The Press. — London, England, 1856-05-17 00:00:00

466 juryman answering to the call. One of the jurymen, about to be sworn, begged to be excused from serving on the ground that he entertained a feeling of pre judice. He was allowed to leave the box, and another juryman called in his stead. In appearance, Palmer presents none of those characteristics we are so apt to associate with the personnel of great criminals. He is a short, stout, jovial-looking man, with a fair, round face, a high forehead, light hair and florid complexion, and an expression, though with something unpleasant and watchful about the greyish blue eye, on the whole rather agreeable than otherwise. His manner during the proceedings has been calm, respectful, and attentive. He has avoided all appearance of in• difference, conversed freely with Mr. Smith, his solicitor, and personally taken full notes of the evidence given by witnesses. When any point strikes him he immediately refers it to Mr. Smith. The Attorney General, Mr. E. James, Q.C., Mr. Bodkin, Mr. Welsby, and Mr. Huddlestone appeared for the Crown; Mr. Sergeant Shee, Mr. Grove, Q.C., who were specially retained, with Mr. Grey and Mr. Kenealy, were counsel for the prisoner. All the witnesses, with the exception of the medical men, were ordered out of court, when the ATTORNEY GENERAL rose and proceeded to open the case on the part of the prosecution. The learned gentleman first warned the jury to permit no preconceived notion to influence them in their judgment, but to try the case solely according to the evidence. Sir Alexander Cockburn then briefly sketched the general features of the case against Palmer— viz., that, being in desperate circumstances, with ruin, disgrace, and punishment staring him in the face, which could only be averted by means of money, he took advantage of his intimacy with Cook, when Cook had become the winner of a considerable sum, to destroy him, in order to obtain possession of his money, and pointed out that it was an important element in inquiries of this sort to endeavour to dis cover the motives, if any existed, by which a man had been induced to commit the crime charged against him. Taking events chronologically, the Attorney-General proceeded to state that Palmer in 1853 became embarrassed, and forged the accept ance of his mother to a bill for 2,0001., discounted by Mr. Padwick. In 1854, becoming more involved, he raised money by forging his mother's name to further bills of acceptance. By these means he obtained 8,0001. from Mr. Pratt, and 5,000/. from Mr. Wright, solicitors. The bills became due. In September his wife died, and the 13,0001. insurance effected upon her life proved sufficient to meet the claims of Mr. Wright and Mr. Pratt. Mr. Padwick's 2,0001. bill remained unpaid. In the course of 1854 Palmer had effected an insurance of 13,0001. on his brother's life, and, on the strength of this policy, forged his mother's name to further bills to the amount of 12,500/. In August his brother died, and the insurance company refused to pay the policy. Palmer now was placed in a serious position. Forged bills to the amount of 12,5001. were rapidly becoming due, the proceeds of the insurance on his brother's life had not been realised, and exposure and punish ment were imminent. Previous to this climax, Palmer, in August, had induced his friend Cook, for the purpose of raising 1,0001., to execute an assign ment in favour of Pratt of the two racehorses Polestar and. Sirius. Pratt, on receipt of this as signment, sent down a cheque for 3751., and a wine warrant for 651 This money by right belonged to Cook, but Palmer ingeniously managed to obtain possession of it, forged Cook's indorsement, and received the proceeds. As a curious coincidence, it may be mentioned that the three months' bill arising out of this transaction in August became due within ten days of Cook's death, when the exposure of the forgery must have occurred. Another circumstance in which Cook was connected occurred in September of the same year. Palmer had previously succeeded in raising money on life policies, and probably in duced cook to assist him in attempting to effect an insurance on the life of one Bates, a stableman, for 10,0001. or 25,0001. A representation was made to the General and Midland Offices in London. The man Bates was declared to be a man of property, the proposal was properly signed by Bates, attested by C.pok, and filled in by Palmer, who was named as medical referee. But both proposals were rejected, and in November, 1855, when the Shrewsbury races came on, Palmer was placed in a desperate strait. Writs for 4,0001. due, were issued by Pratt on the 6th November. Up to that time Palmer, by holding bills over fr3m month to month, and by paying off 1,0001. out of the 12,5001. due, had succeeded in sus taining his position. Between the 10th and 13th November, 1855, he paid off 0001. more. Some years previous Cook had been in delicate health, and had consulted Dr. Savage in London for an ulcerated sore throat. Under Dr. Savage's treatment Cook's malady had improved, and from time to time he was in the habit of visiting Dr. Savage. A fortnight before the races he bad seen Dr. Savage, who found hint in comparatively perfect health. On Tuesday, Net. 13, the for the Shrewsbury Handicap was THE PRESS. run, and Cook's horse Polestar won. By this race Cook cleared