The Express.
London, England, 1856-05-17 00:00:00

TRIAL OF WILLIAM PALMER.

FOURTH DAY.

This itoportantand protracted trial wasresumed this
morning. The Interest teams to Merano as the c.ae ad-
vances, and to-day the coact eppeared fuller than ever, Intl,
owing so the admirable erraagements of the sheriffs, not
at all inconveniently so. E.rl Grey, Mr. Dallas,
the Americas Minister, gni several other distinguished
personeges were on the bench, bet the Earl of Derby was
not present to-day, while it was observed that the attend-
ance of the fair se: had dwindled down to a solitary dame
somewhat advanced in life.

The prisoner is considerably improved in appearance
sites yesterday. I h.re is no shade of anniety upon
h s !Attires to day, but • sort of carelets indif-
ferent espreision, and throughout the whole of the morn-
ing he leant, with his arms crossed upon the dock, in a
lounging meaner, as though be ware a mere unconcerned
spectator in the mending..
George Bates was the Hist wane!' called this morning.
He was eiamined by Mr. Edwin James, Q.C., and deposed
as follows :—I am a sort of a farmer. I have koown the
prisoner eight or nine years. In September, October, and
November last year, I used to look after his stock. I had
no salary for that. I received no stated salary, but I re-
ceived mosey occasionally, sometimes 21, and at other
times 11 I lodged in Hugeley, and paid 6.. 6d. per week
for my apartments. lam not a married man. I knew John
Parsons Cook, the deceased. I remember seeing him at
Palmer's house some time in September. I dined with him
at Palmer's table. I remember after dinner something was
.aid, in Cook's presence, 'boat insuring my life. I cannot
ell whether the conversation was begun by Cook or Palmer

Mr. Bedevil She. objected to thi;eviclinec, as it related
to a matter which occurred long prior to the desths.
The Atterney-General said the evidec ce wculd be brought
down to November, aad connected with the prisoner's com-
munication with Mr. Pratt after the death.
After a brief consultation,

The Lard Chief JUStiCS said be wu at first of opieion
that this evidence ought not to premed, but upon consult-
ing with his learned brothers, he found they were of opi-
•ion that it wu adm'ssible.

Emanation costumed—l remember the death and in-
quest upon Cork. I know Mr. Webh Ward, the coroner.
I saw the prisoner on the evening of the Bth December,
while the Inquest was being held. Palmer gave me the
letter now produced, telling me to go to Stafford the nest
morning with it. At the mime time be gave me a letter to
a man named Fran'', • dealer in game in Starr& He
told me there would be • package of game selected by
France, end I was to direct it and send it to Mr. Ward. 1
got the game and directed it, " Webb Ward, Etq., Co
roner, Stafford." I directed it myself, according to Pal-
mer's directions, and I afterwards gave a man three-
perms to take it to Mr. Ward, but I delivered
the letter to him which Palmer had given me
myself. I found him at the Dolphin. at Stafford. He was
siting is the smoking-room, and I told him I wasted to
speak to him. He came oat into the yard or paeesge, and
I gave it him there—there were other people in the room.
I had no directions from Palmer as to bow I was to deliver
the letter. I saw the prisoner again when I went back to
Bartley that night. and I told him that I had delivered the
letter I took to &afford that clsy, and had sent a boy with
the game. I remember Thursday. the 13th of December.
On that day I was sent for to the prisoner's house early in
the morning—probably about 12 o'clock. I went accord-
ingly, and found Palmer in bed. He raid he wanted
me to go to Stafford to take Webb Ward a
letter, and I was not to let soy one see it. I
was to take oars I let no one see me give it.
On the Saturday previous be had given MO SOCHI money,
sad on this day he told me to go to " Ben," and say he
wanted • Si. note. Ben is Mr. Tbirlby, his assistant. He
said be had no small change. I believe then be asked me
to look In the drawer of his dressing-table, and tell him the
amount of the bank bill I should find there. I la.thed and
found a 604 Bank of England bill. I left it there. This
was before he gave me the letter to Webb Ward. Ha,-
ieg found that letter I went to Thinks'''. and got a 51. note
on a local bank, which I took back to Palmer. I then went
dawn stain, and left him sitting up in bed. There ware
writing materials on the bed. I remained down
stain about half an hour, and than went up
again. Palmer asked me again what was the amount of
that bill in the drawer. I looked seals, and I believe the
bill there was the same I had seen before. He then gave
me the letter to Webb Ward, and I went to Stafford with
it. I delivered it in the street between the station and the
Dolphin. He did not read it in my prence., but crumpled
it up, and put it in his pocket. I believe I told Ward from
whom I had brought it. I went bark to Hugeley, and saw
the prisoner again that evening. I told him that I had given
Ward the letter. _

