EXECUTION OF MAXWELL.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 218, 15 September 1888, Page 2

EXECUTION OF MAXWELL.

HIS' CONFESSION,

Sir Sackvillo >Vest, British Minister at Washington, had; presented to Governor Mos-ehouse, of Missouri,; the request of his Government that a respite' of fifty days be \ granted the murderer Maxwell, alias' Brooks, in order ,that a thorough inquiry | might bo made into the' facts surrounding the'ease. ', Two lawyers, MeasisFauntlcry I and Martin', for, the ", prisoner, ■ appeared j before the Governor on/August 6th in sup-1 port.of the request, and were rather tastily treated .by; Hia Excellency, ■ who said he was ti/ed trifling with the case. The; lawyers' objected to the remark, and j hoped he would 'do his duty in the i case, as they had endeavoured to do.theirs, j On; August 9th, 'tloyemor..Morehpuse gave j his h'nkl answer in the case, refusing; further to postpone the,' execution. When ; apprised of the fact, that nothing could !save him, Maxwell betrayed very little ;feeling, but his mother and sister were completely crushed. He was > hanged on | Friday morning, August 10th, at 8;45.. His last clay on/earth was passed in the [same: cool; unconcerned manlier which characterised his whole life in gaol, with the exception of a brief interval. That exception was when Sheriff Harrington .brought the news that the Governor had refused to interfere any further. At that time the little ehloroformer was engaged in playing his favourite game of dominoes with tho deputy. When the sheriff entered, Maxwell started ,to" his ; feet, and .breath-,! lessly asked, "What's .the ~^eWs?" The sheriff announced the Governor's decision, and then for tho first time Maxwell gave way. Hoarsely muttering, "It's all over, then !" he* staggered through the doorway of, the cell, flung' himself on his cot, and turning his face to the wall, sobbed ; without restraint.^' His final leave-taking of his mother and sister was1 most affecting, and shortly afterwards he wrOte oub an address to his English countrymen complaining that his trial had not been fairly :conducted. Spiritual consolation, was administratedbyaCathblicclergymai), Father iTihari, the prisoner haVirig T feriibratifrd" that Ifaitß ftoirie'"fifteen months Maxwell was very self-possessed, and smoked a cigarette reflectively *just before his death. Ho was deathly pale when he walked to the gallows, , where ho ! was hanged in company with another murderer, named; Landf, igraf, Thq, latter beoam^ motionless ialmost with" the fall of the drop, but Maxiwell's body,,twitched .) and jerked for over 'twelve "minutes, and from a cut on the face,' ■caused by the rope being drawn ..over his :head,;a stream;of blood trickled; down and dropped on the; floor.:: His body was re-' moved to the morgue, .where it.was phofcographed.' ;■■■■■■■ ;',•■':.■.,.' n-■ •

i: MAXWELL'S "STATEMENT, • ; ; On' the 12bh of; last February '■ Maxwell wrote out a complete statement of the faots concerning' Ms own Ufa and the manner in *hich he became acquainted with Prelleiy aodhoAy the latter js^me.by, hia. death- Ib •was a long document and was unique in a certain way, inasmuch as the murderer sought to : shovy tha,b Preller'a death , was dit'e to in accident; :an"d was not the result of a fiendish .desire on Maxwell's part'to murder himrib was: written in a rather sensational style, and had a;! vein of plausibility vuaniag ; through 1b which* n:ight, favourably impress rone who v/as not familiar with- thei apparent facta of : . the lease.1'.5 After! stating .all aboufc' his ; firsb ( . >'meeting 'with' Preller on the steamer" jCephaionia, Maxwell gave the details■; of the journey tb St. Louis, and the incidents which occurred ■ after arriving in that city' up to.the,fatalni§ht. -He then went on-to 'say as■follows' "f%arSing■ Preller's death-: ! On Saturday night it was. arranged that I should pass the catheter next day. The arrangement, was purely accidental. I do ■• npt know which of us broached the eubjecfc, bub