10 recollection Of. Liquor au
CONSERVATION hsd possession OF m
and l know that my feelings We
those Of the utmost horror. l I
mained in my room that night-tt
same room in which the IemaiI
were-and it wonlt be G lie for me
say that I dept, for didn'', and ] vi