on the whole 2,050/., 1,0201. of which he would receive at Tattersall's on the ensuing Monday. The previous week he had won between 7001. and 8001. at Warwick. On the evening atter winning the races, Cook, Palmer, and several friends dined at the Raven. The next da; Cook rose perfectly well, and attended the races. On the evening of the 14th a Mr. Fisher, who occupied the next room to Cook at the Raven, went into Cook's room, and found him with Palmer drinking brandy and water. Cook, in finishing his glass of brandy and water at Palmer's request, cried out, " Good God, there's something in it, it burns my throat !" and put the glass down with about a teaspoonful left in it. Palmer immediately took up the tumbler and drank off this drop, saying, "Nonsense, there's nothing in it," and pushing the glass over to Fisher appealed to him. Previous to this Palmer had been seen in the lobby holding up a tumbler to the light, and having looked at it returned with it to Cook's room. Cook soon after went out suddenly, called Fisher, and told him that he (Cook) felt very ill. In a few minutes he was seized with violent vomiting, but a medical man being sent for, and an emetic being given, with other medicine, he became more tranquil, and went to bed, first giving between 8001. and 9001. in notes in charge of Fisher. The next day he took back this money from Fisher and attended the races. Palmer's horse Chicken, which he had backed heavily, ran and lost.. That night Palmer and Cook returned to Rugeley, Cook taking up his quarters at the Talbot Arms, directly opposite Pal mer's private residence. Cook had recovered from his attack at Shrewsbury. On Saturday Cook lay in bed, and Palmer ordered him s 'me coffee. It was brought up to Palmer, and Cook shortly after taking it experienced sickness. Throughout Saturday this sickness continued, Palmer meantime supplying Cook with coffee, toast and water, barley-water, and broth. At three p.m., Dr. Bamford was called in. Palmer ex plained that Cook was suffering from a bilious attack. Dr. Bamford failed to discover any trates of bile. Throughout that day and Sunday Palmer constantly gave Cook a variety of drinks and nourishment, but whenever he gave him anything sickness invariably ensued. On Monday, Palmer left Rugeley for Lon don, with the view of settling Cook's accounts at Tattersall's, and arranged matters with a :dr. Her ring. There was a balance of 9841. to be received, anti Palmer then told Herring that he would make it up to a thousand, that he might pay himself VOL, Padwick 3501., and Pratt 4501. This was an important point, as it clearly showed that Palmer was using Cook's money to pay off his own debts. During Palmer's short absence from Rugeley, Cook became rapidly better, the vomiting ceased, he got up, dressed and washed, and was visited by his trainer and jockeys. In the evening Palmer re• turned from town. He reached Rugeley at nine o'clock, calling on Mr. Newton, an assistant to a sur geon named Salt, and asked for and obtained three grains of strychnine. Dr. Bamfortl,that evening, bad sent to Cook some calomel and morphia with rhubarb, pills. Between ten and eleven Palmer was constantly in and out of Cook's room. He left him at eleven comparatively well and comfortable. About twelve o'clock the female servants in the lower part of the house were alarmed by the most violent screarus pro ceeding from his room. They rushed upstairs, and found him in a state of the most fearful agony, screaming dreadfully, shrieking " murder," and call ing on Christ to save his soul. He was convulsed, his eyes were starting out of his head, he could not keep his hands and arms quiet, be beat the bed con. vulsively. He was perfectly conscious, and begged that Palmer might be immediately sent for. One of the women went across and fetched Palmer. Palmer came in and found him in this condition. Cook said, " Oh, doctor, I shall die." " No, my lad, you won't," said Palmer, and running back for some medicine he returned and administered an opium mixture. Cook vomited, but the convulsion subsided, and he dozed. The next morning, between eleven and twelve, Palmer went to the shop of Mr. Hawkins, a druggist, and pro. cured two drachms of prussic acid, six grains of strychnine, and some liquor of opium. While there Mr. Newton, of whom Palmer the previous evening had purchased strychnine, came into the shop. Palmer, on the pretence of som e thi ng o f i mportance to communicate, ingeniously led Newton out, and, a passer-by having engaged him in conversation, Pal mer stepped back, obtained his medicines, and went away. That afternoon a Mr. Jones, a personal friend of Cook, who had been written to by Palmer on Sun day, came over to see Cook, described by Palmer as suffering from a " bilious fever and diarrheas." Ou seeing Cook, Mr. Jones remarked that his tongue was not the tongue of bilious fever. At seven p.m. Mr. Bainterd, Mr. Jones, and Palmer held a consultation on the state of Cook's health, and it was agreed that Mr. Bamford should make up the same pills as be fore. Mr. Bamford did so, and at Palmer's special request wrote directions how to be taken. From the time Palmer left Dr. Bamford's surgery to the time he administered the pills to Cook three quarters of SATURDAY, an hour elapsed. Cook objected to take the pills, but did so. He vomited immediately after, but did not bring up