The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-25 00:00:00

, w
L ECESItEg 24, INia..
WHOLESALE P 0 ISON-1-S6*
0000
A BLACK-LOOKING CASE OF POISONING has
Leicestershire. Mr. John Parsons Cook, a sporting by- ed
man, residing at Lutteworth, was the owner of a horse as
,11105,
Polestar, which won two of the stakes at the Shresroo
races. Whilst at Shrewsbury, after the, race, Mr. C°°piey,
taken suddenly ill. He was subsequently removed to Ru 6" be
where he had been staying before the races, and whereot
died in five days after his return. Suspicions as to thefaje,
of his death arose, and a post mortem examination was
Portions of the intestines were sent to Dr. Taylor,

Friday a coroner's jury hea rd the evidence of the

who were present. Dr. Taylor said—" My belief is

died from tetanus, and that tetanus was caused by ineuo
given to him shortly before his death. He proceeded t:n
that all the symp toms tended to show that a dose of 5t31,e'1,4
had been administered. Taking into account the e/11°',/:
the symptoms, he had not the slightest hesitation is coy
that the deceased had died from the effects of strYnnir/e„ the
tamed in the pills which appeared to have been give'gr,
deceased by Mr. Palmer." It was then proved thto
Palmer had purchased six grains of strychnine ;fly!

