The Washington critic., 1888-02-04
THE FATE OF MAXWELL.
His Father on His Way 10 America to
Spe His Condemned SON.


Dispatch, there sailed from England for
America father who has twice crossed
the ocean to see his boy in prison.
He Is coming to be with the son on
whom the darkemng shadow OF the gal
lows rests. He will make o last effort to
save his loved one.
However much the murderer of Charles
Arthur Preller may be exeorated Samuel
Newton Brooks, that murderer's father,
will be pited.
His is a ioyless journey. Each knot
upon the ocean, each mile upon the
land, brings him nearer to an awful scene.
The son Hugh--known to the public
as Maxwell, the murderer of his friend
laughs, chats and flips his cigarettes in
Jail. He will not regard the awfulness of
his situation. Chatter replies to SYM
pathy.
The father brings with him no ability
to so thrust misery into the background
and cover 1t with a present cheerfulness.
Thoroughly honest schooled, and ever
schooling himself TO regard things as they
are, there is terror for him in the reality
of his sons danger.
He comes alone, leaving in the English
home-Sunnybank they call it--three
other loved ones, who will wait with
anxious hearts, hoping TO hear at length
that Hugh is safe.
To this schoolmaster and his family the
murderous hands are white.
Pity, indeed, it would be If no one IN
the world could love away his guilt
What matter TO them that he has been
tried, found guilty and sentenced to be
hanged that an appeal court has passed
upon the matter of his case, and, refusing
10 ,,s,I1 l.s.
out of the world: that still another APP
peal court says he has been granted every
opportunity to prove his innocence that
any mau can have under the Constitution
and laws of the nation. They brush all
this away and cling to the belief that
their Hugh never did an act that merited
the penalty to be imposed
Hang his son The father cannot be-
lieve il possible, though there are days,
and presently there will be only hours,
between that son and death.
1t was in October 1885, that the master
of the schools of Hyde, Cheshire, Eng
land, first set out for America, called by q
lawyers note. His boy Hugh, who had
wandered away from home was in Jail,
charged with the murder of his friend.
Intelligence of the murder, and that the
murderer's name was W. III. Lennox.
Maxwell, had reached this master of
Hyde's schools, and without making any
impression ON his mind. Later in Man
chester paper he read that among the eff
fects of the murderer were found proper
ties belonging to Hugh Mottram Brooks
of Hyde, England. ''My son has been
robbed and murdered he said Still
later came the suspicion that the man ar
rested for the crime, who preened and
screened himself under the alias Walter
II. Lennox-Maxwell, was none other than
that wayward son. Then came the law
yer's note announcing the fact
Still the schoolmaster did not believe.
So it was that he set out for America to
learn the truth. He would not trust to
other eyes. Photographs were not con-
yincing. He would know his son though
he might be deceived by picture.
Before the journey he had never been
one hundred miles from home. Guilt
waited as he is, he knew little or nothing
of America, save its geography. st. Louis
was to him . struggling village full of
such life as Buffalo Bill and company
have shown the English lately. Yet lie
set out, hoping it was not his son they
charged with so terrible deed. He ar
rived in st. Louis on October %, and was
that afternoon taken by his sons lawyer
to the jail
The first man to recognize the father
was Marshall /. Mcdonald, assistant cir
cult attorney, who had seen in the boys
effects his fathers photograph. McDon-
aid threatened to subpoena Mr.. Brooks to
appear before the grand jury, which was
then inquiring into the Preller murder.
BY the exercise Of little strategy, John
l. Martin of counsel for the murderer got
the father away from the Jail, not waiting
for meeting with the son. That night
Mr.. Brooks was hurried across the river
TO the Martell House IN East st. Louis.
He was then out Of the reach of grand
jury subpoena, and the sons attorneys
were in position to dictate to the assistant
prosecuting attorney. "MaXwelrs father
is here they said, boldly. "He has
come from England to see the prisoner.
He does not know whether it is his son
you have in custody or not We will not
allow him to be found until you promise
that he will not be summoned before the
grand jury, or subjected to any similar
form of humiliation
The promise was secured and meeting
arranged between Mr. Brooks and MAX
welp' IN the office of the circuit attorney
The iailer consented to the removal of the
prisoner to that office, and there they
met-the father, who had hoped the pris-
oner would not be his Hugh and the
trembling. eager son. They tried to
eyes were watching them, but nature was
against restraint, ana the old mans arms
were thrown about his erring boy.
No upbraiding, only sob, "My son =
and "Fatherw p and storm of tears
The son told his story when the guards,
attorneys and reporters had left the two
The father believed him, believes the tale
today. They talked as long as the iailer
would allow, and after that the father saw
his son each day in Jail.
Mr.. Brooks stayed month and made
trnuiGint, for tha anpnfori n hig m
and for his defense that was possible. For
some days after his arrival he was we'll
nigh brolen-hcarted, but the kindness
that he met on every side cheered him,
and he looked forward to triumphant
acquittal for his son. He met many peo-
pie who, pitying his position, exerted
themselves to entertain him. And he re-
paid them well.
A thorough Englishman as lie is, Mr.
Brooks is exceedingly well read and
liberal High in Masonry, he brought
letters to prominent members of the order
in this country which helped him to
make some warm and earnest friends.
Before the time came for his return Mr..
Brooks had grown very confident and
hopeful. Later when the trial was COM
ing on, his sons attorneys endeavored to
bring him over again, but so sure was he
that his son stood in no danger that he re-
piled that his school needed him too
much at that time. Every mail brought
remembrances from the family Hugh,
and the correspondence between the at
torneys and schoolmaster was constant.
Away off there in Hyde they came to
know the pcrsonages prominent IN the
case and prosecution of ST. Louis GRIM
inals as well as ST. Louisians may know
them.
II was not possible for Mr.. Brooks to
get away from his school again until last
summer, and on July q he arrived in st.
Louis. His son was then in desperate
position the State Supreme Court having
passed upon his case and fixed August
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