the pills. Mr. Jones was to sleep tbst night in Cook's room, and went to bed about twelve. Auout twenty minutes after he had been goi n g in bed, he was aroused by a sudd en exc l amation and a frightful scream from Co o k, w h o starting et, said, " Send for the doctor immediately, I amoi to be ill as I was last night." Mr. Jones rang up th e servants:— The chambermaid ran across the road and rang the bell of Palmer's house, and in a moment Palmer was at the window. He was told that Cook was again ill. In two minutes he was by the bedside of the sick man, and strangely volunteered the observation, " I never dressed so quickly in my life." It is for you, gentlemen, to say whe ther you think he had time to dress at all. Cook was found in the same condition and with the same symptoms as the night before, gasping fur breath, screaming violentle, his body convulsed with cramps and spasms, and his neck rigid. Jones raised him and rubbed his neck. When Palmer entered the room, Cook asked him for the same remedy that had relieved him the night before. " I will run back and fetch it," said Palmer, and he darted out of the room. In the passage he met two female servants, who remarked that Cook was as bad as he had been last night. "He is nut within fifty times as bad as he was last night; and what a game is this to be at every night!" was Palmer's reply. In a few minutes he retained with two pills, which he told Jones were ammonia, though I am assured that tt is a drug that requires much time in the preparation, and can with difficulty be made into pills. The sick man swallowed these pills, but brought them up again immediately. And now ensued& terrible scene. Ile was instantly seized with violent convulai3us—by degrees his body began to stiffen out—then suffocation commenced. Agonised with pain, he repeatedly entreated to be raised. They tried to raise him, but it was not possible. The body had become rigid as iron, and it could not be done. He then said, " Pray, turn me over." They did turn him ovtr on the right side. He gasped for breath, but could utter no more. In a few moments all was tranquil—the tide of life was ebbing fast. Jones leant over him to listen to the action of the heart. Gradually the pulse ceased— all was over—he was dead. (Sensation.) No sooner was he dead than Palmer immediately began to make arrangements for the burial. Two women were engaged to lay out the corpse. Search was made by Palmer for any documents. He was seen turning out the pockets of the deceased's coat. Letters and a betting-book previously seen in the room have never been found since. On the 25th November, Palmer produced a paper signed by Cook, and pur porting to be an acknowledgment that 4,000/. worth of bills had been negotiated for his (Cook's) sole benefit, and asked Cheshire, the postmaster at Rugeley, to attest it. The certificate of death, signed by Dr. Bamford at Palmer's importunity, stated the cause of death as " apoplexy," and at the post mor.em examination Palmer assured the medical men that Cook had suffered from " all kinds of com plaints." His conduct too at the post-mortem ex amination evidently betrayed a desire to destroy any evidence of the result of death. He certainly attempted to upset the jars, and to remove them secretly from the room ; he objected strongly to their being taken away, and when removed endea voured to induce the postboy to upset the fly or break the jars. The Attorney General then concluded his address by calling the attention of the jury to the peculiar symptoms experienced by Cook, his re markable and continued vomiting, the detection of the presence of antimony, and the characteristic symptoms of strychnine. The witnesses for the prosecution were then called. Ismael Fisher deposed to being with Cook and Palmer at the Raven, at Shrewsbury, on Wednesday evening, Nov. 14. 1 hey had some brandy and water, and Cook suddenly cried out that his glass of brandy and water " burned his throat." Palmer drained the glass out, pushed it over to witness, and appealed to him for his opinion. There was rather a strong scent in it, though he could not say that it arose from anything but brandy. Cook afterwards went out of the room, said he was very sick, and thought that that d—d Palmer had dosed him. He gave witness between 800/. and 0001. in notes to take charge of, which witness returned to Cook next morning. Elizabeth Mills, the chambermaid at the Talbot Arms, remembered Cook's arrival at the Talbot Arms on Thursday the 15th of November. When he arrived he said he had been very poorly, and was poorly then. On Friday he dined with Palmer, and returned home well. On Saturday morning by eight o'clt.ck Palmer was at the Talbot Arms, and ordered Cook a cup of coffee. The coffee was taken up and given to Cook in the bedroom—a short time after she went into the room and found the coffee vomited. Palmer afterwards sent over from his house opposite some broth for Cook, and some barley-water and arrowroot were made in the kitchen of the inn and taken up to Cook, but nothing re mained on his stomach. On Sunday morning a curious circumstance occurred A large breakfasteup-full of broth (the witness stated 1 was brought over from l'ailmer's for Cook. That was be tween twelve and one o'clock. I believe Charles Horley brought it. 1 took some of that broth up to Cook's room II& 13, the race for the Shrei 11