chemist; that on the evening after the race -110' ofs I
had pressed the decease d to drink something 00' 3' de°° an
glass, purporting to be gr og, which caused the ill
to exclaim, " There is something in it—it h"— 000
throat awfully !"—or words to that effect; that be bad
afterwards became sick, and ex pressed the belief that b,etiot
been "dosed.'? The jury returned a unanimous verdict; Do
the deceased died of poison, wilfully administered ode
by William Palmer, and the coroner immediaL, e'' to the
out his warrant for the committal of Mr. Palmer ~ A
county gaol at Stafford, on charge of " wilful ran. vaer. t th,st
motive for the alleged crime is supplied by the '5 c
various betting and bill transactions had passed betwee tbao
Palmer and deceased. Moreover, it is stated that 01.6;e5 0
one other of Mr. Palmer's relatives and acquaints:oor
now remembered to have died suddenly, the aecuseu
offected large assurances on their lives, in one or two in
pro'
not very long previously to their decease, and it is felie/ST
bable that the bodies will be exhumed. Mr. Williate
Jones, a surgeon at Lutterworth, who was esdled',,ltOt
Palmer, on Mr. Cook being first seized, gave at the 1-11 the
the following dreadful account of his death :—"We ,:e, the
patient to arrange what should be given him 31t'
night ; and it was proposed between Mr. Palmer OA little
Bamford that the morphine pills should be, repeated. d 1,0"
after eleven o'clock at night, Mr. Palmer came over Pee'
duced the pills, which he gave to Mr. Cook in m 1 trese
Mr. Cook made strong protestations against takingthel'ost
that he was certain they made him ill the night before. 011
,
immediately after he had swallowed the pills he von3l t te'3
cool-
I and Mr. Palmer searched the vessel for the pins, no. I
not detect them. At his suggestion I slept in the /900
had not been in bed more than a quarter of an hour Or the
minutes when he suddenly jumped up in bed, uttelle bell
words: ' Doctor, get up ; I am going to be ill ; ring
for Mr. Palmer.' Mr. Palmer came in the space 0f N
vec
site ,e;
nutes, making the remark that he thought he I.'
dressed so quickly in his life. (Mr. Palmer lives °Preece I.'ff
Talbot Arms, where Mr. Cook was stopping.) I be'l'ai
Palmer gave him two pills which he brought with 1;1
which he told me contained ammonia. Immedintellbiteseft
taking the pills he uttered loud screams, and thresv_asteu
back on the bed in very strong cOnvulsions. He then re 03'
to be raised up, saying, ' I shall be suffocated. h spas,D
5 t
voured to raise him up, but he was so stiffened out wd'd
that it was impossible to do so. When he found overol °I
raise him, he said, ' Turn me over,' and I turned Larwhich
his right side. I listened to the action of his he' died'
found to gradually cease,asanonfixdhediisn a few min_,,ntes, were 0.
have never seen symptoms so strong before. 'lnipe-'of the 70
toms of convulsions and tetanus; every rsuse.his body '•
it
Taylor found no poison, on
swtarestscthieffdenoeudt.,
nThe j a
restingwas
and strY ~,,t
analysis of the org'' • fact that
he added, differed from all other is the of
oisons, f
was rapidly absorbed into the blood •rs_9 the COUIIS. ,pe•
hour after administration , and Ittiected by any I;oa,Y
could not, be of the iv
mica test at present k
shTowheedGnlaobterascaeisso.._f dlivsee Wing up
anhedadclosed.hegs". Prcohfnes;
The drawing
like a bow, as describednionllirevidence, was 3 PeCl/.d
feature of poison by strychnine.Jones's' 1)od of the deo
de rst
a
ces
transpired tending to establishother against v,stv
charges
Palmer, the surgeon, who has ndThtheat ciyrculnS..ll „TV I
been committed to Swot
gaol on a charge of poisoning Mr. Cook. It is said
Palmer insured his wife's life for gi • d sh°' e
3,000. She die th-
afterwards, and upon the usual probate being produm"hro•
money was duly paid by the office. He then induced biS
ther, Walter Palmer, o insure his life for a similar suanCt of
afterwards obtained 'the transfer of it on an alleged
£4OO, which he (William Palmer) stated was due to I'i.',Pore
his brother. Palmer made every endeavour to full'teZl from
this life but in consequence of an anonymocus,., 50d the
Stafford it was declined. The brother has since
lar arnsutiii,tj
usual demand was made for the moneyhaving "eite they
and the previous death of Palmer's wife' ffices concerned,
suspicion of the numerous insurance
° the hands of Inspec
deemed it prudent to place the matter in
Private Inquiran
tor Field's (late of the Detective Police),_
~,nson, the most
office. Mr. Field, with his assistant, Mr. '-'l'c'f'afterithe Int
at once to Stafford and the Isle of Man,
and,
of uPyra,
searching investigation, extending over a period of c
reported ertaw
of six weeks, to the various insurance 0,11
to form s_
startling revelations which induced the office to these.
"defence fund," for the purpose of mutual rear tam'
infortnatl
attempts. 3lr. Field having, gathered certain,
saran f
that Palmer had endeavoured to effect an in
'wiser re'
X 25,000 upon the life of "a gentleman" whom, „,,,_d„we.,
ported to live "on his estate" near a village in Stan°.
posit°
proceeded there, and found that other persons in high ndioB
had conspired with Palmer to falsely represent theefro the
in life of the individual, who was, iu fact, no other P weet
Palmer's occasional groom, renting a bedroom at 2s. pn;reot
The prisoner, William Palmer, since his confit
gaol, has preserved the same determination to abstain eedin
85
entirely from food as he did during the lengthened Pr"
connected with the inquest. of State'
In compliance with the request of the Secretal who wo
the bodies of Ann Palmer, wife of the prisoner, rotberf
buried in September, 1854, and of Walter Palmer, blasb
t,
who was buried in the same family vault in Augustmoell3L,
exhumed on Friday, and were conveyed from the
oPf.tiveui;',
to the Talbot Inn, adjoining. At one o'clock a jurY„, etePs
three persons, principally tradesman of' Rugeley, Iv as
elled to investigate the case. The body of Walter ;Ajmer
encased in a strong leaden coffin, but that of Mrs.
an oak coffin only. trl`'
ereo
The jury proceeded to view the bodies, which Y 1
decomposed, but the features of both were recognise
the
great extent. "
Evidence was afterwards taken before the coroner idestLa
identity of the bodies—a young man named Woollen's ier
ing that of Walter Palmer, and a woman named BOW
of Ann Palmer. OP Oil
The examination was made by Mr. Monckton, as ,pal
one or two medical assistants, and the contents of the°, 00,
and intestines were subsequently sent to Dr. Taylor, "'

Hospital, for analysation. - -
The inquiry was then adjourned.