Cron-examined—Palmer had four brood marts, four gidd-
ier, and a s.yesr-old at Rug,ley. I have heard that one of
them has meld for 800 guineas. Noose of the mares
were is foal. The stables were some short dis-
tant)* teem his house, at the beck of it, and
the paddocks at the back of them. Palmer had about
twenty acres of ground there. The indicas were fenced
with growing hawthorn. I remember shortly before the
month of December a more called the Duchess of Kent
beteg there. She was in foal. There was a mare moiled
Gal findee's dam. I remember complaining to Harry
of the turf being cat up io the paddccke, but I had nev r
ream any drip run them. Harry was e room. There
was a gun in the .tsble, but 1 don't know whose it was, or
whether it wee fit to use. Harry's surname is Hocking. I
remember 'seeing a person in Rugeley who was a stranger
tome. I don't know where be pat up. I don't know a,
he put up at all. (A laneh.) I do not know whether it
was Inspector Yield, bat they raid it was him.
Hr-examined.—lt was after the hay harvest that I com-
plained of the ground being cat up, and before Cook's death.
Mr. Thomas Bliaaart Curling was then called and exa-
mined by the Attorney•Oene ral—l am a surgeon at the
Leaden Hospital. I have tamed my siltation particularly
to the 'eject of tetanus, and publi.hed a work on that sub-
ject. Tetanus lignites a eptemodic affection 01 the measles
of motion. Of the tine disease there ere only two eons et
tetanus—idle fame and thematic. There are other sorts
of tetanus. The first is a kind of disease apparently set-
it Deriding; thematic 'stones arises fr,m • wound or other
disturbing cause. The first arises from exposure, damp, and
cold, bat it is a rare disease In this country. It does not always
end fatally. I have seen ass of idiopathic tetanus.
Thaumain Means is much more frequent, end is attended
with tightness of the jaw, stiffness of the muscles of the
neck, cramping of the at. mob, and c ontinued immune of
the b.:cly. A. the disease goal on, the paroxysm. oecidne
moro frequent and severe. When they occur, the body is
drawn bummed' in some instances, though less Demi, n'ly
it is bent forward. In this latter case there is a defiled. y
of serallewiapi; a difficulty of breathing also during the
ro paxysms. The disease may end in two days; the
patient will die somewhat suddenly friss suff cation,
owing to the closure of the (Teeing to the
windpipe, or the patient may be worn out by the meters
and painful spasms which attend the diseue. The disease
is constantly attended by loading or the jaw, and it is an
early symptom of the dismiss. There is another symptom
in the peculiar expreicion of the countenance ot a pir.,cnt
suffering hot:athematic tetanus, and a slight a ntraction
of the eyelids, a rising of the angles of the month, end con-
traction of the brow. The lower extremities are sometimes
affected by the disease, and in some cue,, but rarely, the
unite,. lithe wound is in the extremities, the muscles of
the extremities are easily &Miami ; but, supp sing there is
no wound, they are only affected in an advanced rage of
she disease. I
throat or mph lc. I know of polinstence where sytheli
tic sores have produced thanenati, tetanus. Eight
or ten hoar' is the shortest period in which tee disease has
rule out to my knowledge. The disease, when once c la-
mented, is continuous, and I have never known a ease
where a man rag been attacked one day, has got better

