The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-03-02
MAXWELL, THE MURDERER.
land. He Refuse to Believe His
SOn Guilty.

On January 28th Mr. H. S. Brooks,
father of the prisoner Brooks, alias Max
well, condemned to death at St. Louis
for the murder of Arthur Preller, LETT for
America for the second time. He was
interviewed previous to departure at his
residence, Sunny Bank, at Hyde,
small manufacturing village eight miles
from Manchester. Hyde is small
suburb of the pushing business city OF
Manchester, which from the magnitude
OF It's trade in a certain class manufac-
tured goods has received the title of cot
tonopolis. The village possesses some
iron works, one or two cotton and
hat manufactures, and is inhabited by
an entirely working class of people.
Mr.. Brooks is described as a quiet
looking man of respectable appearance,
whose face is closely shaven, with the
exception OF dark gray whiskers, which
he allows to grow down from his ears and
beneath his chin. He was plainly at
tired in suit of gray tweed, and wore
check shirt, white collar and simple
black necktie. AS he is local school
master, he is naturally better informed
and more intelligent than most of his
neighbors.
In the course of the interview he said
that he intended, after short delay at
New York, to proceed straight to st.
Louis. In reply to a query as to his
opinion of the decision of the Supreme
to be the most unfair and unjust judg
ment ever passed in a civilized country.
He further added that one of the dissen-
tent judges before whom the case was
heard had declared that during all the
years he had sat upon the bench he had
never, in either criminal or civil pro-
ceedings. seen justice so f1agrantiy denied
to an accused person.
He believed that in no English or
European court would prisoner have
been treated so unfairly. 1t was, in his
opinion, mainly owing to the manner in
which the American press had preju
diced the minds of the jury. He ex-
pressed himself as perfectly satisfied
with the lawyers who had undertaken
the defense of his son, J. j. Martin and
B. w. Fontleroy, and said that he had
been summoned by them to the United
States He had also received a brief,
which he had notsyet had time to peruse,
and therefore could not exactly under
j i hn l01
seen the counsel in America in regard to
proceedings in connection with writ of
error. He said it could be shown that
in analogous cases adverse decisions had
been given, and that altogether the ac-
cused had been treated with a great deal
of Injustice. He was firmly convinced
of his sons innocence, and said that his
whole previous life would tend to show
that he was quite incapable OF commit
ting SO foul a deed.
In answer to a question as to what
cause, in his opinion, the death of Prel-
Ter was to be attributed, he said he be-
lieved it was accidental. He had, from
the very first moment OF seeing his son,
about the affair, so far as he knew OF it.
He complained bitterly of certain state
ments which have been printed in Amer
lean newspapers which knew nothing
whatever about it concerning the prls-
oner's previous career. Such things, he
believed, would not have been permitted
in England. The evidence as to the
confession made by the prisoner to de-
tective he characterized as being the per-
| iured falsehoed of a paid hireling, who
was sent to jail as prisoner in order to
trump up a case for the prosecution.
This whole transaction he regarded as a
most Infamous proceeding.
The old man declared that his sons
character was we'll known in. Hyde,
where he had taken prominent part IN
the work of missionary societies, and
had praciiced as a solicitor. He was
confident that all his neighbors would
bear him out in this. The whole little
family seemed to wear resigned, care
worn appearance, and the father con-
fided to me that the exeTtions he had
made in his sons behalf have cost him
a lot of money. When he first visited
| America he concealed his identity for
fear of detention, and thus being unable
| to return here to his duties. When,
however, he found he was free, he openly
stated who he was. His departure at
present would entail loss, as the ex-
| ,,,,;,,ot;orC Uvora cOInino on and the re-
sulting fees were an important part OF
| his income.
Trustees Inventory.