St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-11
CELEBRATED CASE.
Commencement of the Maxwell
Trial for the Murder of PrelIer.


ST. LOUIS, May 1O.-The noted case of
Hugh NJ. Brooks, alias W. II. Lennox
Maxwell, charged with the murder of G.
Arthur Preller at the Southern hotel in this
city ON the 18th of April, 1885, was called in
the criminal court this morning. The well
known details of the case had attracted
large crowd to the building in which the
court room is located whele the case is being
tried, but detail of police prevented all
but few priviledged persons from gaining
an entrance. The crush, therefore, which
was anticipated was avoided, and those
anxious to catch a glimpse of the prisoner
were disappointed. The latter was brought
into the court room at 1850 o'clock. Physi-
cally the prisoner shows few signs of his
long imprisonment. His mental condition,
he says. has not been impaired, and judy
ing from his cheerful bearing, no one would
imagine thai he was about to be tried on
the charge of having committed
A MOST HEINoUs CRIME.
The case was called at 11:45, and the de-
Tense Directing that no list of the special
juries had been furnished them for their
inspection, was continued until 1 o'clock
this afternoon, when the task of selecting
jury was entered upon. The defense some
time ago claimed the privilege of trying the
case before special jury composed of men
of more than average intelligence. and the
selection of twelve from this class of men
will undoubtedly occupy the remainder of
this week.
After the jury has been obtained and the
testimony taken, the state will attempt to
show that the body found in the trunk was
Preller's. that Brooks was the murderer, and
that the motive was robbery. The defense,
it is believed, will consist of general de-
NAL of the allegations, reliance upon the
theory of q reasonable doubt. and a denial
of the statement that the body found in the
trunk was Preller's. The whole case, of
course, rests upon the identity of the body,
and many witnesses, from all parts of the
country, who had met Preller, will testify
on this point.
STORY OF THE CRIME.
On the Sd day of February, 1885, Hugh
w. Brooks, a young man of Stockport,
Cheshire, Eng, where he had started some
days previous on an intended tour of
America, was passenger on the steamer
Cephlonia, bound for New York. During
the passage he formed the acquaintance of
Arthur Preller, travelling salesman for
the firm of j. B. Dixon & Co., Bradford,
Eng. who was on his way to the United
States in the interests of his employers.
Ihe acquaintance thus formed grew more
intimate, and when the two men separated
at New York, Preller going to Philadelphia
OH business and Brooks to the West on
pleasure, they parted as sworn friends and
promised to meet in st. Louis. Brooks ar
rived in this city few days later and regis
tered his assumed name, w. II. Lennox
Maxwell, at the Southern hotel. On the
Sd of April Preller arrived and was met by
his friend, and the apparent friendship
formed just two months previous became
still more firm, so that each was accus-
toned to call for the other, and each occu-
pied the others room at will. Before
Preller's arrival from the East, Brooks was
known to have become short of money,
having made several attempts to dispose of
his personal effects to
MEET HIS CURRENT EXPENSES.
| On the morning of April he purchased
quantity of chlorotorm on prescription
written by himself, and during the re-
] maindar of tina dav littla Has sAan of him