4Wtwenty-filar hones, and than attacked sgolo. I
have heard Mr. Jones tote suryeoa's deaeriptioo of the
death of the deceased 0n,., and the symptoms there w. re
not consimett with soy rase of thaumat c tetsnua teat has
ever come tinder my notice. I have oleo heard the symp-
toms ea described by the woman Mill.. Tney are not trot.
which usually attend an attack of thaumatic or idi ponthle
termite, hue ars wholly ioo m•istent with the e Recta of lb.
two forms of tetanus. Timm is a mem of 'Manua which is
accompanied by hysteric*, hut I hove error seen an Meta. ce
of it. C ' poisons wtll moats tenons ; they are pax
vomits, prowl, acid, nod strychnine.
Croat-examined by Mr. 8-rjeant Shee—Spume I have
known WWI from dipease of the spies' cord. I sere. wiih
Dr. Wavers that, In some eves, tetanus may arise ir
very light oausos—such as the prick:Lig of a borer, the
sticking of a fleh•b •nr, or the coting of a corn. I know
of no well authenticated rase where tetanus has ensued
within a flouter of en hour after the toff colon of a wound.
Whea I wrote my book on the disease I was only tweetr
two years of ego, bat I have sines hod opportunities of wall
matoring my judgment. Thsumatio tetanus is not likely
to h. brought ..f en into holital, hot I ki:ow of a en,"
haying r,cently occurred at the London Hospital.
where ',tonne came on so suddenly that it was attributed to
stryehnia. The body I have heard was examined, het no
etryctinia was found, though there were old syphilitic moo
dirc..verad on the body. Syphditie sores, attended by ex-
posure to wet and me oral excitement,are not likely to produce
thaurnetio tetanus. Tasting produced by the friction
of eons would come rather under Iles hood of thauniatie
tetanus. Ireita-ton of the ipt.stioes, when it po•
deco tetanus, 1 place under the class of idiopathic
Wiens. The contractions of epilepsy era not on.
tinsous. I have never met with an Matinee of ge-
neral c iovolsions which can be attributed to no direct
cans., and which have left no tram• behind them.
but which yet night rave resented at the time • tetaziie
arrest It may mew, is the case of children, that death
m .y f Mow costins.mo shocks of eontralsioos, and yet there
nary be no after *playtime of disease; but I have
known it recur in adult.. lam not aware of say cam where
thaumatio utszies has been &reanimated by premonitory
symptoms, bet the elm of eases to which the gnestirn
applied bed not ranch come under my observatton es a
\capita surgeon.
Re examined—General convulsions are may &tin-
&IMO!, from tetanus propaly so called.

