The Express.
London, England, 1856-05-22 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 22, 1856.

mew the connisioss." Ia that ease attentloa sou NW
ID it immediately, sad the patient mended. He would
pro's that there was ao eon lumens in which recovery from
• pansy's of warms maw by tnychnine beg bees as
rapid as is Cook's ease on Monday night, or in which •
patient had eejnyed so ling a repose afterwards. Oa the
theory of the prosention the sewed attack wall not have
come ea at all if a second draw had not bear riven. There
was aa end of it ea the Monday night when Elisabeth Mills
went to bed, and left Palmer sitting is the nuy chair
in the rat= with his Mood. How easy it would have big for
him. if so disposed, to have given him soother dose, rolled
no Elisabeth Mille, and said he was in another St, the dose
killing bba on the spot, without say sespieioe. Or. Taylor
said • person who hoe token strychnine poison " Is middle/ay
seised with spasmodic symptoms, and, after several attacks,
the patient dies of alphytio" He submitted that there was
a broad distinction between thin symptoms and than of
Cook. He sow came to another, baton of On ones—tbe
p s*--mortem symptoms. He w a tild—and that ear-
mole wt. the ass. with regard to the a,inel be saw killed,
and Dr. Letheby w-,a kind enough to bane dug up (row his
garden a rabbit which had been killed by 'Psyche'm a
month before, and it was the cue with it,that the hemline
full He was told, however, that if the examination wen
e inducted in a, clumsy way—if they opened the head first,
and cut through some of the large arteries of the bead
sod the throat—the blvd in the bean would mug e.
He should prove that the hearts of Kitimat' killed by
• rychnine were invariably full, sod if they do-
sired it be should bke to have a number of
'simile brought into the yard, killed to that way, and then
opened, and tall jury might satufy themselves tf the truth
of his sientioni. Tim strong point made by the proem.
Hen was by the *Met co of Mistbeth Mills. He was is
lomat to impute perjury to a witness, but he thoupht it
so' improbable that the witness had been talked to by
other persons, sad had hermit' unversed on the subject till
the impression of what really did happen had escaped her
mind, and she had stated what she believed to have been the
OW, but which was in reality the impression on bar mind
produced by the convereatioki of other. There was a discrep
peaty in the evidence of Blisabesh Mills, which made it per-
fectly clear that they could not rely on her testimpay. When
she was before the MOSS/ she was asked if she had tested
the broth, end she said she had, and thought it very good,
but she had %loos heard that it was part of the ease of throe
who had got op the prosecution that the vomiting was the
result of a omens% dosing with antimoolal poison, is WIN
to render him lase capable of re•l•ting the fatal does of
strycbata which was to follow. When she was asked if
she was sick, she remembered that she had been taken sick
one Sennay afternoon, and she faceted this was the afters
noon. Now, was it not in the last degree improbable that
•mu like Palmer—a shrewd sad acute man—would ex-
pose himself to • (Aurae( detection which would be sere to
take place if the broth was seat to the a ok to he warmed ?
She would he sun to tease it—eooks always did; and If it
did contain ant she would be sick, and detection voted
follow. In be, Wen tho coroner she said that on
Saturday Cook had seam fir braskhat, that he ate nothing,
and that he 'remind greatly he bad swallowed it. She
added, "Up to the time I bed given him the cairn I bad
not seen Palmer;" bit when she came here she said that
Palmer ordered him some *offse in the morning, and that
she gave it into Cook's hands, hat did not see him drink ie,
sad dem she said, "1 ebeerved afterwards that be had
oralsrl it." She was aware that It was part of the ease fur
the psamestios that aatimeay might have killed him. Then
two statements were essentially at estimate., and be pot it to
the jorydf they could rely on a women who had altered bar
testimony to each an extent? That was not all. The
ease for the clown was that Cook was Mae
tent to take the pills, and that Palmer overruled
Ia her Btatement befers the °eraser, Cook paid it was
the pills that Palmer made him take at half-past 11 o'eloek
that made hint ill; when ohs emu hers, she raid the time
was ball-past 10 o'clock; theleby Sang the fact that
Palmer gene the pill.. Perms is that condition of If.
emeetimes nods mistakes sot istosdiss to deceive; sad It
Mee the misfortune atteediag ell falnhoods, that it was
Amen impsweible to retrain without disgrist. She had, be
hol end, told • falsehood, and then had not the morel
courage to set it right. He was told by Dr. Letheby sad
some other gentlemea that the descriptions whieb she gave
In met of time symptoms of Coot were innaustent with
sty knows disease. In February or Marsh • fearful ease
of strychnine tetanus occurred at Leeds, in which a juncos
was supposed to ban administered day by day small
doses of strychnine, so as not at ones to kill,
but gradually to destroy life. The person who at-
tended that patient conks of symptoms which she exhibited
which were gat 111 different from those of C-iok. They would
learn that the ease which the witness di scribed was not a
nee of tetanus. Before he left this part of the ease he
would refer to one or two minor matters. They would
remember that when Palmer was sent for by Mills he wad
" I never dewed so quickly la my life ;" and the sows-
Hon we. that be had not been to bed, bat was waiting up
for this seauseasessent of the paroxysms. Now Elisabeth

Mille said he same is a droning-gown, bat Lavinia Barnes
said he caw in • block coat. He would call before them a
great number of most respectable medical praetitioners who
had had great experience is large cities, and who would
support the • ewe that be bad suggested, that those attack.
