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

THE IiDGELEY POISONING CASES. 1 Deane for the assurance companies ; Mr. Smith for the
defence, assisted, in the examination of Dr. Taylor, by
Dr. Bemberton, physician, of Birmingham. Mr. Ke•
VERDICT OF WILFUL MURDER. nealy, of the Oxford Circuit, was present to•day, as yes-
RiTGELEY, JAN'. 12. terday also.
,
After the departure of the express to London from Alfred Swaine Taylor deposed—l am a Fellow of the
Stafford last night, Mr. Thurlby, Palmer's assistant, and Royal College of Physicians, Fellow of the Royal Society,
Dr. Monckton were examined. Before, however, trap- and Professor of Chemistry at Guy's Hospital. On
scribing their evidence, it would be well that the state- i Monday, the 24th of last month, I received six jars from
relent of Dr. Knight should be given at that length which the last witness. Three of them were labelled " Ann
its importance merits. Palmer, No. 1,2, and 3" outside. They were well se-
Dr. Edward Knight, examined, said—l am a physician cured and sealed, and the seal was unbroken. I locked
residing at Stafford. I knew the deceased, Anne Palmer, them up until the 26th, keeping the key in my possession,
from her infancy. I was called to see her professionaliy and then, in conjunction with Dr. Rees, I proceeded to
on the 25th of Sept., 1854. When I arrived I found Mr. examine them. We first examined the stomach in jar No.
Palmer waiting for me, when he told me I had been sent I . The coats were firm and very well preserved, consider-
for at Mrs. Palmer's particular request. After hearing ins that 15,months had elapsed since death. On the sto-
the description of her disease from Mr. Palmer I went mach at its greater end, and on the outside, there was a
upstairs and saw his wife. I endeavoured to examine the yellowish coloured streak which, when examined with a
case, as well as I could, from Mrs. Palmer's own deserin- magnifying glass presented the appearance of mineral
tion. I found her so much exhausted that I could not matter. IF was such an appearance as I have never
from her understand the nature of the disease. I think seen in 25 years' experience, except when mineral
Mr. Palmer then, in her presence, described her complaint. i poison was in the stomach. We opened the stomach.
Ile said that she bad had distressinr, vomiting, griping, We found neither liquid nor solid contents, but a thin
and purging, and that she had caught cholera at Liver- pasty looking substance of a brownish colour spread
pool, where at that time it was a prevailing disease. over the lining membrane. The whole quantity of this
She did not vomit in my presence ; but the retching was substance spread over the membrane of the stomach
distressing. I inquired for the evacuated matters, and amounted to about half a teaspoonful. The lining mein-
was told they had been thrown away. As far as I could brane presented slight patches of redness. Its surface
form a judgment on the case, I thought it a severe form was examined b a magniing glass. It, was quite free
of English or summer cholera. I then returned with Mr. from ulceration, jserforation, or any organic disease. The
Palmer to a room below stairs, and recommended to 'email intestines were next examined. They were empty;
him that she should take two minims of prussic acid for but covered on the inside in parts with a thin brownish
the purpose of allaying the retching, which was then the coloured substance. The large intestines were then exit-
most distressing symptom. He told me that it should be mined. There was faecal matter in the ccuin, one portion
administered immediately. I then walked into the town, of the large intestines. The inner surface of the rectum,
called on Mr. Bamford and another friend, and design- or lower bowel, was covered with a deep red orange
edly remained two hours in the town, for the purpose coloured substance. On removing this and examining
of ascertaining the effect of the prescription. In two the inner surface of the lower bowels, there was no tip-
hours time I called again, and saw her with Mr. Pal- pearance of ulceration or disease. The intestines
mer, and she appeared then to be somewhat relieved. I were comparatively thin and well preserved, like the
then took leave, with an assurance from Mr. Palmer stomach. One of the kidneys, which was enclosed in
that if she did not continue to improve he would inemc- this jar was cut and minutely examined, and found
diately send for me again. I returned to Stafford that to be perfectly healthy. We then examined the jar
evening by train, and never heard any more of her case marked No. 3, containing the liver, the heart, the
until I was told on the Saturday following that she had lung, and the spleen. They had undergone some changes
died on the Friday. from putrefaction, bat were in a healthy condition.