MARKETS FOR MANUFACTURES'

MANCHESTER.—Considering the period of the ye,''
market continues in a decidedly favourable condition. ;eel
°
is hardly so much doing as has been the case for several dter
past ; but this arises, in part, from a natural pant.tl'e
transactions that have been sufficiently extensive to el`"Tice,s'
market of stocks and to cause a gradual stringency in Yo
which has at length induced buyers to pause fora ti;ro:
their operations. On Tuesday the market was exceea'oo
firm, and for some things a steady demand continued. Qirlee
was particularly the case as regarded India goods. 4, fcs
Tuesday the same aspect has been preserved, and 0700,
large quantities of goods, at a shade below the fullee:,are
have not met with very ready acceptance. In fact, aearqr.,llof
either goods or yarns, it is rarely that at 01,11 Pshirtinel
juncture such small stocks have been held. in,wat;th prieg
(40 inch) have continued in very good deraan", ‘:" can '
gradually hardening, especially where early deliver% to tile
secured. Indeed, for all descriptions of goods etlitabi
India and China trade, the inquiry has been generals TP,Aree„;
extent, that most descriptions are becoming decidedly scarce
and therefore very full prices have been paid. For the_ Co`
market there is still but little doing.. The home traoclolo..
tinues healthy, and for good printing cloths and tt,e
there has been a fair inquiry. Heavy goods are still (112,'„o
no quantities of any magnitude are held. Yarns yet,
moderate demand. India qualities have been rather (I
since the beginning of the week, but without in al; re,
affecting the firmness of prices. For Germany there,4oout
much doing; but for the Meniterranean a very steady aa're
is experienced. The inquiries for yarns for home use,,,,jcp!
so general as last week, but still a fair business is
prices a shade. below the extreme rates then quoted. file
cheater Courier. to 0,
ROCIDALE.—WOOI : Sales have been limited, 00.114"
desire on the part of most, only to supply immedialss
on account of the nearness of Christmas. There Ttif Avk'
feeling in all kinds of wool, and prices keep remarkoeger'
t 10
—Flannel : There is very little alteration from 1°214cl
Stocks are light, and in home-made prices are uneola
the lower kinds of Yorkshire goods prices are a ebsirma
and business flat. In the better kinds we have to
trade, at former rates. dATICO
HUDDBRSPIRLD.—Stocks are low, and there is le T,
disposition to press sales out of their regular •ivfll' '0
are about the same, and about the same amount deintiocelpi#
BLACKBURN YARN MARKET.—The increased tig- of
monetary matters, and the usually curtailed business, trvfe
period of the year, necessarily limits the amount ,ee4 lOof
actions; and although, to induce operations, lower. PP'
silt
been submitted to, there has been but a small 14133°„,,t1ii
business. per-off
LEEDS.—Not much doing in the Cloth-halls. ,Sowveite,
close of the year this is usually the case. There Is' nee
a very hopeful expectation that the trade will irolnlori,
Christmas ; in consequence the mills are as well eel,
usual at this season. Prices without alteration. Blisl
been very dull in the warehouses this week. to ~vfer,
BRADFORD.—WOOI : The supplies of- wool colow„„r
ket are not great, and the staplers hold for prices tvZrojio
the trade, which curtails the business doing.
brokes are still dull, and prices unsatisfactory.--""110V
business doing is steady, and prices firm.—Pieces ,pee
nothing cheering in this department, nor do we e' el,
material alteration till the turn of the year. `,,,,5yv!040',1
NOTTINGIIAM.—LICE : Most houses are now
finishing or in the midst of stock taking. A 'e..„-cWI:
buyers have been down to buy for after stock, 5'",."00
sprinkling of American orders to finish up the s',
"s 11,r"
been given out. With these exceptions, the tratt'elypie
but not more so than is usual at this season of ceo3o/4
Hosiery : Manufacture is in a quiet state. Ordelfscickt o'4
hand to some extent, but the trade in genern.,,,„re
exhibit much activity. Still, upon the whole,
much substantial reason for complaint.
LEICESTER. —The weather is now favourable for tk,etiocer‘;
of winter goods, and small orders for assorting
arriving. The prices of wool and yarns have a tendeiw