Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-05-19
MAXWELL,s CONFESSION.

MAXWELL's CONFESSION
A st. Louis paper publishes the following
as a confession from Hugh NJ. Brooks ,talias
Maxwell, whose trial was begun yesterday
for the murder Of c. Arthur Preller at the
Southern Hotel, ST. Louis, April 5, 1885.
The confession foreshaGows line Of defense
upon The murder by imprudence" theory,
| which was predicted soae months ago.
Mr.. preller," Brooks said, ''was suffering
from disease for which | had previously
prescribed mixing the medicines myself
from the bottles in tho medicine case | car
| ried with nae; but his ailment had reached
stage when il was necessary for me to
make certain investigations. | was obliged
to use catheter, and in using q catheter l
had previously applied chloroform in order
| to produce condition of narcotism. / used
| choroform in this manner on man named
Harrison, in Liverpool, without any serious
results. I explained the process TO Mr..
Preler and told him what should have TO
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
| choroforin, which was standing in Il bottle
on the edge Of my wash stand when | "as
| washing some surgical instruments. This
| washing of the instruments took place Sun
| day afternoon and was intended as pre-
paration for the operation. In washing the
| instruments | overturned the bottle oil chic
| roform and it went headlong into the basin,
| the cork coming out, and all but about an
ounce and quarter or an ounce and q half
going down in the sink. This vas probably
3 o'clock, and, after getting my Instruments
ready, | went out to secure some more
chloroform I went to the drug. .store--I
don't know where-but the store near the
hotel Fernow's) and asked for some chioro-
form. The clerks or some persons there
have said that was excited end il hurry.
This was not SO. | sat down in CHAIR III
tho drug store for more than aqunrter Of an
hour, and was altogether very leisurely
about my business, for there was no hurry.
If am not mistaken had q long conversa-
ton with someone in the drug store. When
| cot the chloroform returned to my room.
Preler had been in and out Of my room and
his own all the afternoon. About 5 p. In,
wo began the operation. | administered
the chlorolorm III the usual way, hol'!ing
saturated cloth TO the nose. Pre!ler passed
through tho first stage all right it to"k
several moments-I dent know exactly
how long-then he entered the second
stage, aud here the terrible result
came. l discovered too intc that he
was dying. Imaguc my horror when
this fact dawned upon me. | was wild
with fright, but had presence of mind
enough to cut the shirt and undcrshi:t rom
| the hody, and getting a wet towel beat him
| around the neck and shoulders for half an
| hour or more did not give III, and was
1 Il ban nf.
| forts were not relaxed until he had been
dead sorae time. Al the Clothes he had on
at tho time were his shirt and undcrsiiirt !;
he had stripped to these :ur the operation.
! "What did | DO when saw my friend
was dead? What could | dc? didn't
know what TO DO except drink, and drank
| freely; | drank everything | could get
wine, whiskey, everything. What wego Cy
| thoughts? | hadn't any. All remember
! is that | drew On pair of drawers--the
first that fell into ny hanGs-and put the
BODY into .ny trunk, from which | had re-
moved everything. put it III the trunk an
hour after Prelers death. What was done
beside this have no recollection OF. Liq-
| uor and CONSERVATION had possession of me
and | know only that my feelings were
those of the utmost horror | remained il
my own room that night-the same room IN
which the remains were-ard it would be q
| iio for nc to say that slept, fer | didn't,
and was glad when lncrniug came. What
| did after leaving My room you know, for
| it has all been printed"
"Was catheter found among your medi.
| cal Instruments ?"
81 don't know. carried some of my in
| strumentS away In ValISe and threw them
into the Pacific"
Had you any plans about disposing of
the body?"
None whatever. | meant to leave it
there, expecting that it would be discovered
sooner than it was, and thinking that post
mortem would reveal the true state Of facts
that Preller had met his death while under
going such an operation as have designa-
ted"
"How about Preller's money!"
81 know nothing about Proller's money.
| had plenty of money of my own, or
could not have made the long trip which
did make"
According to his own story, the cutting
loft OF Preler's moustache, the inscription
about TRAITORS" and all the other queer in
cidents connected with the tragedy are to
be attributed to his liquor and fear crazed
condition after the fatality.
Notwithstanding Brooks confession the
trial proceeded as usual alter dinner. line
assistant circuit attorney opened for the
State and talked three hours. He outlined
the case for the State, wherein he expected
to prove Brooks connection with Preller
from the first meeting On the Cephalonia,
the prisoners long series of fnlsehoods, in
cluding his claim of being baronet and
a physician of the Royal College; the pur-
chase of the chloroform, the flight and ar
oh nf ri SIar,
tial evidence Merritt Nable, now of Tex.
arkana, but formerly clerk at the Southern
Hotel, was the only witness examined yes
terCay. He identified Brooks, and said tht
body found in the trunk was undouhted,
the corpse of Preller. He testified to Brooks
strange and nervous actions at the time o.
the murder and his sudden and unaccount
able change from poverty to the possession
Of large amount of money. Brooks was
evidently in mental distress at the close o
the court, and would gladly have recalled