I think I began," the. conversation by I sayino* something about the'dreariness of i Sunday- Then came the query, How should 'we pass the flay ? and I cannot for the life of ale npw, be cerfcain; whether it was I who spoke •of performing fthe pperation, or whether it was Mr: Prefer ■vvho suggested it. At' any rate, ■ there, was no delay.; in coming to an understanding, and before we parted that night ttblct 'Mi' Preller that I \vbuld purchase the chldrpform in the morn ■: ing and go to hia room and perform' the operation^, lie said no, to wait until became downstairs to breakfast, -when I -could perform ib'irimy^robni. That was about all the balk we had concerning it at that time. Next day I went to 3Furnow'B.,dru i g-storev-and pur.chaaed fpur, ounces of chlproform. X'jfesl coniicleiit, >. when: I ,gqt the; drug-tnat I told Fernovv that I was going to use ib in a> slight operation. 'Mr Fernbw,! though, does not remember having heard1 me make fatiy i such-' Bliatemenb ;•. ;,and, indeed,1 he; may be right, despite my con•yiotion to the contravy. I took the chloroform to my room, aud when- Mr Preller came down to my room.ho had on his dress-ing-gown, and wore no coat or^ vest. After exchanging greetings he walked over t^ the washstand,; and takin'arrup-the ■,chloroform i bottle; said : 'f* I see you?vei got it.!'. I said yes. and he took out the cork and cautiously sniffed the contents. ~; ~ ~ ~ :. .. ■ "Don't be afraid of it,,"l said bantoringly |"it won't knock you 4own—it'a liotj.am* iiiionia." '■■■. ' .■•; -'''": 1;---' -:.:. .'-. ;■ iPREPAEI^aFOR TKE OPERATION. ; -Then he put it again to..;his nose and re, darked thao J,(j had an uripleaeanb odour :'i Hih.e- nlso teinKrked■"• its' r colourlessness and aaked-me what /tjie :i quantity')ya| r J, Bweretl hlwi lou?;.4wfl^"aiHV K§ took »f) \}m, wlilcij, w x^ lyin^ea, fcJte; tap-*:';-Jy--'"-'' ■'■ '""'' :' ::iV''"; '' ■ v'ff "■■'"..viV'K-v-..1 >> '.".i' .ff:-:}

of my trunk, and turned over its pages. He asked me how much I thought he.could stand and I told him that I didn't knowthat it was never known how much any man could stand until he had demonstrated his capacity for it. I again explained the manner of administration, and pointed out the paragraph in Ericsson which treated oi the method of administering chloroform. It was between 3 and 4 o'clock -when Mr Preller stripped for the operation. He re■moved his ;:dressing-gown' and, his, trousers and drawers, and I turned aside the counterpane of the bed that he might he down; His only clothing now .was his oyershirt and undershirt. . ,;, ', ■ I must here remind you that 10 is an established fact, known entirely to the}medical fraternity, and to many. Outside of it, that -chloroform"' cannot be administered to anyone against his will. : Even where there is a willihgnesa--on-the part oE the patient to receive the. drug there is a certain stage of its influence where the individual lights against its effects, and ofbon stout men are required to hold a patient at this, mpmont, It cannot ,be administered to a.sleeping person because it \vill awaken him. • Superintehdent Walling,, of the Ne\v York police, In his recently-.published book on the criminals of New York, lays it down a3 a positive rule that when anybody tells a story about being chloroformed1 in his sleep and robbed you may set him down at once as a fraud. In saying this he simply ■ clothed in popular, terms an axiom of medical science. It is well known that yon cannot chloroform an unwilling person sleeping or waking. This being the case,1 how, do you imagine, could I, physically Mr Prellor's inferior, compel him. to accept chloroform from my hand? It is self : evi-: dent that he must have been a party to the proceeding—that he must have submitted to its administration—and, more important thanallelse, that he must have hadan inducement or a reason for taking the.chloroform. Thus, up to the very moment when my friend died I can justify every step I took, every act of that day. -- ■ THE OVERTURNED BOTTLE. .