of Cook were in all probability not tetanus at all, bat violent
convulsions, the result of a weak habit of body, which had
been increased by recklessness in his mode of life, end that
his constitution was anomeame.i. sn4 •h.• :t the.. .011
violent action of any kind, be might be suddenly throws
into such a state of convulsion of the minatory muscles that
he bed me oontrol over them, and that he exhibited the
impious which bad bees &united. In addition to that.
he should call some gentlemen before them who would ypesk
of their experiments with strychnine, sod who would state
that no degree of putrescence would destroy it, and that it
could he found in the system. He had now dose with that
part of the et*; and, before going further, he would call
their attention to some little incidents, and if he showed
that the broad and selient features of the evidence were sot
iboooll stoat with the supposition of the prisoner's innocent»,
the jury would be too happy—in that box they were the
" country," in the language of the law, to decide. They
wire all responsible before a l Europe, to every mesa of
which every word of this evidence would be earned ; and it
would depend Rpm their verdict whether this gnat
country of England wee, in a paroxysm of pr joditm, to
sacrifice the if, of a moo under cirestastmces
which meld render any one whip was kind and Mutative to
e friend who bed died from mavulsions liable to a change of
the same Mod. He said that the circumstantial evtdeses la
this ease was sot such u to jesttfy than in to/Miami la •
verdiet of guilty It was sato that the prisoner samed the
potties who were making the poet morteut examination;
but it was admitted that nothing was loot, and he was sure
that they would attach no importance to that 111111111 LOCUM.
stases. This it was said that the jar was removed to a
earner of the room. That a man knowing himself to be
'neatest should be aazlous to have the jar placed in the
heads of persons la whom he could rely was falderal. There
were tome persoas, se mileot, who did not want to pay the
13,0001. There were come persons who hay been ander.
attniog Hoe prisoner's character fir a considerable thee, he-
patic', to him hamper conduct toward. a neer relative, and
prompt* suspicion. He knew there were pit-
eous so prtjudiced against him ; and his re.
moving the jar was only to prevent persons having
the oppertuty of tampering with it. His whole
sondem wee masistent with that dowry. His objection to
the jam (ohm to Mr. From wee to be amounted for is the
is.. way. He would now mil attention to the statement
of Myatt, the pest-boy. It should be recollected that Mr.
Stevens bad acme down from Landes, that his conduit bad
been harsh towards the ;wiener, that be had almost Meshed
his, sad had very mash imitated him; and be thought
that the prieweet's offer to Myatt to give his 101. to spit
the vehicle is which tbe jar wee to be conveyed along with
Mr. Stamm to Stafford was ea offer dictated by the Witte
tios which he felt at Steven's conduct towards him. The
learned serjeent seat celled attention to the evident* of
Charles Newton, who mom before them that he saw the
primmer at Bait's satiety at sloe o'clock on Moadey sight,
that he *eked for three grains of strycholae, that
he weighed it sad gave it Is is a piece of paper. I
Neiman dill not Mate this M the parties who got up Me
piessimilim ths stilt balm the trial. He also stated I
that the day bellies the pest nacres'lamination Parr I
seat for sad sated hew se grained depideine
would kill a dog; and if there would be say • ,
Illisimatioa after death ; and be re 41 wild
be nom." On which Palmer imp his and INK I
" Oh, that's all right." Hs did tot tell that M the connect
ell he told the *armor ass meat occurred at Barthian
shop on the Tuesday. Tee man who so soadacted himself
was unworthy of all credit. There were other cirissastemes
which masted hie ststement to the last demo impesbablee
Was it likely that Palmer would bey ettyclusine to the aim
of a druggist with whom he had been se unfriendly tames for
two Besides he was bolo:Radon es Monday...here • me-
dial would have as diflisalty is buying stryabsine;
and in additlos to this, he we' is a condition to prove that
the prisoner midi not have bees at Ragas, at 9 o'clock on
Monday night. He would sow go back to what comand
at Shrewsbury. The .huge was that at Shrewsbury the
Met attempt at polecats, was made. It was in evidence
that Cook there drank several glasses of brandy and water,
and the result wee sickness and uloeration. It was in the
highest degree improbable that the prisoner put asythinz
into the brandy. They got to Rageley, when the history
of the s'ow poisoning begs.. Cook and Palmer got beet
together, and probably talked about the bills beemateg
dee, and the small extant to which the whinier
at Shrewsbury would go towards paying them, and both
seeing rule storing them in the fete, unless the Prime of
Wales Insurance Company could have bees forced to pay
the 13,0001 that was due from them. They provided for'
temporary difficulties by feeding up 2001.; Wag oe frlendl
terms, Palmer made net of Cook and Cook of Palmer, both
probably having their own oSjects in view. Cook west to
bed late that owning; he bed a little champagne, but not
'womb to stake his drunk. He rot up the seat morning ;
and the seat morning Palmer called in Bamford, and re-
quested him to attend on Cook, and was it to be said teat
bonus Palmer was attentive to his frieed, and demoted
himself to him, that he intended deliberately to destroy
his? Dr. Bamford saw him again on the Benday is the
morning at ten o'clock, and again at six or seven in the
evening, when Cook told him that his bowels had been
moved twice or thrice. And on that sass day Palmer wrote
M tems that Cook wessieffering frost diarrhea. The neat
important fact is this case was one which messed to kin to
decide the ease, if there were nothisi else. That was the
sending for Jones Cook's intimate friend, aad who was,
moreover, a sseditial sea, and who would therefore at ease
' se* whether there were any symptoms indicative of poison.
