Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-19
BROOKS DEFENSE.
Remarkable Story Told by Defendant
in the PreIler Murder Case.
Many Questions Unanswered.
Preller Met His Death at the Hands Of
HIS Friend and Was by Him
Packed IN the Trunk.
The Only Thread That can save s,esuc,,,.
Neck from this cailows--IsIs
Course unjesunabIe.
rnR AccusKn MAN srrAns

ihk ACCUSED MAN SPEAKS.
ST. Louis, Mo, MAY iS.-Tho Post.
Dispatch this afternoon prints a state.
ment made by II M, Brooks, alias May.
well, now on trial for the murder OF @,
Arthur Preller, which will contain the
defense Of Brooks, anc which will be
urged to the utmost by his attorneys in
the trial. The statement was made 10
John, j. Jennings, present city editor OF
the Post-Dlspatch, and IL has been ND.
proved by Brooks attorneys. Jennings
preiaces the statement with some re.
marks, the chief points Of which are as
follows; Maxwell's explanation OF the
death OF Preller is his only defense. That
explanation was made In writing to his
attorneys, Messrs. Martin 6 Fauntlcroy.
many months ago, and Maxwell will go
on the witness stand and repeat it. In
giving 1t he said his desire ali along had
been to unburden himself to the
public and allow his actions previous TO
the crime 10 suoetantiate his declara.
lions. These actions show that he neither
premeditated q crime nor tried to conceal
one, for from the moment of his arrival
at the Southern hotel until his departure
Tor San francisco every act, almost every
word OF his, had been the property Of the
puollc, aud these acts, these words, form
the strangest links In the cham OF crcum.
stances which they have forged 10 hold
the culprit to his crime.
Tine only act" he said, "about which
there has been any doubt at all, has been
the act Of which | am now accused. |
/ rgFnnntga IA -
| made mistake In Withholding my de.
Tense, but what could dor | was here
alone In strange world with no one TO
advise me but my counsel, aud followed
their advice to the letter.
The attorneys for the defense win not
deny the identity OF the remains, but VIII
acknowledge the death OF Preller at Max.
wells hands, and insist that his death was
due to an accident arising from circum.
stances which Preller himself had invited
The following is Brooks statement:
INF. Preller was suffering from
a private disease for which |
had previously pre- scribsd, mixing the
medicine myself IRON bottles IN the medi-
cine case ] carried with me; but his all
ment hads reached stage when II was
J Necessary aSJr me 10 NUKE certain inycsii-
cations was obliged to use catheter
and In using the catheter the parts were
intiamed. had previously applied chic
reform In order TO produce condition OF
narcotlsm. / used chloroform In this
manner on man named Harrison in Liv-
erpoolswithout ano serious result. ex-
planned the process to Prefer and told
him what ! should have 20 do He was
not only willing but was very anxious for
me to treat him In this manner. During
the day purchased four ounces of chic
reform, which was standing in bottle on
the edge OF my washstand when ] was
washing some surgical instruments. This
washing Of the instruments took place
Sunday afternoon. 1t was intended as a
preparation for the operation. AS | was
washing the instruments overturned the
bottle OF chloroform and II went headlong
into the basin, the cork coming out
and all but one ounce and quarter
or an ounce and half going
down in the sink. This was probably 3
O'Clock, and after getting my Instruments
ready | went out to secure some more
chloroform. ! went to a drug store.
don't know where, but store near the
hotel. | asked for chloroiorm. The clerks
or some persons there have said Twas ex.
cited and in a hurry. This was not so. |
sat down in chair IN the drug store for
more than quarter OF an hour. was
very leisurely about the business, for
there was no hurry. II am not mistaken
had d long conversation with someone
In the drug store. When got the chloro-
form | repaired to my room. Preller had
been In and out Of my room and his own
all the afternoon. About O'Clock we
began operations. i administered the
chloroforrn in the usual way. was hold
ing saturated cloth TO his nose. Preller
passed through the first stagd all right.
IL took several moments, don't know
exactly how long. Then he entered the
second stage and there the terrible result
came. | discovered too late that he was
dying Imagine my horror when this fact
dawned upon me. / was wild with
alright, but had presence OF mind
enough to cut his shirt and undershirt |
from the body, and getting a wet towel |
bathed him around the neck and should. |
ers for half an hour or so. didn't give |
up until was ready to drop from ex-
haustion, and my efforts were not relaxed |
until he had been dead some time. All
the clothes he had on at the time were a
shirt and an undershirtj / had stripped |
him for the operation. What did do
when saw my friend was deadg What |
could do? did not know what to do
except TO drink. drank everything ] |
could get. drank wine, whisky, every
thing. What were my thoughts? /
hadn't any. All remember is that |
drew on a pair Of drawers, the FIRST that
went into my hands, and put the body
into my trunk, from which | hadTemoved
everything. put It into my trunk an
hour efter 2reller's death. What was
done beside this have no recollection Of.
Liquor and Consideration had possession,
aud know only that my feelings wire
those OF utmost horror. remained 80 my
room that night, the same room Ia which
the remains were found. IL would be
useless for me 70 say that slept, for /
did moi, and was glad when morning
came. What did after leaving the room
yon know, for the chase has all been
printed"
"W4s catheter found among your
medical instruments7i'
y fOn't know. carried some Of my !