The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-14 00:00:00

GARDENER,

O the subject of Palmer's conduct and rl
Stafford craol, we learn that he is watehe I nicht

neanmir in
ni d t

The turnkey twing ways wi'

The room Iv

(1. in h matted, and

.1111 Thorn

h 4 ref

,11,7 soda wat

qiiPnQe of thr,

uld he emnin

.v fool. Into I

znla.rly, anti gePnis to

All that. he has is m
vent atri fotil p!;)

unon the prerulge§, SO as to ON
tTe hil

Converses ft

nil is jneular with the

1 is a

T

Ruzeley) very

fitly. in the r

f the deputy=

fzovernor, bat at pre,•ent nothing has transoired het,
them rel'ive to Cook. The conversation related to their
family afftirs, which are in some c-mfusion. No oth.r
persons have seen him, except solicitors or their clerks,
who have called to serve him with writs, several of which
he has had since his incarceration. He walks daily in the
yard, accompanied by one turnkey, and attends chapel
every morning, and twice on Sunday. accompanied by his
companion, and unless parties knew who he was, it would
he thoualit that he was a risitni, or connected with the
rani. Be converses ?reel), izoinf?, to and returninft from
chapel, and has a smile upon his countenance: he is
dressed in black, and always carries a Bible and Prayer-
honk in his hand I At chapel he and the turnkey use the
pew appropriated for convicts, at the end of which there
is a table like a communion table, whereat both sit.

THE CHARGE AGAINST THE RUGELEY

POSTAtASTEII

We mentinned on Saturday that in conneetinn with the
(41:Irv; and suspicions brought againsi the accused Wil-
liam .Balmer, a complaint had been lodged against Mr.
Cheshire, the postnhster of Rug!,ley, for haying opened
and disclosed the contents of a letter ts,

office, to the accused. The circumstanees, as they were
disclosed at the hearing before the magistrates, were
these:—When the contents of the stomach of Mr. 'Cook
were forwarded to London for analysis, Mr. Gard-mer,
the solicitor acting in the ease, Was desirous of aseertain;•
ing P9ssible from Dr. Taylor, whether any
traces a s speedilyepois aonlsiad been detect-el. ,The written reply of
Dr. Taylor was, however, Opened by the postmaster
of Regeley. and its contents made known to P timer.
Palmer had, it appears, called mien the postmaster,
and requested him if he heard !anything, to let hint
know. The postmaster believing, as he says, that
this request might refer to the correspondenco between
Dr. Taylor and Mr. Gardener, replied, " I dare net
open anything." To this Palmer made answer, "Oh I
don't let mu persuade you to do anything to injure yonr-
self." What took place subsequently is best told in the
postmaster's own words--a statement he signed when
before the magistrates. The statement was as follows : I
went to Palmer's house at about half-past eight o'clock in
the morning, of the sth of December, with his letters. He
was in bed. I went to his bedroom, when he said, " Well,
have you seen or heard anything?" I told him that I had,
hut that it would he wrong of me to tell him. Tie said,
" What have von heard ?" and T told him that I had seen
a letter, and that they had found no poison. He said he
"knew they would not," and that "he •yas as innocent as a
baby" I saw Palmer on the Sunday evening previous to
the sth of December last : he came to -the office for packet
of envelopes, anti, I believe, the 'words he used to me,
were, " If you see or hear anything let me know ;" it was
then well known in Rueelev that the stomach of the
deceased John Parsons Cook had been Sent to Dr. Taylor,
in 'London, for examination, and I thought. Palmer's
observation might refer to the correspondence between
Dr. Taylor and Mr. CI wr iener. the' solicitor. I said
" T dare not Open anything;" I believe he said very
conlly, " Oh, don't let, me pursuade you to do anything to
• sr." I he9eve that was all the conversatiatt
bout. five

injure von

oak placf

o'clock in the evening; he came to the front door of ,
house; on the following; morning, Monday. the 3rd Der,.went to. Palmer's hqnso afrer breakfast between eight
and nine o'clock with his letters; there might not have
been more than one or two; he asked me if I had heard
anythino, 'fresh ; I told him I had not ; :he was in bed, and
said he was unwell ; I did not see him on the Tnesda.v at
ail ; on the Wedne.dav morninu. the sth. r went to him
about, hdr-n'tSt eizht o'clo,dc. as I have already stated; I
h-lieve [ have repeated all that occurred between us on
that morning; if I us el any ot!',er words, I cannot rem!_
lee' them ; on the morning of Weilnesialevitetrhaeddsrf hesspedeet.n
I found. on opening the London bag,
a `l,-. Gardner in an envelope which was °non, anti my
walled to it more Particularly by observing'
words " cause of death ";
I then took the encbeorre

helieve those were the

from the envelope

eves over it. an,lthp siznl-
tention ; I

r,t,-1..r, at the bottom

Ire to t

ted th

gum on the seal and secured .it ; I then put the lettor into
11-r. Girdnlr's letters are

1, and slibiecpiently it was

on forthl

think I

lentioned the

word " strvnhoi

to Mr. Palmer; I don't recollee

naming prucsic acid

-After a short conversation, in the Course of which Dr.
Taylor repeated that he was certain of having securely
fastened the envelope of his letter, the proceedings were
adjourned until Thursday next, and the bail of the
accused was enlarged until that day.