The priemet's medium for him to rep with the deemed
was as irreftegable proof of hie issomace. The theory
was that Palmer intended to slay Cook with the
most deadly poise., which mused the meet dreadful

convalarion, whir& would make it perfectly clear that it
one ant a ease of disease; and yet they were asked to
believe that he 'needed to minder him in the dead of the
night, that he planned that Jones should be disturbed in
his slumbers is the dead hoar of the night by the shrieks
of hie victim, that be should be at hi. bedside
diately aad be a witame of the murder. Did they believe
that f It was insposeible to believe that. There were other
means of doing it without detection. The pill. were
morphia. Add a grain or two more to than, and the mail
would bays died la a quiet sleep. They were asked to
believe that the prisoner deliberately planted a seine of
this kind, by which the fact of the forgeries would be pub-
lished, he would be breaded as a felon for life, and which
might also involve hint is the punishment far murder.
No; it wee ant la human suture that he should do
this : it Gould not be true ; the country would not stand
by, and find it true. There were other facts Then had
been a great stir at Hugs*. Mr. Sevens had been there ;
he had beds with bones. St keit Jones, and the pri-
soner, end • young man named Bra lford to dine with him,
and th-y did so. Bradford, however, bad not bean called.
Buspuiun was attempted to be made to attach to the circum-
stance of Palmer having ordered the c.Nn; he could not
see why, in crouch as it was requisite test someone abould
order it. The learned counsel then referred to Stevens's
evidence in detail, and rethended that the uon-finding .1
the bitting-book was not a circumstance to warrant suspi-
cion sitsiost the priaoser. An entry in a medical book had
been alluded to, to now that the prisoner bad a knowledge
of strychnine. Why it was a book that he bad and, as • stu-
dent at the lectures and studying for his prof...
sloe, and that it was so would be seen by the
very handwriting of his deceased wife. There could
be no question that he loved that young woman
in a way that was sanctioned by Got's ordinance, that
loung men should love their wives. "For," said the
earned a *wet, his was a marriage of 'diction. He
loved her as he now loves her Bret born, who is waiting with
trembling satiety for Ton verdict. A man who so loves
his wife is not likely to commit atrocious Crimes. His being
the loving husband of a virtuous women is the bent protec-
tion against crime. There is positive evidence that such a
man was William Palmer, when he wee only seven years
younger than he is now. Here is a letter which he
then sent to her who was afterwards his wife
My dear Annie,—l snatch a moment from my studies
to write to your dear, dear little sell. I need searoely say
that the principal inducement I have to work is the desire
of genial/ my studies finished, so u to he able to prim your
dear little form in say arms. With best, best love, believe
me, dearest Annie, your own Wthatax " This is not one
of the kind of letters that are generally read in courts of
justice. It was no part of my instructions to real it, but
an attempt be. been made to show that this mm
was a heartless desperado, end I have read this lens,.
to show you what that man was seven years ago. Up=
the evidence before you I cannot believe him
to be guilty. Do not suppose that he is not
supported by some of his family in this his hour of trial ;
he is supported by an aged mother, who cannot approve of
some part of his °endue, but who still waits with dreadful
%unity for your verdict. A dear eater also can scarcely
morns herself in her desire to PUT* him, and a breve and
gallant brother stands by to give him his aid. I call 11,011
you to raise your minds to a capacity to estimate the high
duty you have to perform. Ton bare to stand
the brunt of prejudice ; you have to vindicate
the honour and the character of your (canny;
you have, no doubt, with fearless courage to do
your duty and to Sad a verdict for the crown if you
believe that guilt is proved; but if you have a doubt upon
that point, you will rejoin to Sod him innocent; and
depend upon it the time will mime when the innocence of
this man will be made eminent, end when you will deeply
regret say want of due and calm consideration of the case
which it has been my duty to lay before you.
At the conclusion of the learned serjeant's addrett, which
lasted nearly eight hours, the court adjourned at twenty
minutes past 6 o'clock till this morning.