The Press. — London, England, 1856-01-26 00:00:00

, heart, death by apoplexy was more sudden. Consi dering Walter Palmer's great intemperance, he believed that congestion of the brain would take place, and death under those circumstances be so,vlerated. Dr. Taylor, Ili on examination, sta < d his opinion to be that death from apoplexy uniter t le most ia2id eirciur cances would rot take place in less than two or three hours, or even longer. The symptoms de msed to by the various witnesses as affecting Mr. Walter Palmer at the moment of death, were 'quite consistent with death by prussic acid, which was only a rapid sort of apoplexy. Upon the chances of d Aecting prussic acid after death, Dr. Taylor said, that if administered in two tablespoonfuls of brandy and water the smell would be destroyed at the time, and that all trace of the presence of prussic acid in the body would be lost after three months' interment. From its ex cessive volatility he could not hope to detect the slightest trace if administered, unless the examina tion took place very shortly after death. In his opi nion, the symptoms of death in Walter Palmer's case were quite consistent with death from excessive drinking, or death from prussic acid : And (continued Dr. Taylor) there is this great peculi arity in the case, assuming prussic acid to have been taken, that the ordinary symptoms may have been somewhat modified by the drinking habits of the deceased. The stertorous breathing, for instance, which is always or gene rslly attendant on poisoning by alcohol, may have beau in this case partly dependent on the quantity of alcoholic liquid taken by the deceased. Besting upon medical data, it is impossible to say, from the account given, whether he died from prussic acid or from apoplexy, as the result of excessive drinking. I am giving my opinion on medical grounds alone. The only absolute solution of that ques tion would have been the examination of the stomach and head of the deceased within two or three days sfter death. Very rapid death like this, within half an hour, is, accord ing to my experience, very rare, unless, combined with the apoplexy, there be disease of the heart also. In poison ing by prussic acid, the almost universal rule is, that death taus place within half an hour, or the person recovers. That is generally the result. As to the state of the heart, Dr. Taylor deposed that upon examination " there was no deposit of bony matter, or anything about it to cause death." In conclusion, Dr. Taylor said, that if the deceased died from apoplexy, caused by poison, lie did not die from morphine or narcotic poison, but from prussic acid taken within half an hour before death, while from the appearance of the visceral organs natural apoplexy would not have killed him in half an hour. " I should have said," obserVed Dr. Taylor, " that if he had died from apoplexy, caused by disease, he would have been some hours dying." Dr. Rees corroborated the evidence given by Dr. Taylor with respect to the absence of all appearance of' disease about the heart, and to the effect that the duration of a fit of apoplexy from disease, or from excessive drinking, would lime lasted from four hours to a day and a half, while death from apoplexy caused by prussic acid would have ensued in about a quarter of an hour. In answer to further ques tions, Dr. Rees admitted that the heart was usually empty after death from prussic acid and death from natural apoplexy. Mr. Whyman, the assistant-druggist to Messrs. Weaver at Wolverhampton, was next re•examined as to his previous statement of having sold Mr. William Palmer an ounce of prussic acid about the middle of August last. The witness was closely questioned aid cross-examined by Mr. Smith, but nothing could a'nike his testimony that on the 14th of last August, two days before Walter Palmer died, the accused entered his employer's shop at Wolverhampton and purchased an ounce of prussic acid, with certain other articles. The witness sold the prussic acid because he was personally acquainted with Mr. Palmer, and knew him to be a surgeon at Rugeley. Mr. Weaver, on examination, stated that at the time of Cook's death, he asked the witness Whyman, his assistant, whether any strychnine had been sold, and that Whyman replied that he had sold an ounce of prussic acid to Mr. Palmer. The evidence of the undertaker, who provided the coffins for the body of Walter Palmer on the night of his death, and of Mr. Pratt, solicitor, who stated that he held a policy of assurance on the life of William Palmer, having been heard, the inquiry closed. The coroner then proceeded to sum up the evidence, especially pointing out to the jury that out of the eight medical men examined there was not one who would take upon him self to say that the deceased had died from the effects of poison, as the symptoms were those which might have been produced by excessive drinking, or by disease ; that, moreover, all agreed that if the deceased died from prussic acid, it must have been administered to him within half an hour of his death, whereas the witness Walkenden swore that the deceased took nothing an hour before his