Dr. Todd, examined by the kttomey•Osseral-1 am *
physician of many year, rtaodiog. I have directed my
attention to the disease called tetanus, and have lectured at
the hoopitele. I have seen two wee of whet seemed to be
indiopathie tetanus. I defire that form of tetanus to be—
tetanus which is produced without any esteem' wound, or
by soy icternal or constitutional mutes I don't think the
term tetanus ought to be applied to cues of poison. I have
seen eases of rheumatic tetentis where symptom have been
precisely the came at of idiopathic tom us. The disease
begin,. with stiffness and tightness of the jaw. The symp
toms then extend means to the ether mmetes of the
body, and they gradually develops theteeeiven Acute
cases will te rolinete in three or four due, thrush)
cases will go on from nineteen to twenty three ?aye. The
shortest period I have Rooms is tt ree or tour days. In
these uses the extremities are affeetel, but not so much as
the mercies end trunk. L thing t f the jaw is an early symp-
tom of the disease. Emit ply will nit produce titanic
symptoms, it may sometimes produce tonvuleoce of a
tetania form, but they are very different from tumour. In
epilepsy there is always a loss of consciotienen, but in
tetanus there is not. Apoplexy is never aceorapeoted with
tetanie convulsions, but sometime, ernes there is an unusual
effusion of blood to the brain, apoplexy may assume the
form of tetanie rovulsiont. I lieu heard the symptoms
described in • his cue at death, and alao the appearances
afte death, a levdop: dat the post mertees examination,
and I am of op I ion that they are not these of tetanus.
curchi
se
.Aetttho renee.y.-Gfeocretrhael hp ere tit onur tat:.
dtatiya, and t f
i,pre dthtatst
purpose it was now necessary that he should take Mr. But-
ford'a *eider ce. That gectleman, however, was still
usable to attend, and he must therefore apply to the court
for leave to read his depositions before the coroner.
Evidence was then pat in to show that Mr. Bamford, who
It will be remembered II toe elderly medical gentleman
who attended Cook during his illness at Rugeley, was suffer-
hig Trom an attack cf Bootie& cholera. Dr. Todd and Dr.
Tweedie, who gave this evidence, said it wee a most severe
muck, and at first considerable apprehensions had been felt
for the patient's life.
The Attorney-General said in the event of the case of the
prosecution extediog ever till Monday, he would then call
Dr. Bamford, should he be sufficiently recovered to be
able to attend.
The depositions were then read, they which the examina-
tion of the former witness wee resumed.
Examination of Dr. Todd continued—From all I have
heard, lam certainly not of opinion that death was pro-
duced by apoplexy, nor from epilepsy. I have never
known tetanus arise fr in syphilitic sores, or from sore
throat. There are poisons which will produce tetanic con-
'Widths. The principal are tee 001 v mica, strychnia,
end promise ; but I have never urn death in • human
being produced by these. I have frequently um
animals destroyed by them. I 'heat not like to
give a subject a clutter of a grain of these poisons.
It is not unlikely that h-lf a grain would destroy life, but
certainly a grain. I have a-en est, and deps destroyed by
strychnine admfoisteted to the extent of half a grain. A
moderate don will begin to ihow its effectn in the spinal
musclu ; the spine is drawn back, and the trunk bowed in
a very marked manner. The extremities commence with
violent jerks and then stiffen. The motion of the muscles is
a rigid jerk, and the feet are forced out of the r mind
coutruction. The duration of the convulsions depend upon
the cutest of the dose. If a large dose, death result) ensue
la a quarter of sac hour, when the consulsions would be
gradually reduced. There is is a marked distinction
between these symptoms and those of threum.tic tetanus.
In tetanus the symptoms from the commencement ate
eontinamus up to death, loot in the ease of poison there are
intermissions. I have never sees a person die from strych-
nia, but I have seen one suffer form an overeme, and the
convulsions were similar to those I have described, though
la a modified degree. There was a insure of the brain,
and a d•Mculty of breathing, but the action on the jaw, if
there was any, was very slight. There is an important
distinction between these cases and that of Cook, as he
was able to swallow, but still I think the symptoms were
thou of tetanus by strychnine.
Cressiezamined by Mr. Grove—There are eases where mild
chronic convulsions have taken the foam of tetanie spasms.
Chronic tionvalsiont are the irregular sullen of the muscles,
but titanic spasms are more violent. I adhere to the
opinion I have already publirieil in a lecture, that
strychnine infused into the blood will develops
precisely the same phenomena se thrsumatic te-
teams. In a pathological point of view it is of importacce
that an itemisation of the spinal cord should take place
shortly after death to discover morbid epp scarce,.
By the Court—l believe if there were di_ the morbid
@marine*. would be perceptible oa long as the substance of
the spinal marrow remained undeco-nrined.
Croat-examination continued—The re is nothing in the
post mute= eumioetion to indicate that the patient died
of tetanus. Is the ease of the animals I have referred to I
arbserved that if they were touched in the intervals between
the convulsions the spume Mims distelv revive, end they re-
tained that tendency for some time after the close of the fits.
la all them cases I have observed that the heart was con-
tracted, end generally empty en both sides. The
tune of death in cam of po'soso by strychnine
is due to the rigidity of the respirerry muscles,
but chiefly to the exhaustion of the nervous sys-
tem. relents sometimes bane ennualsior a after poisoning
