The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-01


 Clarence Preller, man named . Hugh M Brookes, was one of the hardest pieces of work ever performed by me. The true story, swhich 1 have never before disclosed, has remarkable psychological interest In that l kept my assistants in ignorance of the part that each was playing, while my own recom- pense consisted only in a confused eye and a number of scratches bumps and bruises
 The Preller murder occurred in the summer of 1885, in one of the rooms of the Southern hotel St. Louis. Clarence Preller was young Englshman, repre- sentng important commercial interests. Brookes, the murderer, was also an Eng lishman, of respectable parentage, but a criminal past. However, until he met Preller on the steamship which conveyed them to America, his worst crime had been the theft of some propert ybelonginS to fellow-students at a law school.
 Brookes, representing that he was a man of title, succeeded in ingratiating himself with Preller during the course of the voyage. They journeyed to Boston together, and Prener, who was en route for New Zealand, by way of San Fran cisco, proposed that they should reunite at St. Louis. Brookes, passing under the name of Maxwell, engaged a double room at the Southern hotel and was there joined by Preller a day or two later.
 Brookes, or Maxwell, had learned that Preller had in his possession seven $i00 bills and had already resolved to murder him. On the Sunday after the reunion, after dinner, Preller com plained of stomach trouble. Maxwell, claiming to have some Knowledge or medicine, administered hypodermlc injection of morphine, giving his vic tim enough to kill. Just as Preller was h ic lo 10 mn a quantity of chloroform upon Prei- ier's lips, completing his work. When the man who had trusted him was dead, Maxwell stripped the body and placed a suit of his own underwear on 1t. Maxwell was short in stature being only about feet 5 inches in height, while Preller was much larger, about feet tall. Maxwells clothing was marked with the name of Hugh M. Brookes, and his obvious design was to have it appear that he had com mitted suicide, or had been murdered, leaving the police to search for the dead man as the murderer.
 Brooles emptied out the trunk be- longing to Preller and thrust the body into it. Then, strapping and locking it, he put his own, as well as Prefers effects, into his own trunk and retired for the night
 The next morning he paid his bill, stating to the clerk that Preller had gone out of town for a few days. but would return shortly, and that he de- sired the room to be held for him, as his trunk and effects would remain there until he called for them He added that he had to leave that morn ir g, but expected to rejoin Preller later in another city.
 Brooles had already made that fundo- mental error which all murderers seem to make. He planned to leave his own ei- fects behind him and to ship the trunk containing the body to distant place. where the dead man would simply De known by the marks on the underclothes. But he had given wrong instructions to the porter, or else the porter made mis- take. for the trunk brought down was his own and not that containing the' body. Brookes became very much alarmed. lie took a ticket for San Francisco, and thence sailed for Auckland, New Zealand, to which spot Preller had been bound, substtution of identities which he had conceived.
 The body was discovered. the detec- tives got on the trail Of the murderer, and he was arrested on the arrival Of his ship at Auckland and brought back to St. Louis While in jail he employed two lawyers to defend him. and it was then that I came into the case.
 A few days latter Brookes had been lodged in jail Mr.. Ashley c. Clover, cir cult attorney of St. Louis, and his as- sistant Marshall F. McDcnald. drove out to my residence was then special agent for the Missouri Pacific Railroad com pany. and my visitors were we'll known to me. ~S
 "Furlong." said Mr. Clover, ''it looks as though Brookes will go free"