death. With respect to the evidence of Whyman, the Wolverhampton druggist's assistant, the coroner proceeded to point out that if his statement were true that be sold an ounce of prussic acid to Mr. William Palmer on Tuesday, the 14th, the bottles THE PRESS. Mr. Palmer gave to the groom at the Junction Hotel, Stafford, upon the same day, end which he was seen to use on the day following, could not have been identical. Mr. Ward then read over the other portions of evidence, and at twenty minutes past six left the case in the hands of the jury, who retired to consider their verdict, and after au absence of two hours and eight minutes, they returned into court with a verdict, " That Wal ter Palmer died from the effects of prussic acid, and that such prussic acid was wilfully administered by William Palmer;" and this protracted inquiry termi nated. An official inquiry, we believe, is about to be insti tuted with respect to the conduct of Mr. Webb Ward, the coroner, who acknowledges to having re ceived one letter from the prisoner Palmer, upon the subject of the inquest upon the late Mr. Cook, and is charged by the witness Bates with having re ceived two. Other circumstances connected with the conduct of Mr. Ward tend to throw an air of mys tery over the whole transaction, which the authori ties are determined to sift very closely. The friends of Mr. Bladen, the collector, who died so suddenly in Palmer's house, in May, 1850, from certain circumstances lately come to their know ledge, have laid the case before Sir George Grey, with the view of obtaining permission for the body to be exhumed and subjected to a careful anal} sis, to discover, if possible, the cause of death. Upon the side of the prisoner, his friends and relations allege that all the evidence yet produced against the prisoner in support of having adminis tered poison to Mrs. Palmer, Mr. Cook, and Mr. Walter Palmer, turns upon a question of science, on which they are prepared to prove a difference of opinion among the highest authorities. It is also the intention of the prisoner's friends to make an effort to remove the case, if possible, to the civil side by certiorari, and to endeavour at the same time to change the venue, so as to obtain a trial by spe cial jury before the Court of Queen's Bench, upon the plea that the accumnlation of prejudice is so great at Itugeley and Stafford as to rendkr a fair and impartial hearing most doubtful. THE CASE OF PADWICK V. PALMER, tried on Mon day last, at the Court of Queen's Bench, Westminster, gave rise to unusual excitement among the public from the announcement that the Stafford prisoner, William Palmer, would be brought into court as a witness. Westminster-hall from an early hour was densely crowded, while the struggle for entry into the court as soon as the door opened was painfully ludicrous. Outside the hall the crowd—almost entirely of men—was also very great, and the utmost anxiety was evinced to catch a glimpse of the prisoner as, rapidly driven up in a cab, he was taken into Colin through the judges' private entrance. The action was brought by Mr. Padwick (a gentleman weil known upon the turf), as indorsee, against Mrs. Sarah Palmer, as acceptor, of a bill of exchange, of July 3, 1854, for 2,0001., payable three months after date. There was also a count for money due on account stated. The defendant pleaded that she did not accept the bill of exchange ; and as to the second count, never indebted. Mr. Edwin James and Mr. Macnamara appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Ser geant Wilkins and Mr. Grey for the defendant. The case was simply one of "accommodation." Mr. Padwick had advanced 2,0001. to Palmer upon this bill of exchange, drawn by Palmer upon his mother, and endorsed by him to the plaintiff. Since then Palmer had paid off a thousand pounds, but failing to keep his word for the balance, and having given two cheques, both of which were dishonoured, Mr. Padwick on the 12th ult. arrested him, and, hearing of several forgeries being abroad of Mrs. Sarah Palmer's name by William Palmer, brought the pre sent action. The defence rested solely upon the denial by Mrs. Palmer of her signature, and the evidence of several witnesses, who swore thst the acceptance was not in the handwriting ot . the defend ant. The case for the defence having closed, Mr. James said he would now call Mr. William Palmer, who would state by whom the bill was signed. Mr. William Palmer was then called. He is a man of a florid complexion, light hair, stout, and about five feet eight inches high. He stepped lightly into the witness-box, did not appear to feel his posi• tion, and gave his evidence with an air of cool firm ness . Mr. James (handing the witness the 2,0001. bill) : Take that bill of exchange in your hand. is the signature to that bill and the body of it in your handwriting? Mr. Palmer • Yes. Mr. James: Did you ask the plaintiff, Mr. Padwick, to advance money upon it? Mr. Palmer: I did. Mr. James : Who wrote the acceptance, " Sarah Palmer"? Mr. Palmer : Anne Palmer. Mr. James: Who is Anne Palmer? Mr. Palmer : She was my wife—she is dead. Mr. James: Did you see her write