St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-08-18

1
! FUNDS and Brooks was not, there arose the first
| incentive to cultivate Preller's acquaintance
| and friendship. This Brooks proceeded to ac
complish by course Of mendacity and deceit
| that would do credit to the most accomplished
| American bunco-steerer.
Arriving in America, Brooks remained in tho
| East while Preller journeyed Westward, and by
| appointment the two met at the Southern
Hotel, st. Louis, about the beginning of April
1885, 1t would seem that Brooks had by thI!
time about reached the limit Of his financial re-
sources, and desired to obtain assistance from
his friend to enable him to reach the destina.
| tion he had set out for-New Zealand. Preller;
| though literally supplied with means for his
own needs, was not prepared to carry double
and so intimated to his friend, and then begar
the concoction Of the scheme which resulted ir
one Of the most sensational crimes that has
ever blackened the annals Of Missouri. Jus,
how the deed was accomplished will probably
never be known, but that Preller was killed IL
some way by the administration of chloroform
Is settled. Then came the disposal of the body
by packing it in a trunk after denuding the feat
ures of their .hirsute adornments n
prevent indentifcation, and the label
ing 1T with the now famous words: $50 Perish
All Traitors to the Great Cause" The body
thus disposed Of the next thought Of the muir.
derer was for his own safety. He had secured
the funds Of his victim, some s1, 200, and after
original destination.
But by the inscrutble workings of the
nemesis which invariably follows the perpetra-
tor OF CRIME, he left clew at every turn, and,
although several days had elapsed before the
murder was discovered, by reason of the foul
odor emanating from the trunk IN the hotel
room, the detectives were mot long in settling
upon the route taken by the fugitive and
his purpose to put the Pacific ocean between
him and his pursuers. He had reckoned with
out his host, however, for although by the time
ne was definitely located he was safely on
board the steamship City OF Sidney, with nc
ocean telegraph to overtake him, there was an
other route by which he could be reached and
the st. LOUIS authorities, determined not to be
outWitted by the little Englshman, called in
to reQuisition the cable service via England,
Suez, East Indies, Singapore Australia and
Auckland, so that by the time the murderer had
crossed the Pacific his crime was known and the
American Consul and New Zealand officials were
ready to receive him and hold him until the nee.
essary requisition could be made for his return
to this country for trial. Probably no criminal
fleeing from the scene of his crime was ever so
thoroughly dumfounded as was Brooks when
arrested on board the City OF Sidney as she
entered Auckland harbor.
The wonderful nerve displayed by the culprit
all through this remarkable case showed itself
from the time OF his arrest or rather after the
III 81 ie" HoHltutS OF surprise mad passed,
and there, on New Zealand soil began the per-
sistent fight that has but Just ended. securing
counsel in Auckland the habeas corpus was in.
Voked, but failed to secure release, the prisoner
being remanded to jail to await the arrival OF
the American officers with the requisition OF
the United States Government. The evidence
that he was the man wanted was found among
his effects, and after some little delay he was
duly turned over to Detectives Tracey and
Badger and by them brought back to ST. Louis,
arriving August 16.
Before reaching st. Louis the now famous
criminal was met on the train by Hon. John T.
Martin, Of the legal firm of Martin & Fauntle-
roy, who rendered the services OF himself and
partner for his defense. The tender was ac.
cepted, and from that day until this, when the
final act was pc rformed in the tragedy, no men
have ever worked more faithfully in the cause
OF client than have they. 1t was case pure.
ly OF circumstantial evidence but the circum-
stances were OF such character that no link in
the chain was wanting in the final summing up OF
the evidence at the trial, which occupied nearly
four weeks in the Criminal Court, and which re-
suited in verdict Of guilty of murder in the
first degree. The trial was concluded June5,
1885, and then began the real fight, the case
being taken to the State Supreme Court, where
the judgment OF the trial court was affirmed, and
afterward to the United States Supreme Court,
which decided it had no jurisdiction in the case,
no Federal point being involved. Efforts for
rehearing In both the latter courts
necessarily covered a great deal OF
time and the case was finally mar
rowed down to the decision OF
the Governor of the State OF Missouri on an ap.
plicat1on for Communication, which was ably
pleaded by the indefatigable attorneys, but
without success beyond obtaining a respite OF
twenty eight days from the date set for execu-
ton in July last.
AS a final resort the British Government was,
by some means, prevailed upon to ask a fur
ther respite, but Governor Morehouse, unable
to see wherein any thing was to be gained by
further delay, and feeling confident that the
State had fully established the guilt of the ac-
cused, and also being unwilling to saddle upon
the State the unnecessary expense Of further
proceedings in case that had already cost a
moderate fortune, (ss,0O0) respectfully but
firmly declined to interfere further with the
due execution Of the penalty of the law. And
thus the terrible crime has at last been expia-
ted.