Mr Preller's head and shoulders were resting well upon the pillows. I poured about^ drachm of chloroform upon a folded napkin which I held in my hand. I poured it over the washstand bowl, and replacing the bottle upon the marble stand, which * was \vet from the washing of the .catheters, carried the napkin to tho bedside and held it about six ; inches from Mr Preller's face and told him to breathe in a natural manner. The supply of the chloroform on the napkin was quicklj exhausted, and when *I ( went back to the washstand to replenish it I found the bottle lying on ita side and nearly empty. 1 had'accidentaliy knocked it over or placed it insecurely. I picked it up, but saved only very, very little of tho chloroform. ,■ I then went to Fei'riow's drug-store arid obtained cwo ounces of chloroform. Mr Fernow says I was nervous urid excited and said I wanted all the chloroform he could give me. : I fear, very much that it was Mr Fernow himself who was nervous and excited. It is ridiculous to asserbthat I ever made fcuch a silly demand., I neither asked for all he had nor.for all he could spare. Wasn't it just as easy forme to'ask lor a specified quantity?' And this is what I did. I purchased two ounces of chloroform. lam positive that I said to Mr Fernow in oxplariation of my secqrid purchasd that I had lost my first chloroform by spill-, ing, but he has either forgotten io or he' no" er heard my remark. At all events the fact stands supported,, strengthened and magnificently magnified by the' corrobdrativo evidence ; offered by the .prosecution that I appeared in Fernovy's drugstore twice on tCab Sunday, and. each time purchased a; quantity,,*of',, chloroform—the h'rst time four ouncesj the second time two ounces. What do you think of tho capacity for cool-headed villainy .of the aasassinj preparing for a covert crime, who, using chloroform with deadly; intent, gpes^ twice to: the same store, aiia,;e,yen.'accordingj to Mr Fernow's evidence, invitea all possible attention to himself arid to his acquisition of the drug? What do you think of the murder - evolver who makes a torchlight procession Of his plans and, methods instead of secretly working in the dark, as other assassinf dp ? Is it not preposterous to say that there is suspicion or excuse for plot in any or all of these movements,of mino 1 If I went about doing a.-.murder in this way,^wa9 I not aa great c, fool .as * tho man who sends >word to another that ho will kill 'him at i'Bight? ;,: Would it not have been lesg troublesOmo and mbro successful to have purchased space in a i newspaper andj^displayfuHy advertised-my j intention ? Arid these are the open day{light ''acts, which, ,by; skilful conjuring, have been mad,e into links tor.tho chains I wear. The cupels in wh^ch. the metal that composes them was roduced, liad been charmed by public prejudice. It is just As jeasy for you to take; this some set of oircumstances and weave ( them into blood-curd-ing clues) all reaolentpt' the ociour of crime and tracking ■< mo ito the reddest recesses of assassination^ perhaps it might be. I easier .thaij it is for me to make my plain : state,u}eftfcj pf fchem^ and urge my feeble ' argumenta in their behalf. ■ ■ i! :';': -;:.• THE REATfJ. .. •, .. ■

Kindly pardon, I pray you, these numerous digressions, .but jn my anxiety to justify myself/in your sight and ■in £}$< sight of ■others. I cannot help wanderiiig into argumentative bypaths, and endeayquvine, at least to show that.thethings which I did without any attempt at disguise, of concealment'have been misjudged, and, consequently, must have been misrepresented and miscolourod ; they .certainly^have.been held up as deeds, planned aud executed in the dadt; and; I leave it to yourself as a man. to cay, after having read thus far, whether they are capable of, such a construction pt deserve such a misapplication.' >■'-- ;: :,; .:, : I returned to my room at the hotel, Mr Preller was still on the bed. I removed my ; coat and prepared'the napkin.. .Jmpißtened the napkia- arid'held it 'again- six or ieight inches., from , hia face, ; My friend iwas sppn; under. the influence. '■'■■ I went to the tv'ashstand, and looking over the catheters f selected one. I iinserted it in the .urethra or channel aboub an inch, when I noticed that; my friend \ winced. This was.evidence to me. that he| ,was not completely ' under the influence, arid I poured some chloroform on the handkerchief again and held it for a half minute ; or ( so within six or eight inches of his rioee. ■ I had not'used an ounce of the drug.aud was flattering myself over the success arid ease with which I bad, administered it. I started tousetliQ: catheter again when I was startled by a sudden sound of stertorous breathing—a.; deep guttural-like :snore—and I immediately put the catheter aside and went to my friend's head. Stertorous breathing i3:a warning of'danger, and the. first thing to be done when the hard breath-ing-begins is to lower the patient's- iliead. This I did. I took tl'QiPiHows from under Mr Preller'a head and"allowed it to fall back. Seokg. that this; had no effect ;iind that "the breathing grew .all the harder, I got alarmed. • : ... -

