The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-26
LIKE A THUNDERCLAP
A DETECTIVES STORY FALLS ON
THE DEFENSE OF BROOKS.

and Which Convicts the Prisoner of
Cold Blooded Murder-Public Com
ment, However, Not Complimentary to
the Prosecutions Methods.
ST. LoUIs, May &c The prosecution nm
covered an ambush on the defense in the
Maxwell trial Monday. 1t was like the ex
plosion of a bomb at mans feet The
smooth current OF nnimportant testimony
was broken by a sensation Just after the
midday hour, which was both startling and
thrilling, not alone to the audience, but the
defendant and his counsel For the first
time Maxwell may he said to have cowed. He
stood the dragging out of the stained trunk III
which the body decomposed, and scarcely
qulvered at the sight; he threw aside with flip
pant nonchalance the bundle of clothing that
had been cut from Preller'S corpse He
viewed with scarcely a pergeptlble quicken
ing of respiration the disclosing Of his own
drawers, found on the rotting body of the
dead man. All of these things were like
twice-told tales, and none of them moved
him, but when Detective Mccullough
stepped quietly out OF the rear room and
stood facing the unsuspecting throng there
sight of the witness came like thunderbolt.
That man was Maxwell He shrank and
covered at the first glance. 1t was only
for an instant, however
McCullough's testimony was as follows
After telling of his employment as a detec
tive for Pinkerton and others in New y ork
and elsewhere, in answer to further qucs-
tions, he said thatthe had been on this case
4 l., . h., ,sf-
cutor Furlong With the knowledge of the
latter. he had caused himself TO he com.
mitted to gail on charge of forgery under
tho name of Frank Dingfelier He then
proceeded:
"About ten days after | went into the
Jail he talked to me about these people here,
and said they were not fly, and had tried to
break him down; that the chief of police
had taken him MAXWELL into his Office, and
had given him whisky, and when he thought
he was drunk, showed him a picture of
l'reler taken after death, and asked him if
he knew it Maxwell said no, and said he
would he a fool to tell him he did know
him He told me that he did recognize it
This was the beginning We had other con
versations He thought | belonged to a no
torious gang OF forgers, and was in bad
fix told him il | had a chance at au alIbi
/ would prove it. He asked how. |
said by my people He said if he had a
witness who could testify right he could
beat the stale. / asked him how He said
if | could get witness who could testify
that he had 50 much money in Boston he
could get free. asked him how much
money, and he said 500 or $500 told him
I try nd rat Of my "a
gang of forgers to do him this favor, to
testify for him, and / asked him to tell me
| all about his case
Witness then detailed MaxwelPs story OF
| how he and Preller met in Liverpool; how
they came on the same vessel; how they
stopped for time in Boston; how Preller
went to Canada and Maxwell came to st
| Louis, whence he was followed by Preller,
both stopping at the Southern hotel, "and,
continued he, they had talked about going
| TO Auckland Maxwell was anxious that
| Preller should go to Auckland Maxwell
said that Preller told him he had only
| enough money TO see himself through in the
| trin He said he made up his mind on
| account OF his meanness to fix him. OI
| Sunday he said, Preller was i'll his Max
wells room ana complained of pains
! Maxwell told him he could remedy it by
using a hypodermic syringe, and agreed
| that he should try it. Prelier, he said tool
off his coat and vest and lie said he CAV,
him good dose in the arm, which put hin
to Sleep When be was asleep he used some
| chloroform that he had there, and when ht
found that was not enough he went out anl
got some more ,hlorotorm When ht
found he WAS dea,l, he took of hi
| clothes, took his money, cut off his under
shirt and shirt, and took oil his drawers
! He threw the things out He put him il
the trunk and left the things in the room
| This was OF > o'clock in the afternoon. He
said he then staid around until Monday
morning. when he went out and bough
several things, trunks among them Ht
then packed his own trunk, and put tht
things be had taken from Preller's BODY il
his trunk He bought a ticket for Sal
Francisco, for which he paid SIG
Mccullough continued, saying Maxwell
told him he had about 500 before he startei
for San Francisco He spent S3i here, 81
on the journey, and loaned a confidence maj
in San Francisco $50 on a wat,h In a bous
of ill-repute to which he went, the girl Wen
out of the room and he didn't like the look
Of it; he met her with cooked reyolve
when she returned, and said: It's goo
thing you are not man" She asked why
and he said that he had just killed maj
and did not propose to be arrested
The defunse fought the admission of thi
testimony, and being o,erruled in ever
effort put Mccullough through a sever
cross examination, which did not shake hi,
in the least.
The court was densely crowded Tuesda,
morning, at least fifty of the spectators be
ing women Maxwell looked calm and co
lected though a triie pale. The subject 0
conversation before opening of trial was til
sensational testimony given by Detectiv
Met Cullough Monday, and the impresso
seems to prevail that the states case was nc
materially benefited by the evidence, Il
I the American spirit of fair play WAS vit
lated by the deception, and grossly i'll
6 proper fraud was perpetrated on the gran
! jury. The statement of Mccullough tha
the end iustities the means seemed to hay
weakened his testimony, and, taking it a
together the prosecution does not occupy I'll
high moral plane it did. The stat
Y II o'clock the defense opened NJ
fouDtleroy called upon the coul
TO order the state to place the coroner O
n the witness stand Judge Van Wagont
ruled that he had no power TO order tt
state to put auy witness upon the stan,
y Mr. Fountleroy then asked that the coul
put the witness on the stand This Il
court refused, and Mr.. Fountiero
took exceptions Mr.. Fountleroy sal
of course the defense had the pow,
to put the coroner on the stan
Il but that would make him their own witnes
D and they wanted to cross examine him +
!, further said that as 70 many things h.
been sprung upon them he would ask for
Il continuance Of the case for one day III
was granted