By Mr. Deane—l had known Mrs. Palmer from her The gall bladder was especially examined. It contained
infancy, and was one of her guardians. She was the about the usual quantity of bile found in the dead. That
daughter of Lieet.-Colonel Brookes. Mr. Dawson was bile was thickened, from the result of long interment, to
her acting guardian, and I only acted nominally. I bad the consistency of a brown paste. The heart was minutely
on one or two occasions' atttended her before her mar- examined, and the cavities were healthy. All the valves
riage, but am not aware that she had any disease. In were free from putrefaction, pure, and healthy. The lungs
1854—but I cannot tell what month, it was in the sum- and spleen were softened, as the result of putrefaction,
mer time--I examined her to ascertain if her life was in- but perfectly free from disease, as far as we could tell.
surable, and I could not discover any disease. When We then proceeded to make an analysis of the different
called in to see Mrs. Palmer professionally, she was not parts. The first that we took for examination was the
in a fit state to converse with me. After she had taken brown pasty matter found on the surface of the stomach.
the two minims of prussic acid her voice was improved, In these contents, amounting to about half a teaspoonful,
but she could not hold a conversation with me. She did we found rather a large portion of preparation of anti-
not herself express a wish to see me again, but her hus- mony. (The Doctor here displayed it.) We also found
band promised, in her presence, tosend forme. I can't re- a minute proportion of arsenic. But arsenic was not
collect whether I wrote a prescription or not, but I return- found deposited in any of the viscera. And, as an occa-
mended saline effervescing draughts. lam sure I did not sional impurity in ordinary tartar emetic, we consider
suggest any preparation of antimony in the medicines I that arsenic in this case was owing to the tartar emetic
prescribed. I never thought of it. I should not, under being impure, and not on account of its having been
any circumstances, have prescribed tartar emetic, or any separately administered. We then searched fur other
preparation of antimony—that could not have been pro- poisons but found none. The second analysis was directed
per. When I came to the opinion that she died of sum- to the coats of the stomach, and they yielded antimony.
mer cholera, I formed that opinion from statements Thirdly, the large and small intestines were examined,
made by Mr. Palmer, as she was unable to describe her and found to contain antimony in all parts. Fourthly,
Symptoms._
„.... .
the orange red found in the rectum was removed and
_ ... . _ • , . .

By Mr. Smith—Mr. Palmer appeared to evince a very
proper feeling for his wife. Some I)ortion of Mrs.
Palmer's symptoms favoured the statement made by Mr.
Palmer. She was in an extreme state of exhaustion,
and I should ant have been surprised at hearing of her
death the next morning. I have never seen any one
poisoned with antimony. I have seen large doses 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 having read an abstract from Dr. Taylor'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 be
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 observed—l
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
get her to answer any question. She said 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 alkaline mixture and powders to be taken
in a state of effervescence. After making it uo, 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 roern
when I saw 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 was mixed up by Mr. Palmer or Mr. Bamford. I
did not mix up any other. I have seen Mr. Palmer
often mix up drugs himself.
By Mr. Smith—l saw Mr. Palmer immediately after
his wife's death, and he appeared to fret very much.
Mr. Deane then proposed to put in Mr. Palmer's
diary for 1854, and to read from the 18th of September
to the Bth of October.
From this we give a few extracts :
"Sept. 19.—Went to Sandell. Saw Joseph. Jerry
dined at the yard. Eliza returned hcnie." (Opposite
this and some similar entries there was an asterisk.)
"Sept. Qo.—Went to Lichfield. Jerry, Anne, and
Sarah returned from Liverpool."
" Sept. 21.—Anne ill in bed," &c. This entry was
repeated for the three following days ; and on the 24th
it is added—" Mr. 'Bamford called."
" Sept. 25.—Bainford and Mr. Knight called.- Henry
fetched Mrs. Bradshaw. Neither called to see Anne."
On the 26th of September the entry is—" Anne very
11. Beinford called."
"Sept. 28. Eliza very poorly in bed.
caned."
" Se'pt. 29, Friday—
about 20 minutes past 1."
Then follow a series of entries, consisting chiefly of the
statement " At home."
"Out. 3—Buried poor Anne."
" Oat. B—At church, sacrament."
