The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-14 00:00:00

THE RUGELEY POISONINGS,

TRIAL OF WILLIAM PALMER.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT (THIS DAY).
It being generally known that all attempts to ob-
tain admission to hear the proceedings in this most
remarkable case would prove useless unless provided
with cards of admission, and the business in the police
courts being suspended, the assemblage outside the doors
of the Central Criminal Court this morning was chiefly
confined to those who enjoyed the privilege of entree, and
many of those had arrived as early as eight o'clock in the
morning, from which hour until the doors were opened,
which took place at nine, cabs and other vehicles con-
tinued to set down persons, those who were to be pre-
sent, and at that hour a great number were assembled
at the doors, and the greatest dissatisfaction was felt
that no notification had been given as to the hour at
which those to whom admissions had been granted
would be let in. Shortly before nine o'clock a large
body of police arrived, and having been stationed at
their respective barriers with a corps de reserve, the
doors were thrown open, and amidst some confusion
those present got into court, and from that time until
the trial commenced continued to arrive, at which period
t was quite filled.
The arrangements for the press were most disgraceful.
The greatest difficulty possible was experienced in gain-
ing admission to the Court ; and on getting in, accom-
modation of the worst kind had been provided for the
reporters, there being only room for 8 instead of 20,
whilst the best part of the court, capable of accommo-
dating from 20 to 30, was set apart to gratify the morbid
curiosity of briefless barristers. The City Lands' box,
as usual, was filled with the immediate friends
of the City magistrates. This box, with a little altera-
tion, might have been made available for the representa-
tives of the press, the majority of whom had to take
refuge in the box for jurymen in attendance, with a cold-
air apparatus under their feet, and write the best way
they could with their books in their hands the whole of
the day. The City Aldermen were seen entering the
court, with their friends, and in one instance with a
little boy, long before nine o'clock, but with the
usual civic courtesy so pre-eminently personiaed in
City Aldermen the application of the representatives
of the press, with their tickets of admission in their
hands, for a word from them to be allo wed the usual
right of entering was peremptorily refused. The Court
of itself is wholly inadequate to trials of this magnitude,
and as trials of this important character are likely, under
the late act, to come to the Criminal Court to be dis-
posed of, a court must be provided that will afford the
necessary accommodation required.
Amongst those who had seats upon the Bench were
Earl Grey, Lord Denbigh, the Marquis of Anglesey,
Earl Derby, Lord William Lennox, and others.
At ten o'clock the Sheriffs and Under-Sheriffs entered
the Court, followed by Mr. Justice Cresswell, Lord
Campbell, Mr. Baron Alderson, the Recorder, Lord
Mayor and Aldermen, and took their seats upon the
Bench.
The counsel engaged for the prosecution were the
Attorney-General, Mr. Elwin James, Mr. Bodkin, Mr.
Welsby, and Mr. Haddlestone, who occupied the seats
nearest to the Bench ; and Mr. Sergeant Shee, Mr,
Grove, Q.C., and Mr. Kpnealy, who were for the pri.
sonar, sat upon the seats nearest to the dock.
THE TRIAL.

The Crier of the Court, Mr. Harker, having delivered
the usual proclamation, Mr. Straight ordered the pri-
soner William Palmer to be placed at the bar. He en-
tered the dock with a firm step and bowed somewhat
stiffly to the bench. He looked extremely well and was
dressed in black.

