The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-20 00:00:00

THE RUGELEY POISONINGS.)

TRIAL OF WILLIAM PALIVIER.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT THIS DAY).

SIXTH DAY.

The court this morning was again densely crowded,
and a large concourse of people were waiting outside,

most eager to obtain the slightest inf Trnation.

At a few minutes befur,..,-ten the prisoner was placed
n the dock. He looked extremely pale, his features

having a smaller appearance, awl altogether bearing a
most anxious and fatigued expressions
The usual preliminaries having been gone through, the
proceedines commenced with the examination, by Mr.
Edwin James, of
Dr. John Jackson, who said--I am a member of the

College of Puysicians.. I have been in practice in India,
and for 25 years in this country. I have made tetanus,
both idiopathic and traumatic, my study. The idiopathic
iv rare in this country, compared to India.. It is far
more frequent in India. I have seen about 43 cases.

Traumatic and idiopathic are equally fatal in India. The
latter elms is more frequently found in ohil Iren in India,

both in natives and Europeans. It takes place shortly
after birth. In infants it is more marked in its symp
tollls of lock jaw than in adults attacked with the trau-
matic class of the disease. I have always E.een premoni-
tory symptoms precede an attack of idioptthic tetanus.
Lord Campbell—What are they
Witness—A peculiar expression of the countenance,
:And a peculiar btiffness of the muscles of the head and

jaws. In infants it will prove fatal in from four. to eight
hours. When it attacks adults fiorn cold, it is of longer
duration, and may last many days—the idiopathic going
through all the same grades as the traumatic.
Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Shee—Tho patient
is uncomfortable before the premonitory symptoms come
on. He complains of stiffness of . the back and front of
his neck, but may take his fooduntil 12 hours before it.
During the 12 hours after his attention is more drawn
to the stiffness of his neck and mouth. I never heard
of any complaint of want of appetite for 12 hours before
the attack. I have heard of the first attack coming on
in bed. I have known cases of women after miscarriage ;
there is sometimes a difficulty in swallowing, as pre-
monitory symptoms. _

Re-eiarri-inid by the Attorney-General--The interval,
between the premonitory symptoms in an infant are not
more than six hours.; a male adult, from 12 to 24 hours,
and sometimes more. The duration of attack was from
to 10 days. Boeh symptoms and disease are alike in each
class of tetanus. Death may follow in two days. I was
not in Court to hear the description given of the attack
and death of Mr. Cook. Tetanus will arise from ex-
posure to cold. I never knew a case where death en-
sued in so short a space of time as from ten minutes to
half an hour.

Mr. Berger examined by the Attorney-General—l am

chief superintendent of the police at itugeley. I was
present at the inquest upon the body of John Parsons
Cook, after which I went upon the 15th of December to
Palmer's house to make a search. I found a quantity of
papers. I had them taken into the drawing-room from
the surgery, where I found the principal part of