David Henry Monckton,. M.D., residing at Itugeley,
deposed—l made a post moment examination of the body
of the deceased on Saturday, the 22d of Dec. last. There
was externally no evidence of any injury, so far as the
state of preservation of the body allowed me 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 te 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. Some of these
parts or organs were enclosed, unopened, in jars, and
therefore unexamined by me. With regard to all the
rest, the most careful examination failed to detect any
alteration in the structure sufficient, in my opinion, to
account for death. Although there was hut 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 or
pregnant. The alimentary canal was especially examined,
and showed nothing unhealthy. There was no errosion,
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 hard and solid, but soft and semi-
fluid, and enntained the natural amount of bile ad-
mixed. From the; I conclude that she did not suffer in
her last illness from an excessive or prolonged diarrhoea,
nor could she have died from an obstruction in the bowels.
I placed in one jar the stomach and the duodenum, in
another parts 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, althoggh there was nothing that, in my opinion,
could account for death. The third jar contained the
lung.
the heart, and the right
liver, the spleen,The wit-
ness then described the mode in which the jars were
secured. Another parcel contained parts of the lining
of the Abell 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, on
he evening of Saturday, December 22.
Mr. Smith asked what the jars were made of?
Witness—They were glazed earthenware jars. There
was nothing in the appearance of the body which proved
that Mrs. calmer might not have died of exhaustion as
stated by the other medical men. My opinion is that
the appearances were not consistent with her havingdied
of 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 vornitines, producing exhaustion
and causing death, but it would not be English cholera.
the post modem, appearances are consistent with that.
It being now nearly 7 o'clock, the inquiry was 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 the assemblipg of the Court this morning, much
greater public interest appeared to he felt in the pro-
ceedings than was the case at the opening of the ad-
journed inquest yesterday.
As was the case yesterday, Mr. Gardner appeared to
etch the proceedings on behalf of the Crown ; Mr.

separately examined ; antimony was found in this sub-
stance in larger proportions than in the stomach or any
other parts.of the system. "This," said the Doctor, "is
the antimony extracted." The orange red colour of this
material was found to be owing to a portion of antimony
which had become converted to sulphuret, as the result
of pittrefaction in a dead body. The coats of the rectum
were separately examined and also yielded antimony.
The chyle was separately examined and also yielded an-
timony in large proportions, nearly as large as that found
in the rectum. The liver, the spleen, the kidney, the
substance of the heart, and the substance of the lungs,
all yielded antimony. Here is antimony from all these
(produced specimens). The blood drained from the jars
in which these viecera were contained was also analysed,
and this yielded antimony. A portion of the lining of
the shell and a part of the shroud were separately exa-
mined, but they yielded no trace of antimony or any
mineral substance. All the tests and vessels used in this
investigation were themselves tested and found to be per-
fectly pure. In this investigation 15 different analyses
were made of the body, occupying us from the 2.6 th to
the 31st of Dec., and the conclusions at which we ar-
rived from the results of our investigations were these :
First, that all parts of the body of the deceased examined
by us contained antimony. In the stomach and intestines
the antimony was partly in a soluble form, while in the
liver, heart, spleen, kidney, and lungs, it had been the
result of absorption during life. Secondly, the largest
quantity of antimony was found in the rectum and its
contents ; next, in the stomach and its contents ; then,
in the bile taken from the gall bladder; and the small-
est quantity was found in the lungs. Thirdly, the
presence of antimony in the contents of the rectum,
or lower bowel, proves that the discharges from the
bowels of the, deceased contained antimony up to the
time of her death; that she was passing antimony by
purging when she died. We carnet.) that conclusion, of
course, before we heard the evidence of yesterday. And
the presence of this mineral is sufficient to account for
the vomiting, or diarrhoea, or both, from which the de-
ceased was stated to have suffered. The fourth conclu-
, elusion was this—from the presence of antimony in the
stomach of the deceased we infer that a preparation of
antimony must have been given to the deceased a few
hours before her decease. Fifthly, from the discovery
of antimony in the stomach and intestines, especially in
the rectum or lower bowel, we infer that the antimonial
copper, if not taken by the deceased as the result of a
series of accidents—not one accident, bnt a series—was
improperly administered to her, either by iotioraece or
design. Sixthly, that, in our opinion, the antimony
foun by us in the body of the deceased has not been the
result of ono large dose, but of several doses taken at in-
tervals some days before her death, and to within a few
hours of her death. Seventhly, that the antiinonial pre-
paration taken by deceased was what is commonly called
tartar emetic (this white, powder), and this may or may
not have acted as a poison, according to circumstances.
ft may or may not have been the cause of deceased's
death. In the event of the existence of any natural cause
the illness of the deceased, it may have accelerated
her death by producing great depression and exhaustion
of the powers of life. Eighthly, in the examination cf
the stomach, bowels, and other organs of the deceased
we could not detect any changes as the result of natural
disease. There was nothing to account for death in the
shape of disease. On the other hand, there was nothiuo
in these appearances inconsistent with the death of the
deceased from frequent doses of tartar emetic. That is
all, sir.
