The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-15 00:00:00

JANUARY 15, 1856.

THE RUGELEY P OISONING CASE.

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inquest upon the bodies of Walter and Anne Palmer,
brother and wife of William Palmer, surgeon, of Rugeley, was
Opened at that place on Friday. Mr. John Smith, of 8k-
.:116a%, appeared for the accused. Mr. Deane, of London,
represented the insurance companies, and Mr. Gardener, of
Stafford, appeared for the crown.
lrissa za Thomas, servant of the accused, said she had lived
ie% Ur. Palmer for ten years. Mrs. Palmer was taken ill at
°'clock, on Wednesday evening, the 20th September,
shlsben she returned from Liverpool. The deceased said
cught she had taken cold. She had some tea and cold
kept s• Next morning she still complained of being ill, and
her bed. Mr. Palmer took her up a cup, of tea without
nayc7l. and a little dry toast. About noon she still complained
sickness. During the Wednesday, she and Mr. Palmer
ti°:_e attended on the deceased. Witness did not attend her
teach in the latter part of her illness. The deceased never
sh:ialined of any particular pain. Except when confined
,e;_lres never ill. Mr. Palmer also waited on deceased: Wit-
as was not in the room when Mrs. Palmer expired. Mr.
dekner slept in his wife's room until the Monday before her
death. pr. Balfour sent a box of pills and a bottle of medi-
a`, which she saw in Mr. Palmer's hand. Witness prepared
sago, and tea for deceased.
isSarali Palmer, sister of the accused, said she accompanied
Palmeresister-in-law (deceased) to Liverpool ; on the Tuesday Mrs.
toal fatigued herself very much there. She went to a
s:cert at St. George's-hall in a thin white dress. On their
return to Rugeley, Mrs. Palmer complained of being cold, but
tOseil to put her feet in warm water and take medicine ; on
felt Saturday she complained of cold in her chest, and said she
14 sore. They had intended to stay a day longer in Liver-
ss I, had not the deceased felt unwell. Witness didn't mean,
rever2 to say that deceased was ill. The accused's practice
tlll4 confined almost to his own family. He was a member of
sleollege of Surgeons, and an associate of Apothecaries'-
Deceased,' had a life interest in some property which
-'4"edu. with her life. Deceased was always in delicate health.
W. H. Tindall, of the Atlas Assurance Company, said,
il the Bth February, 1851, Mr. Palmer (the accused) proposed
a
insurance upon the life of his wife, which the company
iideclined to accept. The applicant said he was interested in
thewife's death to the extent of the sum which he requested
1 office to guarantee to him.
Afatiida Bardswell said she had known the deceased for
3,
sp,esss_rs• She saw her on the Monday after her return from Li-
b"l*ol, when she was in bed ; she complained of cold caught
eWearing thin clothes. Deceased said that in coming from
4,11,;erP00l she took something she thought had done her good,.
esn'',oll the following morning attempted to get up, but was
ir °le, being seized with sickness. Deceased added, that
e'en Dr. Knight came, he gave her something which had
s°,lle her good, bat she soon got ill again. She expressed her-
AV' glad, to see witness, and requested her to sit on the bed.
Mtlr• Palmer; who- was in the room, then retired. eceased
en told witness that it was the sickness which exhausted her.
q.itlless did not hear deceased say anything more (witness is
Deceased took gruelain , tea, wine, water, grapes, and
bread• She never complained of any pain excepting that aris-
ing from sickness. She was not purged much while witness
I,Yas with her until the last. She frequently said she hoped
her bowels would not trouble her again, or she should soon be I
ea& She said this the morning before her death, when she
Aerit some unpleasant sensation in her bowels. Witness told
"t•c• Palmer that her bowels had clot acted, but he said that
Zas of no consequence. He spoke words to the effect that that
as better for her, as she took so little support. For three
.i 4.73 her bowels were not moved. On the morning of ber
:±eah she was purged several times. After that she appeared
'Tr.? weak and very low, and as soon as her bowels were moved
the sickness abated. She did not live more than three or four
hours after that ; and the purging continued up to the time of
'le? death. She died at about one o'clock in the day. She
geld her throat felt sore from the vomiting, swhich strained
1(ler throat. She complained at times of her mouth being
