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 something of importance
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
going
in bed, he was aroused by a sudden exclamation
and a frightful scream from Cook, who starting et,
said, " Send for the doctor immediately, I amoi
to be ill as I was last night." Mr. Jones rang up the
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