The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-19
FHEST. LOUIS HOTEL MURDER
Brooks Furnishes a Statement as to the
Manner of Preller's Death.
The Killing Resulted from Chloroform, ana
Was Accidental-Later Occurrences Ac-
counted for by Brooks Getting Drunk.

ST. LOUIS, May 18.-The Post-Disrrstcn; tins
Afternoon. prints a statement made by FL. NJ
Brooks, alias Maxwell now on trial for the muir
der of c. Arthur Preller, which will constitute
che defense Of Brooks, and which will be urged
TO the utmost by his attorneys in the trial. The
statement was made to Mr.. John J. Jennings,
the present city editor Of the Post Dispatch, and
It has been approved by Brooks's attorneys. Mr.
Jennings prefaces the statement with some re-
marks, the chief points of which are as follows:
Maxwels explanation Of the death Of Preller is
his only defense. That explanation was made
IN writing to his attorneys. Messrs. Martin and
Fauntleroy, many months ago, and Maxwell will,
DR. the witness stand, repeat it. In giving it, he
bald his desire all along had been to unburden
himself to the public and allow his actions pre-
vious TO and after the crime to substantiate his
declarations These actions show that he neither
premeditated crime tried to conceal one.
for from the moment of his arrival at the South
frn Hotel until his departure for San Francisco,
every act and almost every word of his has been
The property OF the public.
'.The only act" said Maxwell, 'about which
there has been any doubt at all has been the act
of which am now accused. / recognize now,
AS much as anybody could, that / made mis-
take In withholding my defense, but what could
I dot Twas here alone, in a strange world, with
no one to advise me but my counsel, and fol
lowed the advice they gave me to the letter.
The attorneys for the defense will not deny
the identity of the remains, but will acknowledge
the death Of Preller at Maxwell's hands. and in
sist that the death was due to accident. The
following is Brooks's statement:
'.Nir Preller was suffering from private dis
ease, for which l had previously prescribed. mix
Ing the medicines myself from the bottles in the
medicine case l carried with me; but his all
ments had reached stage when it was neces-
Pary for me to make certain Investigations
was obliged to use catheter, and in using a
eatheter when the parts were infiamed. bad pre-
giously applied chloroform in order to produce a
condition of narcotism. / used chloroform il
this manner on a man named Harrison, in Liver
pool, without any serious result / explained
the process to Mr.. Preller, 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 chloroform, which was
standing in bottle on the edge
of my washstand. This took place on Sunday
afternoon and was intended as preparation
for the operation. In washing some instrumert is.
/ overturned the bottle OF chloroform. This
WAS probably o'clock, and after getting my in
struments ready. l went out to secure some
more chloroform. l went to q drug store
don't know where, but the store near the hotel
(Fernows), and asked for the chloroform. The
clerks some persons there have said that was
excited and in hurry. This was not so. | sat
down in chair in the drug store for more than
quarter of hour and was altogether very
leisurely about my business, for there was no
hurry II am not mistaken l had long con-
yersation with some one in the drug store
when got the chlorOform l repaired to my
IL a
and his own all afternoon. About 5 P. NJ. we be
gan the operation. / administered the choro-
form in the usual way, holding saturated cloth
to the nose. Preer passed through the first
stage all right it took several momeEts-I don't
know exactly how long; then he entered the Sec
ond stage, and here the terrible result came
discovered too late that he was dying. Imagine
my horror when this fact dawned upon me- I
wild with fright, but had presence of mind
enough to cut the shirt and undershirt from the
body. and, getting a wet towel, l bathed him
around the neck and shoulders for a half hour
or more. did not give up until was ready to
drop from exhaustion, and my efforts were not
relaxed until he had been dead some time. He
had stripped to his shirt and undershrt.
What did / do when / saw that my friend
was deadl What could l do9 l didn't know
what to do except to drink, and drank freely;
drank everything could get What were my
thoughtsl / hadn't any. All remember is that
drew. pair of drawers, the first that fell
Into my hands, and put the body into my trunk
from which had removed everything. put it
in the trunk an hour after Prellers death What
was done beside this have recollection of.
Liquor and CONSERVATION had taken possession
of me- l remained In my room that night-the
eame room in which the remains were-and it
would be lie for me to say that slept, for
didn't, and was glad when morning came.
What l did after leaving my room, you know,
for it has all been printed"
'sWas a catheter found among your medical
Instrumental
~ don't know I carried some of my instru
ments away in valise and threw them into the
Pacific
Had you any plans about disposing of the
body7.
''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
bad met his death while undergoing such an OPP
Grafton as | have designated
How about Prellers money!
II know nothing about Prellers money
had plenty OF money of my own, or l couldn't
have made the long trip which did make"
Mr.. Jennings closes by stating that this is
only synopsis of the full written statement in
the hands Of Brooks's counsel. which gives all
the details of the Sunday occurrences in room
IA. Southern Hotel, but the attorneys refused to
give the written statement and. by their advice,
Brooks declined to say anything more Accord
ing to his own story, the cutting off of Preler's
mustache. the inscription about traitors found
III euo buuA' anu ali OIu6r queer lnClQentS con-
nected with the tragedy. are to be attributed to
bis liquor and fear-crazed condition.
The jury in the Preller murder case was CON-
pleted to-day, and at the afternoon session of
the court Mr.. Bishop opened the prosecution
with long statement Of the case and what the
State expected to prove. He rehearsed and re-
sited all the circumstances and facts at
tending the arrival here of both
Brooks and Preller their soiourn at the
Southern Hotel, Brooks's conduct while here, his
subsequent sudden departure the finding OF the
body in of Brooks's trunks. its partial identi
hcation as that of Preller. and his arrest and re-
turn to this city. claiming at the close that
Brooks killed PreIler and that he did it will
fully, maliciously and prsmeditatedly.
The hrst witness then called, Merritt r.
Noble, who was, at the time Of the murder, a
clerk in the Southern Hotel but who now re-
sides at Texarkana, Ark. He testified to the de-
PENDANT having arrived at the hotel on the