CUTTING OFF THE.,SHIRTS. Taking £jl s?nail curved- isqrgical out of my caße,l cub off his shirt and ut?derHhirt, .cutbingrthe gfirraontß as la; surgeon ■wpuid'have dgpe so a^bp^posQtho'lavges* possible surface:*o'f the'akin to the action of 1 the atmosphere.. Tha s 'pyt garnionts;shbvv; I that I did thia, Then I .ruopedbini vjgorr bnely and next took a wet towel ; iL.and elappod hi 3 breasis ,wibh lti v - 1 -pub forth every effort to'gave him. I worked Bcrenuv ously and unoeaaihgly for more than throoquavbiitspi at\ hour plying tolVftt tow^l arid' shaking 'and rubbing Win, ' Every inuaole titerabled with excitement and eiferkion, X was in afe vcv of be,y\ lderment, My pmotionf overwhelmed my judgre)bnts I sank oxbuusd ; ted an a f rightanecl In %chaii' bdaido tho bod, felife !Hefc—until my .friend had- Jong-been l.tleai|. -''">\W\\s did I nob qa}l fsr help "I "'' :s¥ !: ■ ■v-.-'iy'.f.? : ' ■'■■':■'■'. '■: ■■<'■;;■■., '" y.'- '.- ' ,<i'

Gbd !vl wish I had. Why did I not pull open the door and rush into the bqrridoTvat that moment and proclaim' myself itinocent? ;Could I; hot have done;-so? ; . 'Had | my purpose been murder as a preface to j robbery could I not have secured my booty-and called in the hotel people jto ' look at my dead, friend and tell them; bhat liis death was the result of an accident ? Had I been cool and calculating, in' the ; p6s3'e3&ion 'of my faculties and with a campaign of murder and robbery already carefully devised, would, it nob have been perfectly safe for me to.have made away with.the money first and' then come boldly forward with my excuse for ,an explanation of'the death ? I did nob call for. help. I did not offer.any excuse. And why ? Nob because I knew I had nob planned a murder and robbery-for thoughb of such things was very remote from my mind—not because I was innocent Of any crime,'and felb my inhocencei bub becausel was in a delirium of. excitement, and gave more immediate thoughb.to.the Jioss oruiy friend than I did to my own danger. I cannob explain my condition or describe it.- My brain was burning, my every nei-ve throbbing, my senses were in a whirl of grief and worry ; I knew nob what 1 did. I sat there and in despair conberaplated the lifeless figure of my friend. Would to God somebody had come in and roused me from my horror-stricken condition! Would to God that the man Ross, who said he was in the jadjoinihgrooni and heard nPises.hadbursbin jbhe door and come to my rescue I But nobody came, and with seusea paralysed and my own life seemingly wrecked in the wreck of my friend's I kept my Seat, fairly enchanted wibh horror.! ■■■'_ FRIGHTENED AND LIQUOR-CR 4ZED. i They talk of plans. Merciful Saviour, where were they thep ? Plara ! Plans ! Any plan would have saved and set me right, but I had none, not even , the feeblest plan that, the: most ig-noraiat murderer might. have devised. I was ab the mercy of the ciroumstances and of my feelings, and when I awbbb to a keen sortse Pf myposibion, the ideas of America which I had inabibed from Dickens rose before me like warning shadows, and stood between me and the door through which I might have walked that afternoon into the pure, bright light of innocence. Analyse my physical condition if you can, with sorrow and ibs abbotiding emotions weighing down upon me ab one side and the grim spectre of ;mob-law, as my ill-trained fancy painted it, rising niehacingly at the other. ■As I have said a hundred times, I did not know bhab an accused person could testify in his Own behalf in tnis counbry. . I had a deepfounded conception, bhab a • man who book another's life was dealb wibh and disposed of very summarily, and that Judge Lynch was the principal magisbrabe of bhe Wesb. Being a foreigner, who had no Bpecial reason to ippk into the laws and no special object in doing bo, my ignorance on this point was nothing extraordinary. With the fear of swifb and cerbain punishment for , whab 1 had done, and with my judgment knocked to pieces by bhe sevpro shock pf my friebd's deabh, was it any wPnder thab,l;\yas undecided and failed to do what I now seel should have done? Ond of my first im pulses, when I carrie to' myself, had bee^ to call in the hotel people, bub dread of being suspected and arrested drove bhe thoughb from my mind, and before I knew what I was doing and without considering by what mental process I arrived at the determination, I had selocted concealment and flight as the besb means to safety.' 