The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-14 00:00:00

THE RUGELET POISONING CASES.

VERDICT OF WILFUL. MURDER.
RNGELEY, JAN. 12.

After the departure of the express to London from
Stafford last night, Mr. Thurlby, Palmer's assistant, and
Dr. Monckton were examined. Before, however, tran-
scribing their evidence, it would be well that the state-
meat of Dr. Knight should be given at that length which
its importance merits.
Dr. Edward Knight, examined, said—l am a physician
residing at Stafford. I knew the deceased, Anne Palmer,
from her infancy. I was called to see her professionally
on the 25tla of Sept., 1854. When I arrived I found Mr.
Palmer waiting for me, when he told me I had been sent
for at Mrs. Palmer's particular request. After hearing
the description of her disease from Mr. Palmer I went
upstairs and saw his wife. I endeavoured to examine the
case, as well as I could, from Mrs. Palmer's own descrip-
tion. I found her so much exhausted that I could not
from her understand the nature of the disease. I think
Mr. Palmer then, in her presence, described her complaint.
He said that she bad had distressing vomiting, griping,
and purging, and that she had caught cholera at Liver-
pool, where at that time it was a prevailing disease.
She did not vomit in my presence ; but the retching was
distressing. I inquired for the evacuated matters, and
was told they had been thrown away. As far as I could
form a judgment on the case, I thought it a severe form
of English or summer cholera. I then returned with Mr.
Palmer to a room below stairs, and recommended to
him that she should take two minims of prussic acid for
the purpose of allaying the retching, which was then the
most distressing symptom. He told me that it should be
administered immediately. I then walked into the town,
called on Mr. Ba,inford and another friend, and design-
edly remained two hours in the town, for the purpose
of ascertaining the effect of the prescription. In two
hours' time I called again, and saw her with Mr. Pal-
mer, and she appeared then to be somewhat relieved. I
then took leave, with an assnrance from Mr. Palmer
that if she did not continue to improve he would imme-
diately send for me again. I returned to Stafford that
eve!s;ng by train, and never heard any more of her case
until I was told on tha Saturday following that she had
died on the Friday.
By Mr. Deane—l had known Mrs. Palmer from her
infancy, and was one of her guardians. She was the
daughter of Lieet.-Colonel Brookes. Mr. Dawson was
her acting guardian, and I only acted nominally. I had
on one or two occasions atttended her before her mar-
riage, but am not aware that she had any disease. In
1854—but I cannot tell what month, it was in the sum.
mer time—l examined her to ascertain if her life was in-
surable, and I could not discover any disease. When
called in to see Mrs. Palmer professionally, she was not
in a fit state to converse with me. After she had taken
the two minims of prussio acid her voice was impraved,
but she could not hold a conversation with me. She did
not herself express a wish to see me again, but her hus-
band promised, in her presence, to send forme. ,I can't re-
collect whether I wrote a prescription or not, but I recom•
mended saline effervescing draughts. I am sure Idi not
suggest any preparation of antimony in the medicines I
prescribed. I never thought of it. I should not, under
any circumstances, have prescribed tartar emetic, or any
preparation of antimony—that could not have been pro-
per. When I came to the opinion that she died of sum-
mer cholera, I formed that opinion from statements
made by Mr. Palmer, as she was unable to describe her
Symptoms.
By Mr. Smith—Mr. Palmer appeared to evince a very
proper feeling for his wife. Some portion of Mrs.
Palmer's symptoms favoured the statement made by Mr.
Palmer. She was in an extreme state of exhaustion,
and I should stet have been surprised at hearing of her
death the next morning. I have never seen any one
poisoned with antimony. I have seen large (lases of
antimony given, and I have observed extreme depression
arising from it. I have administered large doses my-
self, and have witnessed alarming symptoms. I believe
antimony will also produce purging.
Mr. Smith baying read an abstract from Dr. Tsvlor's
philosophical work, which describes the effects produced
by poisoning from antimony, Dr. Knight stated, in reply
to a question from Mr. Smith, that Mrs. Bradshaw, the
nurse, did not describe the symptoms which would he
produced from poisoning by antimony; but her evidence
went to negative the supposition that antimony was ad-
ministered.

In reply to Mr. Deane, Dr. Knight ob.;erved—E
should attach very little importance to Mrs. Bradshaw's
evidence, medically considered.

In reply to the Coroner, Dr. Knight stated that from
the assertions of Mr. Palmer and Mr. Bamford, and what
he saw, he had given a certificate as to the cause of her
death to her husband.
The certificate was produced by Mr. Deane, who had
obtained it from the Sun Insurance-office.
Mr. Benjamin Thurlby, assistant to Mr. W. Palmer,
the accused, was next examined. Witness deposed that
he saw Mrs. Palmer on the day before she died, and re-
mained with her about five minutes. She was then very
feeble and exhausted, and it was with difficulty he could
got her to answer any question. She KIN she felt as if
she was sinking through the bed. Those were the only
words witness heard her speak. Suggested that she
should take arrowroot and brandy, and the nurse said
she gave it her. Made up a prescription of Dr. Knight's
a few days before she died. Saw the prescription on
calling on Thursday or Wednesday, lying in the window
in the kitchen, and Mr. Palmer asked witness to make
it up. It was about Bor 9 o'clock in the evening. Was
reading the prescription when Mr. Palmer came in. Did
'not recollect that Mr. Palmer gave any explanation as
to why it was not made up before. Witness made it
up. It was an a'kaline mixture and powders to be taken
in a state of effervescence. After making it no, took it
down to Mr. Palmer's. Thought it was on Tuesday
night. It did not contain tartar emetic, or any pre.
paration of antimony.
By a Juryman—Mrs. Bradshaw was in the room
when I Faw Mrs. Palmer. I believe it was her I told
to get the arrowroot and brandy.
By Mr. Smith—Mr. Palmer was a very kind man,
and very kind to Mrs. Palmer. I was with him four or
five years. I always considered him a very kind hus-
band.

