Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-06-03
The Prisoner, On the Stand, Relates the
Story of the Killing Relying On the
Plea of Accident to Save His
Neck From the Moose.

|
The defendant then took the stant
amid great excitement, the noise ane
demonstration becoming so violent tina,
Judge Van Wagner threatened to cleal
| the court.
| Clerk Finney swore the defendant
| who looked little flushed, but otherwise
calm.
Mr.. Fauntleroy commenced the direct
| examination as soon as anything ap
| preaching order could be restored
estate your full manner" was the first
! question.
"Hugh Motham Brooks"
"How old are your"
"Twenty-fve years."
"Where born?'
"Hyde, England"
"That is your homer"
eyes, sir.''
care your parents iiving?'
''They are, sir.o
"When did you first engage in bust
uess?"
"Eight years ago entered law office
in Stockport, where I remained four
years. After 1 left Mr.. Browns office
l went to London agency, in which Mr..
Brown was interested, and completed my
course"
care you lawyer by profession?'.
81 ann
"Have you ever studied medicine?"
81 have in the school at Manchester. !
studied chemistry, physiology and allied
branches. l have studied medicine more
or less ever since left school,"
"Where did you first meet Mr.. Prel-
ler?"
81 first met Mr.. Prellcr at the North
western Hotel in Liverpool, the evening
before the sailing of the steamer. was
looking at the sailing list in the hotel and
remarked that the Cunarder sailed late
in the afternoon, and he asked me if l
was going aboard the Cephalonia. I re-
piled that l was. was not introduced
to him until we were on board the vessel.
! met Mr.. Warren on board, and as there
were only five gentlemen passengers on
board the vessel, we were thrown to-
gether good deal. Mr.. Preller and my
self were Englishmen, coming to a
strange country, and our acquaintance
ship ripened into firm friendship, and
we were together great deal.
at is true as stated by Mr.. Warren
that Preller and myself were more to-
gethar than any other Of the passengers.
l talked to him about my plans and pur-
poses in life, and told him what they
were, and he talked about his. 1 had
with me the medical books shown to the
or seven altogether. 1 had the books
four or five years and had studied them.
i should say that am not skilled physi-
clan and surgeon.
81 had the case of surgical instruments
with ME alluded to by Mr.. Warren, and
have no doubt l showed it to him.
told MIR. Warren that was an attorney
at-law and had studied medicine and
chemistry.
eve landed in Boston February s, and
we went to Young's hotel, where Mr..
Preller remained three or four days, and
then went to Canada"
Continuing, the witness told of his
ripening acquaintance with Preflcr; his
cure of a girl in Boston; his arrival in
St. Louis; life at the Southern; his finan-
cial condition while Sojourner there;
his visit to the drug store; his meeting
with Preller, and his inseparable COM
partnership with that unfortunate young
man; all of which was supplemented
with his own version of the killing of
Pre3ler.
After detailing the causes leading to
the performance of the proposed opera
ten, witness said:
"Mr. Preller took off his pants and
drawers. Then he laid down upon the
bed. I placed the four-ounce bottle of
chloroform upon the washstand, where l
had previously been engaged washing my
Instruments, and took out the cork. [
then poured about a fluid dram of the
chloroform upon piece of linen lint
that is to say, linen one side of which
had been rubbed or furred up-replacing
the bottle upon the stand. The lint ]
folded three thicknesses and held in my
hands f1at-so. Preller was lying upon
the bed. held the lint above his face,
Oh CT froI <aS,f vNY, tha tri1
''Why did you hold it at that dis
tance?"
$50 that the vapor of the chloroform
might be well mixed with the atmospheric
air.
"Well, what them"
81 told him to breathe naturally, and
the inhalation began. In moment I
turned to the bottle of chloroform, when
I found that it had been upset and nearly
emptied."
The narrator paused and passed his
hand across his forehead, which was
damp with perspiration.
'What them"
'sIn my opinion enough chloroform did
not rem ain in the bottle to produce
anasthesia or Inconsistencies to pain.
accordingly left Preller lying there and
went down to Mr.. Fernow's drug store
to procure some more"
"Who did you see there?"
Mr.. Fernow's boy. l told him I had
accidentally spilled the chloroform l had
and wanted some more. Mr.. Fernow,
who was in the rear of the store, called
out: 'All right, doctor, I'll give it to
you in a moment 1 told him when he
came out what l wanted, and he said that
two ounces was all he could Let me have,
as he was very short of it just then.
took that and went out"
'Werc you at that time excited?"
sNot at all. was in a hurry-that
was all.''
''Did you leave Preller in that un-
dressed condition."
eyes; he was still lying upon my
bed"
"Do you remember Mr.. Fernow's testi- |
mony, that you objected to the label being |
placed upon the bottle?''
eyes; what recollect about that is |
that told him it was not necessary to |
place a label upon the bottle, as I IN |
tended to empty the chloroform into the |
bottle already had"
'What did you do on your return?n
81 again saturated the lat with chloro-
form and held it to his nostrils until I |
tn ought that sufficient degree of I'M
had been reached. II
then took the catheter which had pre-
Fiously warmed and creased and pro-
ceeded to insert it. Upon that Mr. Prel-
Ter made peculiar noise as though the
operation caused him pain. 1 at once
came to the conclusion that he was not