1 suppoae that untrained instinct, wifchin m all—the in^ atincb of self-preservation —prompted and drove me to this foolish step. ! DISPOSING OF THE BODY. . I know wliab you will say when you hav c read thus far. i have heard you say ib be" fore. You , will accept every one of >my abatements up bo this .very point, and that they wear the air ef truth, and are sound and plausible, but— bubi you .will exalaim, how can,the larceny —the talcing of the money—be explained 1 I agree with_you that this ia a hdrdTpoitat tb get over. Nobody can Ippk ab the act through my eyes or judg_e it with my heart. I frankly'avow my guilt in this respect, and can attribute bh? commission of this crime brily tb a deßire to avail myself of a nieans which was ready at hand to assist mo in making my: escape. That the exact imporb of this larceny may) bo understood, I cnusb tell my vyhole story. Preller iwas dead ; his body lay on the bed as he had died, .1 was, trying to make up my mind what to do, ;As I said before, J determined on flight. But what should Ido i'wifch the body ? It must be concealed. I emptied zirio trunk,; which had the iinnials of my adopted name (W.H.L.M.) on ib, and pulling it to the side of the bed, placed the body, which; had been lying under the counterpane/ in it I than dragged the trunk ;bapk to , its plape against the wall and corded ib yp. I ghbuld have said thatl first placed a'pair of drawers on the, body. My objeob in doin?, this, was to cover up its nakedness. I remomber distinctly bhat I snatched the drawers from the heap of clothing, etc., on the flpor, after I had'empbieel my trunk, and did hot notice that they were too small until I had them almPst o». As a matter of fact, I did nob know that bhe drawers bore the initials of my real nanie "H.M.Bi" ;aiid I hover saw the initials or was aware they existed there until the Cirouit Attorney handed me the drawers when, I was on the witnesssband in. the Criminal :CPui?b; <\vh««n I at once recognised that the letterij were in, my. father's handwriting. Aftor.cording up tlie trunft I went put,aiid drank heavily; I was back in my room before midnight and "remained there all thab frightful night.'. Didll sleep ? Np. I spent bhe night in pacing the room and woridering whab would become of; me. ::'iThen it was that plans came into my head—a hundred of them ■■'■ the iirsfe I had conceived in'cpn, iriectibnNyith the ppcurrenpe. Then;it was my crime really began. Put yourself in;my. place that* terrible iiight—a stranger alone in! a yasb land,, your friend, dead, your other friends* thousands Pf miles away, your life, as you thoughb, in jeopardy, andyour only spliaco liquor, and tell me what would you have done? : - ■: :! the robbery; Lhave said thab I had half formulated a conclusion to take my phances in flight, aind.npxb morning I was pondering this and ppa^ibiy other things, but flight ab any rate was uppermost in- my mind, when impulse led me to examine Mr Preller's trousers pockets. In one of them I fo^ud la roll of bills ambun'ting to; about $500 i ■ I said I would use this to -assist me inmy flight, and I now; regretfully confess that I appropi'iated it.'. '1 also took a pair! <of sloeveibuttons from Preller's cuffs, which I put in' my own, ■' I wish, 'how,ever,■ ; to state ■ thab ' bhe , -.bupltskini bfi'g which bhe prosecution first said Mr Prelier carried; around hia >body and which they accused m.p pf haying cut from the remains, ■is my;Pwn pouch. My ownership in that pbiioh, about whiph the prosecution iv the days before my trial made a'greab to-do, is no jonger'diaputed. Another, thing—bhe ' bottle inwhioh-I had bhe.chloroform and in whic|i I left a quantity of cbloroforrn,' I think/ Is nob'missing, is prbsecubion ,h.M inaietpd, but ', is npw iri. cho Circuib Ab■torney'sofficp among the'other botblps ; at least it wag limoPS ,W^.'■s ■the.tlme'of my trial, for I saw it, 'arid it had some liquid in ii__whafc, I oannot say. •-— " After taking v the nioney another iniiahb fanpy entered jay head, ; I syrots .the ?' So Tevish All Traitora to the Capa^l/' placard, itrid. uncording and unlocking the bru'nk in. which the" remains were jiiaden I pasted tho placard at Pne end of-'the trunk, riear; my friend'|i head, Ab the aame time I cnb off the captjstapheand madejthe cross rnavks tfn thb breast, il dori'b '■'■■■ k.r»o\y "whether I : used a Gcalpel, pr the ; .Bcifsqrs op a, knife }n; making these marks. Ib was simply en.tne '•■■.-■■■■.■ ■' . ■■t.'X'. ;'". '■■::,;"■! vi -'.","■-•■ h'>'';^tf.

