Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-27
THE PRELLER MURDER.
MAXWELL TELLS HIS STORY IN
THE WlTNESS-BOX.
Incidents Prior to the Deed-Pur
chase of the ChlOrOform
and Its Use.
ESPECIAL BY TELEGRAPH TO THE aEooRD-us1os.l

the defense in the Preller case, commenced
his opening address to the jury this morn
ing, He stated that he wished to impress
them with the fact that no one knew how
Preller came to his death except the de-
PENDANT, aud he proposed to disclose to the
jury all the circumstances attending it.
After stating the manner in which Preller
and the defendant became acquainted, and
the closeness of their friendship thereafter.
he stated that the defense intended to prove
that Preller was suffering from a structure,
and that the defendant foolishly undertook
TO remove it. Defendant was unwilling TO
perform the operation alone, but Preller
did not wish the nature of his ailment to
be known. and insisted that Maxwell
should perform it. To lessen the pain. he
administered chloroform, but in too large
quantity and death resulted. Maxwell
then cut the clothes from his friends body
aud attempted to resuscitate him, but failed
He said the defense would prove that
Preller knew that Maxwell had no money,
and had promised to pay his expenses TO
Auckland. Robbery, therefore, could not
have been his motive for causing his
| friends death, which was, at any rate, acct
| dental. The remainder of Fauntleroy' s
| speech was devoted to description of his
/ clients actions after the death of Preler.
STORY OF THE DEFENDANT.
! Maxwell was then placed on the stand
! lie showed little evidence of feeling,
! though there was some degree of nervous
pcss both in his face and hands There
was rustic through the Courtroom. The
ittIf IS
quiet in the audience. Witness then, in
reply to questions by Fauntleroy, stated in
substance as follows: My full name is H.
NJ. Brooks. am % years old. Was born
IN Hyde, Chester, England. | commenced
70 study law with Brown at Stockport, near
| Hyde, in 1873, and remained there four
years. l am lawyer by profession. also
studied medicine and surgery at the Collie
gian School al Manchester, but am not a
licensed physician. | first met Preiler at
! The Northwestern Hotel at Liverpool, but
did not get acquainted with him until
met him on board the steamer Cephalonia.
| also met Warren on the steamer. Mr..
Preller and | were both Englishmen COM
ing to a strange land, and our acquaintance
ripened into warm friendship. We told
much about our plans and purposes for the
future, and our acquaintance and friend
ship continued after our arrival. We
reached Boston February Sd, and after
three or four days Preller started on bust
ness trip. | had conversations and CORE
| spondence with Preller about going to New
Zealand. We agreed to meet in st. Louis,
and go there together. | told him about
my financial condition, telling him in a
letter that | had 500 all told. | treated
Preller several times medically in Boston,
and by letter he acknowledged having re-
/ cplypd benefit from tho 10
knew that had never practiced medicine
regularly. | never used any deception with
him in this regard" Witness then de-
scribed various events about Preller prior
to his leaving Boston for Canada: about his
own and Preller's arrival in st. Louis, and
stopping at the Southern Hotel; that he
bad $50 to $50 when he arrived here; how
he tried 10 pawn some of his things before
Preller came his visits to Fernowis drug
store and his conversations with Fernow ;
his purchasing various articles of him
among them chloroform and carbolic acid
which. in combination, he used himself in
treating bad tooth that troubled him j;
that Preller arrived on the Friday prior to
Easter Sunday; how they went together to
try to sell his magic lantern and slides, and
various other occurrences which took place
between Friday and Sunday, all of which
are familiar to nearly everybody. The
Court then took recess.
CONTINUATION OF MAXwELL's sTATEMENT.
After recess the examination of the de-
| PENDANT was continued. I'VE, Mr.. Preller
and l., he said. made two trips between
the Southern Hotel and the Union depot,
where we attempted 10 discover the cause
OF the detention of my trunk, which con-
tanned the lantern, and were told by the
baggageman there that it was probably de-
tanned in Port Huron. Canada, by the GUS
toms officers. We visited Aloe, the OPP
t1clan, in an endeavor to ascertain if he
would purchase the lantern and slides
when they should arrive. From the time
that Mr.. Preller arrived in St Louis down
to Easter Sunday, we saw great deal of
each other. We were, as former witnesses
have stated, almost inseparable | visited
his room several times, but when we were
not looking around the city, or playing
pool, we spent most of our time in my
room. We played pool q great deal and
who ever lost game paid for it, We
played about even. SO the expenses were
equally divided. We drank some, but not
much. He paid for most of the drinks
Preller was accustomed to call at my room
! early in the morning, and we would go
down to breakfast together, return to my
room, converse and smoke for while and
then go down 10 the rotunda. On Easter
Sunday. before | went to the drug store,
he and had conversation about
THE PERFORMANCE OF AN OPERATION
Heretofore alluded to, and also dav or two
before. Mr.. Preller described to me his
| symptoms, and l considered that he was
| suffering from structure. and that the best
method of treating him was by passing a
| catheter. | took nv authorities on medi-
! cine and read to Mr.. Preller directions as
! to the proper method of administering
! chloroform, and refreshed my own mind
as to the precautions to be used There
are marginal notes on the pages treating
! on the simplest and safest method of using
/ the drug, but | made these some twelve
months before | left England. After this
conversation with Mr.. Preller. | went TO
the drug store and purchased four ounces
of chloroform and quantity of absorbent
cotton. On this same day Preller and |
had gone to another drug store. one under
the Southern Hotel, and made some pur-
chases which he said we must have and
Could probably not get on our Journey to
| Auckland, before we should arrive at San
! Francisco. IL had been understood be-
tween us all the time that was to sell my
magic lantern and some other things. in
order TO raise money for the trip to San
Francisco. and that he was to pay for my
passage 10 auckldilI, Win the understand
ing that | should refund 10 him the cost of
that passage. While in the drug store |
ordered and drank a mixture of bromide of
potassium and valerianate of ammonia. to
quiet my nerves. / drank this in the
presence of Mr.. Preller, and he paid for il
as he did for the other things purchased
there. We then
RETURNED To THE HOTEL,
And on our way up to my room stopped
III cigar stand and purchased box of
cigars, for which my companion paid. We
then went up stairs, and after smoking a
while and discussing the proposed opera
ton, Mr.. Preller went to his own room. re-
turning shortly after. having removed his
waistcoast and replaced his coat with
dressing-gown. Immediately thereafter he
began to make preparations for the opera
ton. Preller removed his trousers and
drawers, and laid down upon the bed. |
placed the four-ounce bottle of chloroform
on the wash-stand, and poured out fluid
gram of the liquid on piece of lint,
which | folded three times, then walked to
the bed and held the lint about six inches
from my patients face, so that the
vapor from the chloroform might
become mixed with the air, and
produce not too violent an effect.
1t all evaporated in a few minutes, and ]
I'm Cd 70, Il.