it. Mr. Palmer I did. SATURDAY, The witness then retired strongly guarded by the police. Mr. James having intimated that Mr. Padwick with drew the case, Mr. Justice Erie directed the verdict to be entered for the defendant. At the close of the case the prisoner Palmer was removed in a cab to Clerkenwell l'rison, and from thence to Stafford, by the train. THE ADJOURNED INQUEST UPON THE BODY OF Mr. WAUGH, the solicitor shot in Bedford-row last week, was resumed on Wednesday before Mr. Waklcy, when the prisoner Westron was brought before the jury for the purpose of being identified. The several witnesses were then examined, repeating their evidence given before the Clerkenwell Police court last week, and each recognising the prisoner as the man who fired at Mr. Waugh. lespector Checkley further deposed to having found fifteen bullets and a mould at the prisoner's lodgings. At the conclusion of the evidence, the jury. after a brief consultation, returned a verdict of Wilful Murder. Upon the same day the prisoner was brought up on remand before Mr. Tyrwhitt, at Clerkenwell Police-court. The only fresh evidence adduced was that of Mr. Wilcox, of the Minories, who deposed to having sold the pistols produced to the prisoner some fifteen or eighteen months ago, and also that of Grove, one of the r division of police, stationed at Notting hill, who stated that on the 15th inst., Mr. Waugh, on getting out of an omnibus near Notting-hill Gate, requested witness to keep a look out upon the prisoner, who was standing near, as he had sent threatening letters to the deceased. On the same evening Mr. Waugh came to the station-house and cautioned witness to the same effect. Mr. Lewis, who appeared for the prisoner, reserved his defence, though he remarked en passant that the prisoner's father and uncle had both committed suicide, and his aunt had died in a lunatic asylum. At the conclusion of the evidence the prisoner was fully committed to Newgate upon the charge of wilful murder. During the examination, both before the coroner and magis trate, Westron evinced remarkable coolness and non chalance, and did not appear to present any outward appearance of insanity. The funeral of Mr. Waugh took place on Wednesday at the Highgate Cemetery. The plea of " insanity " will, it is reported, be set up in defence on trial. ANOTHER DELIBERATE AND BRUTAL MURDER has occurred this week at Liverpool. A vagabond named Ferguson, while at a low haunt in Prince William-street, in a drunken fight with Sarah Drum mond, the girl he cohabited with, deliberately held her down on the ground and cut her throat. The deceased jumped up and attempted to walk away, but in a few moments fell down dead at the corner of Wolfe-street. A coroner's inquest was held upon the body on Tuesday, and the evidence of the different witnesses who saw the fight and found the body of girl, and of the police who arrested the prisoner upon his own aemission of having murdered the girl, having been heard, Mr. Royston, the surgeon of the Southern Hospital, deposed to the cause of death, and the jury after a brief consultation returned a verdict of Wilful Murder. THOMAS ROBSON, the man lately remanded at New castle for an attempt to poison his wife by adminis tering sugar of lead in gin to her, has been fully com mitted for trial on the charge of intent to murder. A POISONING CASE, in which a surgeon and three men are implicated on a charge of having poisoned a man with the view of obtaining 3001. as his life insu rance, has this week been brought before the notice of the magistrates at Manchester. It appears from a statement made by Mr. Holland, the surgeon to the Diadem Insurance Office, that some time in Set tember last the three prisoners, Dunn, Monaghan, and Barry, after effecting an insutance upon Mona ghan's father for 3001. with the Diadem Society, asked Mr. Holland to show them how to mix a solu tion of white lead in whisky so that it should be co lourless. Mr. Holland showed them ; and the death of the elder Monaghan taking place about the same time, or shortly after, there was strong reason to be lieve that he had been poisoned. Mr. Holland, who contradicted himself several times, gave his evidence with great reluctance. The case at present is enve loped in mystery, and an application was about to be made by the insurance society for a post-m , rtem examination of the body. The solicitor acting on their behalf requested the remand of the prisoners. ANOTHER CASE, in which the parents of two children are suspected to have poisoned them for the sake of the burial fees, is also at present under inves• Ligation at Manchester. THE INQUIRY INTO THE SUSPECTED MURDER ANNE PEACOCK and her child, off Kingston, by drowning them in the river, was resumed on , Wed nesday before the coroner of the county. Is o new facts were elicited to throw any light upon the in.i terious death of the woman and her child. Maria Bish, a friend of the deceased, deposed to her having expressed an intention to go on board the prisoner Ford's barge on Monday night, the 7th inst ; Joseph Hammerton, the bargeman, swore to having seen Mrs. Peacock and her child in bed on board Ford . IN