sui&k&bf the slcini 'Don'texpect me to tell ygjSsKy ,Idid these things.. J have myself b'l^^^yfjag |or fche past two".'years,,tb inteiffffeb nry actions qn that nigtib, and to penetrate ths||ecret of ray mental condition at the time. *^Liqilor and the enormity of my misfortutie must have combined to craze me. I surely was not in a sane and responsible state. I suppose I had an idea that the placard would throw a political mystery about the affair, and the marks would be accepted as the bloody signature of a secret organisation, while the , EEMOYAt6# THE MOUSTACHE.I was. undoubtedly, for the purpose of destroying identity. But lam making all these supposition's now. If I were offered my freedom this minute1 tp satisfactorily explain those acts I couldn't dp it. Positively, I have no explanation to them. The only thought I know that was uppermost in my mind all through that tragic night was the almost complete assurance 'that the autopsy which would follow'the discovery of the body Would show that;the deathwas accidental; thab no violence \vas used, and that I y/as innocent of any crime in bringing it about; and yet, in face of this self-satisfying assurance, I tried,, these other expedients and pushed my mistake to the very threshold of atrocity. Horrible, wasn't it? Well*,- I aOV suffering for the folly. I closed the trunk and corded it again; and here I will bring my to an end. , , , •• ir You know what a fool I made of myseir on Monday. If I meant to convey the impression that it was Maxwell who had been murderedahd was concealed; in the trunk, aa some theorisera give put,, why should I give a prescription to Hickiniin's barber on Monday and sign it to Maxwell ? , Why should I present myself to everybody who iknevv me in and about the hotel; and let them see my changed appearance, if I'had my beard shaved oif for,a disguise ? • I don't believe I could have more successfully advertised myself had I hired a brass band and walked behind/it. It has been truly kvritten that I " blazed my , way clear through to the antipodes "—and yet "what I did has been termed a well-planned and skilfully-executed murder. , iREVIEWINa SOME POINTS. ~ Strip my case of the sensations uponsensations which have been grafted upon it, ,and of the lies which have been told and retold about me, and consider all the circumstances purely on their merits and in their order and bearing on each other, and you cannot possibly arrive at any other conclusion than this: That I caused Mr Preller's death accidentally ; that I had no. motive fbr killing him or any other man • that I made no preparations to kill anybody, and consequently had'no plans ;whichJwero based upon a murder.Dr. Nideleb testifieti that in the dissection, during my trials of-the parts upon which I operated, 113 found in the urethra an abrasion or rupfaire involving one of the •follicles, which he said might have been caused by the insertion of a catheteiyandbhiß rupture or abrasion %£«) at a point about one inch ')jr an inch and a halt from the end of the urethra. Does not this substantiate that part of my statement relating to the opera-1 tion? Then, again,'the prosecution;; in 'ex-] hibibing the shirt that had been worn by j Mr Preller, could not conceal, had they, attempted to do so, the spot, of blood which \ marked the lowest part of ibs back. That spotJ of blood;is'there still,;if if has/not been washed but,; and it is the,:strongest kiudof affirmation of my Btory. Everybody who is acquainted at all with operations of this, kind knows that the insertion of a cathotor may cause the drawing of a drop or; two of blood. The blood is on Prellar'e shirt. Does it not emphasize' Dr> NideleVs statement, and isit not a full corroboratiori 6i ray own? Another ppinb; there are gleeliy discharges and stains on the front tail pf that shirt. "The Circuit Attorney, in speaking of them to the jury, fiaid they were caused by bhe retention Ibf urine; which, being afterward given off, caused the discolouration on ; the cloth. Now, what causes the retention of the urine ? Does not stricture ? Is not this condition of the linen the beit evidence in the world that could be adduped to support my assert tions ? Is there a claim 1 make or a abate-, menfc I hayS written that has not been «upported by jthewitn esses for the State! NOT SUFFOCATED OR STRANGLED, The post-mortem showed that Mr Prefer'sliearb and lungs were in a normal condition, which does away-entirely, wich the absurd charge of suffocation and strauguiatiorii Every fact favours'wey and h6w could it be otherwise, as I have only