; she was not particularly thirsty. Mr. Bamford and
Mr. Palmer prescribed for her. Witness gave her some mix-
'',"re and two pills. Saw no one give her more. The night
!ae took the pills deceased slept more comfortably. She
gad some effervescing draughts prepared and administered
Y Mr. Palmer, which seemed to refresh the deceased. She
was always sick in a few' minut is after taking food. Witness
was in the room with the deceased when she died. She
appeared to go quite low and composed, and for some two
?I' three hours before she begged witness not to trouble
herself to give her anything. Witness did not notice
"Ailing particular in her breathing. She appeared quite
sensible to the last. She had no convulsions nor spasms. It
Was two or three hours before her death that she told wit-
Ira not to trouble her. The last thing she took before her
Palmereath was the juice of some grapes.' No one else besides Mr.
and witness gave her anything during the time wit-
tieas was there. He did not give her anything the day that
she died. He was with her very frequently—coming into the
it°oin very often. Mrs. George and Mr. Palmer came to see
esser in her illness. Mrs. Rdivley and witness laid out the
es,""',3a There was nothing peculiar in the appearance of the
"'"'L.F. The limbs were not stiff till she was cold. •Mr. Palmer
ZaS with her several times shortly before she died. Witness
basted the wine and water, for she was afraid of giving it to
ner too strong. Witness t isted everything but the efferves-
t'ing draughts. While she was down stairs the accused might
leve given something to the deceased. During her five con-
aetaents accused appeared very attentive to his wife, but did
12.0 t take her anything. He was always particular in seeing
that the jellies and broth were made pleasing to his wife's
Palate, and was afraid that witness should give her strength-
eiling food too early.
'„)11r. Bamford, (aged 82,). the surgeon referred to, said—
,when he was called in to the deceased he found her in bed,
labouring under nausea, and so much debility, that she had .
great difficulty in giving him au answer. She did not appear
'0 have vomited then. Her bowels were in a very constipated
state, and did not appear to have been moved for twelve or
fourteen hours. He prepared two pills for her to be taken
lannediately, and an opening draught. He afterwards refused
to prepare any more medicines until Dr. Knight had, been
called in, who prescribed two small pills. Witness prepared
six or eight pills, but 'deceased only took one. They were
made of two and a half grains of the compotinded extract of
eoloeyntb, half a grain of calomel, and a litle oil of carraway.
Ile
handed the pills to Mr. Palmer, and suggested an injec-
'on. The' last time he saw her (on the Tuesday) she was
rapidly sinking, and refused to take any sustenance. The
symptoms of deceased were those of bilious cholera. Witness
ilea still of opinion that that was the cause of death. Mr.
almer readily consented to Dr. Knight being called in, and
leAt for him instantly. The accused paid every attention to
413 wife ' • no man could be more attentive. He supported her
% bed while giving her something that appeared to be barley-
'water, or something of that kind. Witness declined to give
luY opinion as to the general character of Palmer.
Dr. Knight, of Stafford, said, he saw her after receiving a des-
eriPtion of her disease from her husband. She was too much
"xhausted to describe her illness. Palmer said that she had had
%stressing vomiting, griping, and purging, and that she had
fiught the cholera at Liverpool, where it was then the pre-
'railing disease. She did not vomit in his presence, but the
Mching was distressing. Witness required to see the evacu-
ated matter, and was told it had been thrown away. As far
as he could form a judgment upon the case, he thought it a
severe form of English cholera—summer cholera. He pre•
scribed two minims of diluted prussic acid for the purpose of
Saying the retching. He called again, and she appeared
~_netter. Palmer promised to send for him if she got worse.
Witness knew the deceased from a child, and was one of her
guardians. In 1854 he attended Mrs. Palmer on account of a
Proposal that had been made to an insurance office. He found
her free from disease. From the testimony which was given
him by the nurse of the deceased, he should say that her
The
was not occasioned by a poison which had been named.
":ine symptoms appeared like those of English cholera.
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