The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-18 00:00:00

THE AVGELEY POISONING CASES.

RUGELEY, THURSDAY.
The adjourned investigation into the charge preferred
against Mr. S. Cheshire, the postmaster at Rugeley, for
opening a letter respecting the results of the analysis of
the stomach and intestines of the late Mr. J. P. Cook,
was resumed this afternoon at the Talbot Hotel, Ruge-
ley. before the county magistrates.
The facts of the case, and the admission of the accused
at the former hearing to the extent that he found the
letter lying open in the post-office, and after looking
into the letter communicated its contents to Palmer,
have already appeared in the papers. The case had been
mainly adjourned for the purpose of the examination of
Mr. Ward, the coroner, to whom Palmer communicated
Dr. Taylor's letter after receiving its contents from Mr.
Cheshire. The attendance of Mr. Ward had also been re-
quested by the bench, in consequence of the evidence
given by George Bates at the first hearing, on Thurs-
day last. In order to a proper understanding of the
position in which the coroner is placed, the gist of Bates's
evidence may be repeated. It was to the effect that on
the Bth December, just prior to the inquest on the body
of Mr. Cook, he (Bates) conveyed a letter and a quan-
tity of game from Palmer to the coroner, and that on
the following Thursday Palmer again sent for him, and
on his arrival at Palmer's house the latter was in bed ;
and he borrowed a Si. note from Mr. Thurlby for Pal-
mer ; and on his return with the 51., rainier asked him
to look inte the looking-glass drawer, and tell him the
amount of a note that was there ; that he looked into
the drawer, and told Palmer it was 501. ; that he then
left the room, in consequence of some one calling upon
Palmer, and that on his return to the room, Palmer
gave him a letter, and requested him to take it to Staf-
ford, and deliver it to Mr. Ward, adding, "Take care
that no one sees you besides Mr. Ward." He (Bates)
went with the letter as requested by Mr. Palmer, and
met the coroner near the railway station, on his return
from an inquest, when he gave him the letter.
At the commencement of the proceedings,
Mr. Harwood, the chairman, said—Our meeting here
o-day is chiefly to obtai■ evidence from the coroner re-
specting two letters which he is said to have received
from William Palmer on the Bth and 13th of December
respectively.
Ellis Crisp, inspector of police at Rugeley, said that
on Friday last, 11th Jan., he served the coroner, Mr.
Win. Webb Ward, with a summons to appear there that
day, and produce two letters, named on the face of the
summons. Ho said " Very well." Witness served him
at the Town-ball, in Rugeley.
Thomas Addison, clerk to Mr. Ward, the coroner,
was next called, and said he resided with Mr. Ward.
That morning Mr. Ward gave him two letters, and de-
sired him to give them to the magistrates. He said to
witness that he could not attend, in consequence of hav-
ing an inquest to attend that day at Coss-end. The
coroner received notice of the inquest on Sunday. A
policeman brought it to witness, and he gave it to Mr.
Ward. After the inquest at Rugelev was over on
Monday, Mr. Ward told witness to fix the inquest
at Coss-near-end for that day. The precept was issued
the night before. One of the letters given him by Mr.
Ward to deliver to the magistrates was directed to the
magistrates, and was as follows :
" Stafford, Jan. 17, 1856.

" Gentlemen,—l send you the letter I received from
Bates. I have none other, nor can I give any evidence
against Cheshire. If you wish to examine ne on any
question relating to William Palmer, would it not be
well to do so after the inquiry is concluded now pending
on the body of Walter Palmer. I must apologise for
my non-attendance to-day, as inquests require my pre.
mince elsewhere.—l am, yours obediently,
" WILLIAM WEBS WARD.
"To the Magistrates sitting at the Post-office
Inquiry, at Rugeley."
The other letter was directed to " William Webb
Ward, Esq." (Letter handed in.)
Dr. Harland read the letter as follows, remarking that
there was no date to it :

"My dear Sir,--T am sorry to tell you that lam still
confined to my bed. Ido not think it was mentioned
at the inquest, yesterday, that Cook was taken ill on
Sunday and- Monday night, in the same way as he was
on the Tuesday night, when he died. Tke chambermaid
at the Crown Hotel, Masters, can prove this. I also be-
lieve that a man by the name of Fisher is coming to
prove thab he received money at Shrewsbury. Now here
he could only pay Smith 10/. out of 411. ho owed him.
Had you not better call Smith to prom this ? And, again,
whatever Professor Taylor may say to-morrow, he wrote
from London last Tuesday night to Gardner to say ' We
and Dr. Rees have this day finished our analyses, and
find no traces of eithe strychnia, prussic acid, or opium.'
What can beat this from a man like Taylor if he says
what he has already said, and Dr. Harland's evidence ?
Mind you, I know, and saw it in black and white, what
Taylor said to Gardner, but this is strictly private and
CONFIDENTIAL, but it is true. As regards his betting
book, I know nothing of it, and it is of no good to any
one. I hope the verdict to-morrow will be that he died
of natural causes, and thus end it.—Ever yours,
" WM. P."

