New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-08-15

Landgraf merely shook his head The black
caps were being drawn when Land graf slipped
backward, but promptly recovered There
was an awful look of despair on MAXWELL
face as the cap hid it from view, and his
knees showed weakness. The nooses were
adjusted quickly, and at $50 the drop fell
Landgraf never moved nor did muscle
tWitch. Notso with Maxwell When he fell
his breast heaved convulsively and his limbs
were drawn upward. while the spectators
were shocked by a stream of blood pouring
down the right breast of his coat which was
afterWard found to have been caused by a
cut on the nose inflicted by the rope in some
mysterious way. Landgraf was pronounced
dead IN eleven and one-half minutes Max
wells struggles continued for fourteen min
3utes, when he, too, was pronounced
dead BY the attending physicians
HIS DYING STATEMENT
Maxwell furnished document which he
called his dying statement in which he re-
asserts his innocence of the Willful killing of
Charles ARTHUR Preller, and then gives an
epstome of the sta tement of the case pub
ished, closing with a bitter denunciation of
those whom he asserts to have been iustru-
mental in dragging him out of the highways
OF justice In the bypaths of mob law, and
making his execution an infamy and a dis
grace to the United States
MAxWELLs MURDER OF PRELLER
The crime for which Hugh M. Brooks,
alias Maxwell. paid the extreme penalty Of
the law was the murder of Charles Arthur
Preller at the Southern hotel in st. Louis
April 3, 1885. The acquaintance between
the two men began in Liverpool, England,
both being on their way to this country, and
the two men became fast friends. Preller was
last seen alive Sunday afternoon, April 6, in
Maxwell's room, by a bell boy. Twice that
day Maxwell purchased a large quantity of
chloroform at a drug store near by, telling
the druggist he was using it in an ex-
pertinent. The next day Maxwell made a
number OF purchases at various places,
spending money very freely, although be
lore ne had not appeared to have an abu nd
ance of cash. Among his purchases was a
ticket to San Francisco. For several DAYS
prior to April Ia cham bermaids in the hotel
noticed an unpleasant odor coming from
Room LA, and connected it with Maxwells
trunks which had been left in the room Sc.
curely locked and corded. On April IL the
smell became SO pronounced that they were
opened. Crammed into the larger
trunk was a putrid body, shrunken
and distorted, not a feature recog-
nizable. Not until after the body
had been taken to the morgue and
several days of treatment given could it be
decided whether it was the body of Maxwell
or Preller. Finally, however, the remains
were identified as those of the latter. On the
breast OF the body was cross cut, and on
the inside of the trunk a card bore the in
scription, $50 perish all traitors to the great
cause. 1t was an easy matter to trace Max
well. He sailed for New Zealand in the
steamer Sydney as a steerage passenger.
Detectives were close on his track, and when
the steamer arrived in Auckland he was
arrested and returned to st. Louis His de-
Tense made at the trial was that the death of
Preller was accidental, he having admins
tered the chloroform preliminary to an oper-
alton he was about to perform. He had fed
because he presumed he would not be permit
ted to testify in his own behalf The most
damaging testimony was that of the detec-
tive. Dingfelder, who had been cell mate of
Maxwell's, and had secured confession Of
the crime.
LANDGRAF's CRIME.
The crime for which Henry Landgraf suf-
fered the death penalty was committed on
the night of March 5, 1885. The victim was
his sweetheart, Annie Tisch, a beautiful girl
of less than eighteen years of age. jealousy
prompted the deed. On the day of the muir
der he took the girl out walking, with the
revolver with which he killed her in his pock-
ct. He suddenly turned and upraided her
for keeping company with other men. She
merely laughed, but with an oath he pulled
out his revolver and shot her through the
head. He was convicted and sentenced to be
hanged April %, 1887, but was respited un.
til Aug. 20, 1888.