by morphia, and time convulsions pa take of epileptio
character .
Re-examined—Death from culture tetanus would cot
leave any thing very peculiar shout the teen, but there
would yet be a coeucc•ion. In tetanus produced by
strychnine, however
The mark, the contuct,on is nuked, and highly
perceptible.marked feature in this case is the rigidity
of tr e muscles en lit g after death.
Sir Beeijansin Brodie examined by Mr. E Jamer—l have
seen many cis« sof thrumatio te'anue, hue,
i emir:lira to m
ext otiose., idiopathic tetanus is exceedingly rare n this
eouetry. I have attended closely to the evidences, to far ee
it relates to the want. mead death of Cook, and, as far as
the spasmodic convul.ions of the mute's; are c oseerned, they
appear to me to be those of threumaric tetanus,
but the course which they took is en,irely different.
The symptoms of thrsumatic tetanus always brgio very
gradually, and asfar as I have seen the stiffeem
of the lower jaw is the thing first compleioed of.
Then the enter settee of the muscles r f the beck is ilium a
later symptom ; generally much later. The muscles
of tint extremities are affected in a much less
degree than those of the neck and trunk, except-
foil; some easel where the injury hen been in the
limb, and an early symptom Las been spasmodic contraction
of the ntheeles of that limb. I do not myself recollect a
case in ordinary tetanus that contracts-n of the muscles
of the hand, which I understand re, stated to have
existed in this instance. The ordimiry tetanus rarely
rue its course in less than two or three dam
slid often is protre cttd to a matt logger pe-
riod. I knew one ease only in which the disease was
'aid to have terminated in so abort a tim as twelve hum,
but probably in that case the early symptcms bad been over-
looked. I a knew the symptoms of ordinary te-
tanus to lut for • few minuter, thin aubside, then
come on again after twenty.four hour.. I think
that these are the principal points of difference
which I perceive between the symptoms of ordinary tetanus
and th no I have heard described in thin cam. I do not
believe that the came of death In this are •a: Pithe r idio-
t:Pattie or thraumatio tetanus. Have never heerl of Wa-
ne, produced by a sore throat or any form of syphilitic dis-
ease. The symptoms in this case ore tot thou of sooptezy
or epi'epsy, but I may as wail ma's at once that I never
caw a can in which the symptoms which I have heard de-
er bed area from any disease. When I ssy that,
of course I refer not to the particular symptoms
but to the general course which the symptoms them-
solo s t. ok.
C mis-examined by Mr. Serjete t B°ee—l remember One
as being shown to me in the hospi'ol which was tossed to
be I 10-athic tetanus, but I very much doubt whether it
was I have never Men syphilitic poison produce coned-
slow, except when is was in the bones of the heed.
Daniel examined by the Atto-ney. General—l wu:for
many Terri surgeon at the Westminster Hospital and I
have been in practise nearly 36 years ; I have Peen n conside-
rate:la ameba of cases of tetanus. I steu!el think at least
one aye I'. Two of them were certainly c sea of idiopatbio
tel sus, one only terminated fatally. I agree with the rest
of the medical evidence that idiopathic tetanus is
very rare. It seems to be a modification of than-
'petit worm, but not so severe. I was not able
to trace these twit sues to any particular vette. I have
heard tie ductile fee. given of the umptoma which accom-
panied the attack ou Mr. Cook. The symptoms of that
attack were ameerl y different from the cues of tetanus
that came toiler my obrerra• ion. Theurnetie tetanus im-
mediately begins with uneasiness in the lower jaw, followed
by spasms of the muse:es of the trunk, and most
frequently extent:kg to the muncher rif the limbs.
Lock j.w is one of the earliest emplane. I do
not recollect that clenching of the hand was a frequent
symptom, but I think I have seen it. Ido nor remember
observing twiating of the feet. In the coats that I have seen
I cannot recollect any cases in which symptoms ctn.
tinned for less thsa from 30 to 40 brute. I never
knew a case of syphilitic sore producing tetanus, nor can
the symptoms I base beard d ocrthed be referable to apo-
plexy or epilepsy. In ho'h apoplexy and el ills, ay, there
is a loss of coneciousnese. In ail the cues of
tetanus that have come under my ob. creation,
consciousness has been retaliated to the lag, In the taus
that I have seen the convulsion. have horn invariably con-
tinuous, and gone on without intermission; they generally
ecitontenced vary mild. and isicreseed in at verity. lu my
opinion the symptoms of Mr. C ok cannot be attributed
either to idiopathic or thatmeatic tetanus.
Cross-examined by Mr. Orove—l never knew of a case
where there was a loop interval. I have not of late looked
much into the cases of tetanus, nor do I well recollect my
reading on the subject. The eynaprome of meet awe convulsion
vary much in i fluent subject.. lam speaking of thiamine
tetanus, and I do not think they vary much. Death in
such cases frequently arises from exhaustion, and bus suf-
focation. I eau t Pay whether in death from suffocation
the heart would be feel Irecl, ct lost reortem examina-
tions in cases of death from to anus to say that there was
e any alteration in the internal appearatti of he holy
to accoact tor death.
[rho examination was proceeding when cur re, ortleftl

Mdlls. Darnall, daughter or M. Alexandra Dumas'
wu married a few days ego at the ehorzt f St. Philipps
de Roule, Peril, to M. P, stet, rou.leeted with tt•e financial
world. A great number of literary sod theatrical Woos-
ages were pnme►t on the occasion ; and at the celebration
of mass, Roger, of the Greed Opfes, sang the "0 Sala-
t ,rie." It is said that if. A Pam's, junior, ',lazed the sant
of 25,000 fr. in his sister's ear balk.

I