By the Coroner—l think that all the medicine except
this way mixed up by Mr. Palmer or Mr. Bamford.
(lid not mix up any other. I have seen Mr. Palmer
often mix up drugs himself.

By Mr. Smith--I saw Mr. Palmer immeiiately artar
his wife's death, and he appeared to fret very much.
Mr. Deane then proposed to put in Mr. PairnPr's
diary for 1854, and t,) read from the 18th of September
to the Bth of October.
From this we rise a few extracts :

"Sept. 19.—Went to Sandon. Saw Joseph. Jerry
dined at the yard. Eliza returned hcme." (Opposite
this and some similar entries there Was an asterisk.)
"Sept. 20.—Went to Lichfield. Jerry, Anne, and
Sarah returned from Liverpool."
" Sept. 21.—Anne ill in bed," &c. This entry was
repeated for the three folloNing days ; and on the 24th
it is added—" Mr. Bamford called."

" Sept. 25.—Bamford and Mr. Knight oiled. Henry
fetched Mrs. Bradshaw. Neither called to see Anne."
Oa the 26th of Sep,einliier the entry is—" Anne very
11. Thiniford called."
" Sept. 28. Eliza very poorly in bed. Pao ford
called."

"Sept. 29, Friday —My poor dear Anne expired
about 20 minutes past 1."
Then fellow a series of entries, consisting chiefly of the
statement " At borne."
"Oct. 3—Buried poor Anne."
" Oct. B—At church, sacrament."
David Henry Monckton, residing at Rugelev,
deposed—l male a post mortem examination of the body
of the deceased on Saturday, the 221 of Dec. last. There
was externally no evidence of any injury, so far as the
state of preservation of the body allowed roe to form an
opinion. There was a sufficient quantity of fat deposited
in different parts of the body to prove that the deceased
had not suffered long from any lingering illness. De-
Composition had proceeded to some extent both exter-
nally and internally, and had so disorganised the brain
as to make it impossible to decide as to its condition at
the time of death. The rest of the body was in a state
of preservation sufficient to allow me to speak positively
as to the condition of the several parts. Score of these
parts or organs were enclosed, unopened, in jars, and
therefore unexamined by me. With regard to all the
teat, the most careful examination failed to detect any
alteration in the structure sufficient, in my opinion, ta
account for death. Although there was but little blood
in the body generally, there was in the chest a consider-
able quantity of bloody fluid which, in my opinion, was
the result of decomposition. The heart was quite empty
and collapsed. The deceased was not consumptive er
pregnant. The alimentary canal was especially examined,
and showed nothing unhealthy. There was no erroeion,
corrosion, ulceration, perforation, or obstruction. It
was, moreover, by no means empty. The stomach con-
tained but little, but the intestines were moderately well
filled with the material ordinarily found in the several
parts, and the lower bowel had a considerable quantity of
excrement in it, not bard arid solid, but soft and semi-
fluid, and contained the natural amount of bile ad-
mixed. From Uri.; I conclude that she did not suffer in
her last illness from an excessive or prolonged diarrhoea,
nor could she havedied hour au obstruction in the bowels
I placed in one jar the stomach and the duodenum, it,
another part. of the large intestine and of the small in-
testine, one kidney, and one of the ovaries, which was
forwarded from its not having exactly the usual appear-
ance, although there was nothing, that, in my opinion,
could account for death. The third jar contained the
the heart, and the right lung. The wit-
liver, the spleen,
ness then described the mode in which the jars were
secured. Another parcel contained parts of the lining
of the shell and of the dress of the body, which had been
saturated with the discharges from the corpse. They
were placed in the hands of Police-Inspector Crisp, e„
he evening of Saturday, December 29.
Mr. Smith asked what the jars were made of ?
Witness--They were glazed earthenware jars. There
wal nothing in the appearance, of the body which preve,i
that Mrs. Paltrier might not have died of exhaustion as
stated by the other medical rues. My opinion that
the appearance; were not consistent with her having died
cif English cholera, because English cholera going to the
extent of causing death by exhaustion would have much
.more freely evacuated the alimentary canal. She might
have died from extreme vomitinge, producing exhatietion
and causing death, but it would not be English cholera.
rho post modem, appi-,araneas are eonsietent with that.
It being now nearly 7 o'clock, the inquiry war ad-
journed until 10_ o'clock this morning, when it was un-
derstood that the evidence of Dr. Taylor, Dr. Rees, and
parties connected with the assurance offices would be
ken.
On tire assembling of the Court this morning, much
creater public interest appeared to be felt in the pro-
ceedings than was the case at the cpening of the ad-
jeurned inquest yesterday.

lir. Garin®; apptarea to
As was the ease yesterday;
latch the proceedings on behalf of the Crown ; Mr.