The prisoner, who is in the calendar under the head
of the Stafford committals, stands described thus:—Wil-
liam Palmer, 31, surgeon, superior education, committed
by the Court of Qaeen's Bench, received in custody May
4, standing indicted for the wilful murder of William
['Arsons Cook.
Upon the name of the first juryman being called,
Mr. Edwin James said that if there was any gentle.
man upon the jury interested in the affairs of the insur-
ance offices with which the prisoner had transactions
he begged they would retire, in order that there might
not be any prejudice adverse to the prisoner.
Lord Campbell expressed his approbation of the sug-
gestion.
The following jury were then sworn :
Wm. Fletcher, foreman.
Richard Dumbrell.
Wm. Mayor, Park-street, Grosvenor-square, veterin-
ary surgeon.
William Newman, Pimlico, bootraaker.
George Miller, 33, Duke-street, Grosvenor-square.
George Oakshott, West Ham, confectioner.
Charles Bates, Surrey, brewer.
William Eccleston, Ham-lane, West Ham, grocer.
Samuel Mullin.
John Over, Pimlico, grocer.
William Nash, Bond-street.
A. Mr. Mason, of Old Bond-street, was called, but
begged to be excused upon the ground of his being ra-
ther indisposed, and that he felt a prejudice which would
not allow him fairly to judge the case.
Lord Campbell said that was quite enough.
The prisoner was then given in charge for the wilful
murder of John Parsons Cook, upon the 21st of Nov.,
at Rugeley. He was a !so indicted upon the Coroner's
warrant.
To both of these he, in a firm voice, pleaded not

guilty.
The Attorney-General,
in opening the case to the
jury, said that the duty which devolved upon the jury
was one of a most important character, the issue being
the life or death of the prisoner at the bar. It was a
case of the most painful interest, and one which, from
the publicity which it bad gained through the press,
he did not think there was any man who
had not come to some conclusion upon the
facts which had thus been made known. He
begged most earnestly that the jury would dismiss from
their minds all that they had heard from that source, and
be entirely guided by the evidence which would be laid
before them. It would be his duty to go into
facts of a somewhat complicated nature, which extended
over a long space of time. The learned Attorney-
General, after several times impressing upon the
jury the important nature of the issue before
them, then proceeded to detail the circumstances
which, in his conscience, be thought, bore upon the case.
The prisoner was by profeseion a surgeon, and had carried
on business at Rugeley, in Staffordshire, but becoming
engaged is turf pursuits, of which he was a victim, be,
about 3 years ago, gave up that business to an assistant,
Mr. Burby, who now carried on the business as chemist;
but the name of Palmer was, he believed, kept up. The
deceased was of a respectable family, and had been
articled to a solicitor, but coming into the possession
of property had taken up' the pursuits of the turf, and
became acquainted, by those pursuits, with the man
now charged with having caused his death. There
could be no doubt from the evidence that
bad to be laid before the jury, and which they must
hear to understand the case in all its bearings,
that at the time of Palmer's acquaintance with Cook he
was a man with ruin and. disgrace staring him in the
face, and it would be the better course for him, the
Attorney-General, to take the events of the case
chronologically. The jury would have to consider
the motives, and if they found the prisoner's were
strong, there would be more probability of his guilt.
In 1853 the prisoner wag in difficulties, which in 1854
became greater ; and it now became his duty to lay be-
fore them evidence of acts, upon the part of the pri-
sonet of forgery, but, he did not wish them to infer
from that that the prisoner must be guilty of the parti-
cular offence which tipsy sought to bring home to him.
In 1854 Palmer raise d money upon a bill purporting to
be the acceptance art his mother (a lady of property)
for 2,0001. That l ill was forgrd, and that was the first
of those transactioi us which eventually involved him in
such peril that b e bad had recourse to the acts
which subsequently followed. Upon the 20th of
September, 1853,. his wife, upon whose life he
had a policy foe 13,0001., which amount he re-
ceived, and paid w ith that money a part of his liabili-
ties-8,000/.—to a bill discounter named Pratt, whose
name was mixed ua p in these matters, and 5,0001. to
another person at 33 irmingham ; and this left him fur-
ther liabilities do and amongst them the bill of
2,0001. of his mo th..er, in 1854. Prisoner insured the
life of his brother, Walter Palmer, for 13,0001., which
was placed in t' ae hands of Pratt, and from time
to time bills were discounted to him and renewed at a
most ruinous discount. Out of this prisoner had bought
two racehorses, tl4 ttle and Chicken. In Nov. last
Prisoner owed abala 11,5001., and then his pressure be-
came the more press ing, and unless he could meet those
payments,and also tl se bills purporting to be his mother's,
the forgeries would b e discovered. The prisoner's brother