The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-05-28
IN A TRAP.

Sensational Testimony of Detective in
the Maxwell Case-He Tells How He
Gained the Confidence of the Accused,
and Is Told How Prellcr Was Killed by
the Use of ChIoroform.
ST. LOUIS, May 25.-In the trial of Max
well, alias Brooks, for the murder OF Prell-
er, yesterday, the principal witness exam
ined was j. T. Mccullough, detective,
who, under direction OF Detective Furlong,
District Attorney Clover, and his assistant,
McDonald, forged check on an Eastern
house and presented it at their bank. He
was arrested and placed in jail and assigned
cell adjoining that of Maxwell He tcsti-
he'd fundamentally after his incarceration
he introduced himself to Maxwell. and
worked himself into his confidence and
about ten days afterward he became en-
gagged in a conversation with Maxwell
about the latter's case. During this con-
versation the defendant told the witness
that the only point in his case
about which he felt uncertain
and uneasy was that concerning the
money. He said that if he could
only prove that he had plenty OF money
when Preller came to st. Louis he wonld
have no anxiety about a speedy acquittal.
The witness offered to fix that all right,
but told the defendant that he must know
all about the case or he could do
nothing. Maxwell then made a free
and full confession of all particulars
OF the case, beginning with his first ac-
quaintance with Preller; how on shipboard
he noticed that Preller had in his possess
sion large amount of money; how they
separated in Boston, Preller going to
Philadelphia and Maxwell coming to ST.
Louis The defendant, in this confession,
said that on the Friday night after Prel.
Ter joined them in this city. He told him
(Maxwell that it would be impossible for
him to pay the defendants way to Aucl-
land, whittier they had arranged. to go
together; this, said the defendant to the
witness, angered him greatly, and he
determined then to 'sfix him" for his mean.
ness. On the following night he and Prel.
ier were sitting in the formers room wher
the latter complained of severe pains in
his side Maxwell said: 'sOh, lean fix that
all right; | have treated such cases be.
fore" He then injected hypodermically
into his friends arm u sufficient amount
OF morphine to render him unconscious;
after he had been in that condition Tor
some time, he bound q cloth completely
saturated with chloroform about his vic
TINS head, and this he confessed to the
Witness ended the business"
He took off his clothes, took his money
and cut Off his undershirt and shirt, and
took off his drawers. He threw the things
out. He put him in the trunk aud left the
things in the room. This was four or five
O'Clock in the afternoon. He said he then
staid around until Monday morning, when
he went out and bought several things
trunks among them. He then packed his
own trunk, and put the things he had
taken from Preller's body in his trunk, He
bought a ticket for San Francisco for
which he paid SIG"
Mccullough continued, saying Maxwell
told him he had about 500 before he
started for San Francisco. He spent
thirty-six dollars here, twenty dollars on
the journey and loaned confidence man
in San Francisco eighty dollars on a wa tch.
Mccullough testified further that Max
well told him he bought a Storage at San
Francisco for 500, had a pleasant trip
and $160 left when he reached Auckland
that the clothing taken from Prellers body
was in a trunk in the steerage and he could
not get at it or he would have made way
whit, He asked Maxwell whathe wanted,
and Maxwell explained that he wanted wit
x
money before he left Boston. Maxwell
said that the witnesses could say that they
had met him in club-room at Young's
hotel and had called at his room. They
could state that they were with hun, and
that on the day he lett Boston they
dropped into Murphy's to take drink,
and Maxwell treated; that he had large
roll OF bills, and one of them suggested that
he was careless in carrying his bills so
loosely in his pocket, and they could swear
that they saw $500 or $500 in bills he did
not care much what. Maxwell afterward
told the witness that he would not care
for the evidence concerning the possession
OF money, as the defense would probably
be accidental killing.
The cross-examination was very severe,
The witness stuck closely to his story
throughout. Counsel questioned the wit
ness as to his antecedents, employment,
methods etc, and obtained adrnissi ons
that he, the witness, would resort TO false
hood and lying and various other means
in the prosecution of his business, to ascer-
tain the guilt OF criminals or alleged GRIM
mails