Dr. Harwood—l believe there was another letter ile-
manded in the summons, said to have been sent by Pal-
mer and received by the coroner from Bates on the 13th
of December, and bearing upon this question, which has
not been sent.
Mr. Phillips—Have you brought any other letter from
Mr. Ward ?
Witness—No ; Mr. Ward denies having received any
other letter from Bates than the one he has sent. He
denies it positively.
George Bates was then recalled, and repeatel the

Ptatementa made in hie former examination RS given

above. 'He distinctly swore to delivering a letter from
Palmer to Mr. Ward on the Bth December, at the Dol-
phin, on the same day as he took the game from Palmer,
delivering it at the office ; and also to delivering a second
letter from Palmer to Mr. Ward on the 13th December.

He met Mr. Ward coming from the railway station at
Stafford, between the station and the Junction Hotel,
and it was there ho gave him the letter.
Mr. Frantz, a dealer in game at Stafford, deposed to
the last witness, Bates, coming to his shop on the Bth
December, and giving him a letter from Mr. Palmer.
The letter contained an order for some game. He sup-
plied the game, with the exception of one pheasant, and
by the direction of the last witness sent them to the
Junction Hotel. Mr. Palmer stated in the letter that
they were a present for London. They were booked to
Mr. Palmer, and were not yet paid for.
George Bates again called, said he received the game
at the Junction Hotel, tore off the direction, and re-di-
rected it to Mr. Ward, as requested by Mr. Palmer.
Mr. Harwood said it would now become the duty of
the bench to commit the prisoner to Stafford gaol for
triai at the assizes.
The prisoner was theta fully committed for trial, but
was admitted to bail, himself in 1001., and two sureties
in LO/. each.

A correspondent of the Manchester Examiner says :
"It seems to be the prevailing opinion that the applica-
tion which will be made to remove the prisoner to an-
other county to be tried, on account of the strong feel-
ing and prejudice existing in Rageley, Stafford, and the
neighbourhood, and which is certainly carried to a great
extent, will be successful, and that the trial will take
place in London. The people of Stafford loudly protest
against this as a violation of what they conceive to he
their just rights, and the victualling interest dreads the
lose it will sustain if the town is not crowded with visi-
tors front all parts of the country, who are surd to as-
semble at the trial."

Sporting Intelligence.

TATTERSALL'S.—MuItsDA Y.
No betting worth quoting.

CHERTSEY AND SURREY STEEPLECEIASE.
Tins DAY (FIUDAY).
Entries for the Hack Steeplechase Plate of 301. ; for
all horses carrying lOst 71h each. Winners extra. The
winner to be sold by auction for 251., kc. (Two miles.)
—Jo no sais pas, The Gray, Alpha, lodine, Chertsey
Las•, Castoff, The Dodger, Bow Legs, Royalty, Guy
Fawkes, Nom de Guerre, Goodlad.
The sport commenced at one o'clock.

DERBY SPRING MEETING.-FEB. 19.

Nominations for the Midland Steeplechase.
be published on the 22d inst.
Age
Hopeless Star
Free Trader
Jemmy the Black
Helen the Fair Teddesley
Tom Tinker
Peter Simple il, Dangerous
Wilrnont
Louis Napoleon
Louisa ... .. 5 Odiham
Nominations for the Handicap Hurdle Race Weights to
be published on the 22d inst.

Weights to

Age
Bullfinch
Pillaton
Stamford
Louisa
Romeo
Kate
Kilkenny Boy
Tomyris...
Teddesley
Star of the West ......
Lincoln
Mistake

Age

Age
Sally, by Safeguard ......... 5
Nonsuch ..................... a
Parchment .... ............
Sandhog ........................ 4
Minerva ........................ 6
Freedom ..................... a
Red Rose ..................... 5
The Doctor .................. 6
Claverhonse .................. 6
Gar1and........................ a
Beech Nut 6

The Madrid journals of the 11th have arrived.
A letter of the Ufa says, that in the Cortes of that
day the Minister cf the Interior declanid that the
Government had the fullest confidence in the
eve . The Minis-
ter the number of Na-
tionalene-
mies Guard, not only of Madrid, but of all Spain,
taenrdretlmiaatrke
ordderthpa ilet everywhere.
considering
against whom the Government bad to contend,
every day passed without disorder ought to be
considered a triumph ; but he refused for the pre-
sent to enter into any details on the affair of the
7th. The Minister of Public Works added that
Government did not fear either the machinations
.
of the Carlists Aragon and Navarre, or the
movements of the workmen of Barcelona.
Accounts from Stutgard state that the Duchess
Henrietta, widow of the late Duke Louis of Wurtem-
berg and grandmother of the Duchess of Brabant, of
the Queen of Hanover, and of the Grand Duchess
whe r
e Constantineher doafugfht ntesrs,i at,
hies
lse xgaonndee rt oo
of payW h rdeai,nmgoeienrgc2sluyeielnl ato flCwiruchrteeimm:
ur her at e
ili;
eV
ri
gS
is Hae
general
e onlynera i n son,
thet e
Dbeurgk,e.hAa
Austrian service.