The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-08 00:00:00

THE R UGELEY POISONING CASES.

Yesterday Captain J; 11. Hatton, the chief of the
Staffordshire county police, had an interview with Sir
George• Grey, and was afterwards engaged in inquiring
into circumstances connected with the death of Mr. J.
Persons Cook. It is believed that he has succeeded in
gaining most important evidence, which will be forth-
coming at the trial of the alleged prisoner in March next.
The inquest on the bodies of Mrs. Mary Palmer, the
wife, and Mr. Walter Palmer, the brother of the accused,
which was to have been held to-morrow (Wednesday), is
post posed until Friday, when it will be held at nine
o'clock, in the Town-hall. It is expected to last all Fri-
day and Saturday, as a large number of startling cir-
cumstances, which have come to the knowledge of the
Coroner and police, will be strictly inquired int
The rumour which prevails in reference to the con-
nexion of Palmer with Lord George Bentinck does not
appear, judging from the evidence taken upon the in-
quest on the body of the noble Lord, to rest upon any
solid foundation. The great object of Palmer in the mur-
der of Mr. Cook seems to have been to possess himself
of his betting book, and thus to destroy the evidence of
a sum of money he is supposed to have owed him, aris-
ing out of betting transactions upon the turf. Lord
George Bentinck'e betting book was not lost, neither
dill there appear to be any poisonous matter in his sto-
mach. At the inquest on his lordship, which was held
at Welbeck, before Mr. Faulkner, the coroner, it did not
appear that any person of Palmer's description had vi-
sited him at the residence of his father, the Duke of
Portland, from the time of his arrival there until his
death. Loi d Geor,ge arrived at the Duke's house (Wel-
beck Abbey) oa the 11th of September, on a visit, which
was to extend over several days. Ton days later, viz.,
on the 21st, William Perks, who had been in the service
of the Duke fsr many years, waited upon Lord George
at breakfast, as he had done on previous days, and par-
ticularly noticed that he Aever saw him in better health
and spirits than on that occasion. At three o'clock Lord
George left Welbeck Abbey unattended, for the pur-
pose of proceeding to Thoresby Park, the seat of the
Earl Manvers, with whom he had engaged to dine. Len-
thall, another of the Duke's servants, saw Lord George
pass through the Rein Deer Park, and, at about 4
o'clock, a man, named Evans, saw him standing by a
gate, suffering apparently from spasms. He soon after-
wards, however, walked on. Not arriving at Thoresby,
men wore sent out with lanterns, and they found him
i❑ the course of the night lying dead in a lane, about 6
miles from Welbeok. Whether any one was with him
during the time which elapsed between Evans seeing
him and the discovery of his body, it is of course impos-
sible to state. Mr. J. Shirley, an assistant to Mr. Ward,
surgeon, of Wellow, was examined at the inquest, and
said I was sent for on Thursday night, and was at
Welbeck Abbey when the body of Lord George Ben•
tincle was brought there. It was then about 2 o'clock,
and life had been extinct some hours. I was present
when his lordship's clothes were examined. There were
no external marks of violence, except a considerable
contusion about the left eye. It was such a contusion as
would be produced by a fall. The bridge of the nose was
injured, and the left side of the tongue appeared to be
injured by the teeth. There was also some extravasated
blood under the skin of ►he chest on the right side. His
pockets were opened in my presence. There was 121.
10e. in gold, and it. Bs. 4d. in silver, and in his pocket-
book there was a cheque fir 1001. and two 51. notes,
besides other papers. I understand there was a promis-
sory note for 5,0001., but I did nut see it. His betting-
book, his gold pencil, watch, and chain, were also found
in his pockets. I this morning assisted Mr. Ward in '
making a post mol'tein examination of the head and body,
and, from that examination, I are of opinion that he
died of violent spasms of the heart. We found the or-
gans of the body generally healthy with the exception
of the right lung, to which there were adhesions to the
side." Mr. Ward, surgeon, of Wellow, said— " I have
known Lord George Bentinck many year, and when
in the country Was his regular medical attendant, but
I had not seen him since he came from town last. I
have this day opened the body, and am of opinion
that he died from spasm of the heart. There was
very little food in the stomach, but there was no mor-
bid appearance beyond congestion, which prevailed over
the whole system. There was emphysima of the lungs,
and old adhesion from former disease. The heart was
large and muscular, and covered with fat. It oontained
no blood, and time the appearance of a regular contrac-
tion. The brain was perfectly healthy, with the excep-
tion of a little venous congestion, in the same ratio as
the other organs." Upon that occasion the verdict was
"Death by the visitation of God, arising from spasms
of the heart."
It is a somewhat curious fact that the noble lord's
death took place within a week after the St. Leger at
Doncester. M'. Cook's death having taken place shortly
after Shrewsbury races. It is more than probable that
his hettieg•book may still be in the possession of some
members of the Portland family, in which case his con-
nexion with Palmer, if any such existed, may be easily
traced.