Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-08-17
A Famous Murder Case.

Brooks, alias w. III. Il. Maxwell a
young Englisbman, was executed at
st, Louis. last Friday Was one of more
than ordinary interest. He mur
dered his room mate G. A. Prellar,
another Eoglishman, in their room in
ST. Louis hotel in April, 1885. and
the details of this tragedy have been
almost eradicated from the public
mind. In these rushing days yester
day is forgotten when tomorrow
comes. 1t was a horrible murder,
aud the general opinion at the time
when the sentence of death was pass
ed upon him was that it was just
The two men accidentally met ia
Liverpool. Brooks bad left home
and for some reason known
known 70 himself had assumed the
alias with which the public has be-
come very familiar. While on the
steamer voysging America ward they
became fast friends. When they inaI-
ly reached America there was a sepa-
ration but not breaking up of
friendly ties. Correspondence be-
tween the two was diligently pur-
sued. Again the two met, this time
at St. Louis, where the friendship be-
came even more intimate than ever
before. On Sunday, not long after
their meeting at st. Louis, Preller
and Brooks, alias Maxwell. were seen
In Maxwell's room at the Southern
Hotel. Maxwell called twice upon
druggist for chloroform. The man
who occupied the room adjoining that
of Maxwell testified at the time of the
trial that be had heard the water run
ming and had also teard groans.
That evening Maxwell ate his supper
alone. He ordered much but ate
very little Why? Because be was
alone; Preller had been killed Prel-
lers body was pressed into trunk
and on one of the ends of the trunk
was the inscription:
$50 perish all traitors to the great
cause"
Preller was man of education, re-
finement almost to womanliness, and
possessed much means. He was de-
vote to music and devoted to religion
He bad often said that all be needed
in the world to make him perfectly
happy was a quiet home, his Bible
and some music. But he did not
follow his inclinations He was a
travelling salesman for London up
holstering firm. Why he travelled
no one could tell, because his tastes
were all against that kind of life. and
he had plenty of money. But we
often take steps in life which lead us
with painful and irresistible logic to
ssme i'll or catastrophe. In Preller's
Case this connection with the London
firm was the first step that led to his
death at the hands of his friend Max
WE'LL
Preller dead, The flight Of the mur-
derer began, He purchased various
articles that he thought might dis
guise him. staggered like d cow
| BOY ana told the most absurd stories
about his serving in various capacl-
ties in France and Turkey aud of the
rewards he had received for such
services. Remorse and fear sooner
or later takes possession of all criml-
nails He hurried to get away. He
bought ticket to San Francisco
hoping that when he should leave the
United States he would also leave
his conscience and his crime behind
him. But cons cience sticks to man
closer than brother And if dead
men tell no tales, murder is specter
which sooner later will fasten its wise
like grip upon the murderer Brooks,
alias Maxwell, took the first steamer
he cunld find. 1t was bound tor
Australia.
Meanwhile the crime had been dis.
covered in st Louis For some
days horrible smell, coming out of
Brooks former room, had nearly sti.
| fed the chambermaids. The door of
his room was opened and two trunks
which were in the room were taken
down stairs. The strench was over.
powering. The trunk from which
the smell emanated was opened, and
in it was found, compressed, the pu
trid remains of man. The features
had changed 30 that they were no
longer recognizable. The question
with the authorities was whether the
BODY was that of Maxwell or that of
Preller-in other words, whether
Preler had been murdered by Max
well or Maxwell by Preller. A chem
ical analysis proved that the body
was that of Preller, and that chloro-
form had been the cause of his death.
The evidence which was secured by
the officers of the law pointed toward
| Maxwell as the murderer The nee
essary papers were secured from the
Department of State Then the chase
began.
1t was a long, dreary, remarkable
chase. But the detectives followed
him with the same accuracy as the
arrow flies from the bow in the hands
of a skilled archer. Maxwell's frantic
efforts to conceal his identity gave
the detectives clue which they cas-
ily followed. If he had kept his
mouth closed there would have been
greater uncertainty about his arrest.
But be talked 80 much and so wildly
and acted 80 unguardedly that all
those who travelled with him toward
San Francisco, or who saw him while
at the intermediate stopping places,
found no difficulty in calling MIN.
| Nearly 8 900 miles the detectives toll
| lowed this Young mau Per-ev"r
auc- il always rewarded hN -ucc~s-.
| The perseverance, OF these pur~urr-
! brought its reward too. Wnen he
cached San Franci1co be had throw q
soff his alias, w III l. Maxwell. aud
had assumed his own name Hugh
NJ Brooks. But that avallrd him
nothing When the steamer Sidney
al chored at Auckland, New Zealand
the United States Consul and II local
| officer were at the dock Brooks was
asleep in his berth He was aroused
and placed under arrest. He was
held without bail in spite of his pro-
tests of innocence and French en-
phasis, which he assumed. until the
arrival of two ST. Louis officials. He
had got from Preller about $1,000 By
|