tho itruth to toll ? Only' one featurb" condemns me, and that is bhe; taking of the moneys bub I believe the absence of preparations and plans^strengthensniy statement on tin;? point, i Everything- else is ;sp 'clearly, i'nd distinctly in my favour thab I feel that, to 3ay the least, there ia a gfaVe doubt in this iriatter. I pontendthut,! am entitled to it. The proseeutibn built its case on the assumption that I pretended to be a physi: cian bo as to get at, this ipethbd"qf killing M? l-reller, and that,! killed; liifln for i his money to get to New Zealand. I have shown, or ab least hdve tried to■shoiv.iii this statemfenb, that; I poffses? some knowledge of medicine and a ipretby i!co|nplete doctor's outfit, acquired long before meeting Mr Prgjler, and thab J was praqtically doing all I could toward securing .-'.practice as a physician. I have shown, and^ it was ' proved at the trial, that I made'iip secret of my financial condition to,'Mr.Prelleiv 'I have shown that ?I. made no secret -of | my. purchase of chloroform.' :I- have phown j there are indiajbutable evidences. on; -thp.i shirt that Mr- Preller wore of bhe J which I performed. I claim that I killed I my friend accidentally through this bpera^, tion, and I have here fully explained exactly I how it was done. All the facts proved by tile prosecution strongtlien;'and corroborate every; claim tjiftt 1 majte, and , nqw. all that remains is to corisulqcQippeterib physiciansand /ask itheni if there is':anything nvbhe facte elicited at my .trial, or,:, in this'present statetiient of mine incompatible wibh 'the claim that Mr Preller's "death, which I re- j gret more than an^lwords of mine can ek: press; wft3 bhe result of accident;.,"' ' ' ' DINGFELDER. ' And while I am speaking of physicians, 11 would like to say this : That ;any physician | who is shown the statement ot that in-! famous perjured hireling, Dingielder,;•'...who ; swore that 1 had pub Prellei' to sleep by in-' jecting morphia into his arm, and then used up one bottle of chloroform containing foiir ounces in annnsuccessfvil abtempt to finish: the job of killing him, and,\then went out and purchased, at the same store where I liadppught the iirsb supply,of chploroform, ,two ounces more of chloroform to complete the taking of Preller'a life, will tell you that such a story is; absolutely incredible .and absurd, . and bears upon, its "face the unmistakable stamp of an' infamouse 'ialse" ■ ■hpod.,-' i ._, .; ;: ' :'", : '... '.. * ~,.-, ; , - For any physician will tell you that it requires .very,;little .more morphine to destroy life|,than to .products' uriebnscidushess, or anesthesia^as the doctors call it. If I. bad* injected morphine into Preller's arm and thus put him to slpop, I would . only have had to i press,'my ifinger upon the syringe a feTf, mover times, in, order fco. kill him. .My morphine bottle, wh^n introduced in evidence me on the; trial, very nearly full. And nob only this, bub any physician:^; who , knows1 anything,' ■ either, practically or .theoretically, aßpub the use and effect,'rpf.chloroform,, will tell you that a very Hmall' quanbiby ; of, ohlorofprni wi|l p'tpdijce dpabh wi.bh -:unerr» irig cort^inby:;>vhoti ipplied' in spch a way; a»: nob. tp pormvli!:th'e■ comimingling pf : air yriik ib, .while Hlmosb any quantity may be ■ vfeed wibhoufc dancer {unless there exists in ilia patient what Jsj palled an ic|ipsypcrasy for chlbroforni), provided .the air is allowed to m|rigle \vith jfe when administered^ In ; otiieps wb't<l«V'thftfc/ J'»4; X y^airg'.ti' tp take Preiler's^',lifa '-^ll --X ihi^d

to do wasito; sa|urate a cloth with a very pmall portion Tof whab I had and'to lay it over his no9e and mouth so as bo exclude the air. This would have killed him just as eflecbually as if his head was °ut off. What is meant by an idiosyncrasy'for chlorbforto is simply such a'systera or condibipn of the physical system, thateven the smallestquantity of chlo'rbform may prove'fatal in the most sudden and unexpected manner, and the doctor will also,tellyourthabrthis idiosyncra;sy:.caniiOt. be detected nor guardeclagainsbin advance. Dingfelder was a willing liar, bubnot a scientific one. However, when the prosecution j needed a man.for such a job, they, of necessity,: had to hire such as were in the mar: ket, and perhaps,.afber all, it will dp me no good to abuse Dingielder, for,; bo faras yet appears, he; >. has lieds successfully, even though unscientifically. Watch his career, and you will find, that he ■ will come to no good. - Hugh M. Bbooks^ j; Four Courts,, February 22,1888. :i