By ?'lr. Deane—From the evidence that I have heard,
I have no reason to alter the conclusions that I have
drawn in any one respect. I heard Mr. Bamford'oevi-
dence with regard to the admixture of the medicine, and
I say that had tartar emetic been substituted by that
gentletnan for tartarate of potash, other and more serious
symptoms would have shown themselves in the deceased
than those which I have heard described in evidence. I
must add one thing to that. It is my belief that she had
had tartar emetic, and was suffering from its effects be-
fore Mr. Bamford saw her—that is to say, assuming-
that he saw her on the Sunday. Tartar emetic may be
taken in small doses ; in ordinary articles of food it may
be taken without being perceptible to the taste.
By Mr. Smith—The smallest quantity of a dose of
antimony taken at once is 10 grains to produce death'.
You have it there. [Mr. Smith had in his hand Dr.
Taylor's work upon poisons.] Assuming that antimony
had been-given in a liquid state, the symptoms after
taking antimony would have followed in proportion to
the dose. Tie "James's Powder" there are entail doses
of antimony ; and in such a case as severe cold it would
or would not, according to circumstances, do good ; but
have never known it in a medicinal dose produce
vomiting and sickness. Ido not agree with Dr. James
when he says that its administration in such doses may
produce such effects. I never knew of a death from
antimony of such a description as this ; and yet the
death of this lady is quite conformable with her death
from poison, and at the same time death from any other
cause.
Mr. Smith—lf small quantities of antimony should be
given in frequent doses, would there be constipation and
vomiting ?
Dr. Taylor—Certainly not. Constipation may have
arisen from some natural cause. It is not a natural
symptom from the taking of doses in small quantities.
My opinion is that constipation was an accidental cir-
cumstance in the illness of the dechased not connected
with the cause of death. I have known 500 cases of
death from poison, very few of which exhibited the same
aspects. Every case will be attended with its own symp-
toms, depending upon the circumstances under which the
poison is taken and the state of the body at the time.
There is a very frequent state of the stomach which pro-
duces vomiting—that is, ulceration ; but there was no
ulceration in this case. And when I saw antimony
throughout the whole system and no ulceration, I came
to no other conclusion than that she died from antimony.
We can detect from a five-hundredth or a thousandth
part of a grain of tartar emetic when it is present. In
the stomach there was found from three-quarters of a
grain to a grain of tartar emetic, and in the rectum pro-
bably a grain. There was antimony throughout the
whole body. In the whole of the tissues there could
not have been less than a grain and a-half or two grains.
From the results of our experiments upon two ounces
of the liver I was satisfied that the deceased was satu-
rated with antimony. I have frequently found anti-
mony in the dead ; but I never found so much in absorp-
tion. The liver absorbs the poison very quickly. It
would contain a larger quantity from its being a large
organ and full of blood.
Mr. Smith—lf antimony had been administered three
weeks ors month before the death of the deceased, would
the same results have been seen ?
Dr. Taylor—l think not ; but I should form my opi-
nion from the appearances of the body. Supposing the
antimony to have been given in one small dose and then
have stopped, I think I should not have found so much
if a period of three weeks had elapsed. Supposing it to
have been a fortnight or three weeks before her death,
the appearances would not have been preserved, because
the tendency of the human system is, that immediately
the poison ceases to be given it passes away from the
frame. Supposing there was fever, I should not recom-
mend the use of antimony.
Mr. Smith—Provided it were taken in conjunction
with fever,' I suppose it would not have been long in
being removed.
Dr. Taylor--I think it would have been longer, be-
cause of the rapid circulation. It is not necessary to a
case of poison that cramp should follow, because that
symptom depends upon the effects of poison upon the
different parts of the system. There might be cramp,
but it would not necessarily follow. The whole of the

Bamford

—My poor dear Anne expired