them. I took some out of Palmer's bed room. I
searched every part of the house, and put all
the papers in one place in the drawing-room,
after which I locked the door and put the key into my
pocket. Upon the next day I endeavoured to make a
selection from the papers. George Palmer was present.
Lord Campbell—ls that the prisoner's brother?
Witness—lt is.
Attorney-General—And he is an attorneys at
Rugeley ?
Witness—Yes. I cannot say whether I gave him
notice of my intention to search the prisoner's house and
papers. He was present part of the thee. Inspector
Crisp and' some other gentlemen were there. I first
made a selection of the papers, but after warda gave up
the idea • and upon the Tuesday tied them all up.
George Palmer was there upon the Monday, but I cannot
say that he was upon Tuesday. I put all the papers into
a black leather bag and took them to Stafford, where I
gave them to Capt. Hatton. I believe it was upon the 24th
that the bag was again opened in my presence. The papers
were then gone through, and classified by Mr. Dean for
the prosecution, and he copied some of them. During
the search which I made of the papers I saw what they
all of them were, and I saw no cheque purporting to
bear the signature of Cook drawn upon Mr. Wetherley.
The witness further said, I found no document purport-
ing to bear the signature of Cook relative to bills of ex-
change. Some of the papers were afterwards taken to
Mr. G. Palmer. The letters, private accounts,
and documents selected by Mr. Dean were de-
livered to Inspector Crisp, and he was directed
to deliver them to that gentleman. The prisoner was
arrested on the night. of the 15th of December.
By Sergeant Shee—The inquest was held at the
Talbot Arms. There were several meetings, and before
it concluded more than a fortnight elapsed. The pri-
soner was arrested by the sheriff on a civil process two
or three days before the verdict was returned. He was
at his house at Rugeley the whole of the time the in-
quest lasted ; but ho was not present at it, nor wa..
there any person to act professionally for him. I did
not know there bad been a police officer previous to the
death of Cook in Rugeley; but I heard a person of the
name of Field was there.
Mr. Henry Dean attended the inquest on Ann Pal
mer on the part of an insurance company. The first
time I saw Palmer's papers was on the 24th of December
in the custody of the last witness. I selected and
classified' them. They were in a black bag. It wa
unsealed in my presence. Mr. Hatton and another
person was present. I examined the whole of the con-
tents of the bag for the purpose of selecting those
papers which were material. The rest, a con-
siderable quantity, were returned to Mr. G. Palmer.
I did not find a cheque upon the Messrs. Wether-
ley, signed by Mr. Cook for 3501. I heard the
witness Cheshire examined relative to a certain paper,
but I did not find that paper, or any other, which
stated that Palmer had signed a document for Cook's
accommodation.
Cross-examined by Sergeant Shee—l knew Inspector
Field had been at Rugeley at the time of the inquest.
My firm were solicitors to the Prince of Wales Lift
Assurance Office, and Field went there upon their em-
ployment, but he was at Rugeley only part of a day.
He was at Stafford for three or four days, but he did
not see the prisoner while there. His visit had been
preceded •by that of another officer named Simpson:
Simpson I saw one day at Rugeley. He went from
Rugeley to Stafford with myself and Field. He said he
bad seen Palmer. Ile was first retained in our service
on the first week in October.
By Mr. E. James—Field was sent down to make in-
quiries as to the habits and life of Mr. Walter Palmer,
of whose death the office bad shortly before received no-
tice, and also to inquire into the circumstances of a
person named Bates, with reference to an insurance on
his life.
Mr. Espin, solicitor for Mr. Padwick, said—l pro-
duce a bill for 2,000/. which was placed in my hands by
that gentleman to enforce payment from the prisoner's
mother. Ido not know whether it is the handwriting
of the prisoner. (Mr. Strawbridge was here called am,
he stated that the bill was in the handwriting of the
prisoner.) . The words " Sarah Palmer " were not in the
handwriting of that lady. The bill was due three
months after date, but 1,0001. had been paid off, an.
the bill was placed in my hands on the 12th of Dec
to enforce the payment of the remainder. I had not
made application for the payment of the bill in Nov
myself. I received two letters from the prisoner.
The letters were here put in and read, and con
tained the cheque for 1,0001., with a request that it
might not be presented till the 28th of Nov. ; and
the other related to a sum of. money, 3001., about
which there was some mistake about the remittance,
and in which Palmer stated he would shortly be in
London.

Winces continued—l produce a cheque for 1,0001.,
inclosed in the above letter of the 12th, dated the 28th
I presented it on that day and payment was refused. l
also produce a cheque for 6001., dated Bth December, ie
prisoner's handwriting, payable to Mr. Pad wick or
bearer, which was also dishonoured. It was for wards
'in consequence of the cheque of 1,0001. having been die
honoured. 1,0001. still remains due on the 2,0001.
Execution was issued against the person. The prisoner
was taker. on the ca sc. •
Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Shee--I fist saw the
cheque a day or two before the date of the 12th.
Re-examined by Mr. James—An action was brought
against the mother for the recovery of the 1,0001. due on
the bill.
Mr. Bamford, surgeon, of Rugeley, who had been
suffering lately from ill-health, which prevented his earlier
examination, having greatly recovered, was led into
court by Mr. Gardoer, the solicitor fur the prosecution,
and examined by the Attorney-General. He said—l
am a surgeon and apothecary, of Ruee'ey. I first saw
the deceased Cook on Saturday, 17th November, at the
request of Mr. W. Palmer. He called on me and asked
me to attend a friend of his, who WAS ill at the Talbot
Betel. He raid he had dined with Cook the day before,
and that he had taken too much champagne. I walked
with Palmer to the Talbot and saw the deceased. I asked
Cook if he had taken too much wine the day before. He
assured me that he had taken but two glasses. He was
constantly vomiting, but I saw no bile thrown off. I
prescribed a saline effervescing draught for the deceased,
a six-ounce mixture.
Lord Campbell said that the witness need not be
examined on this point, because it was stated in his
deposition that had been read to the Court. If it was
persisted in, he must have the whole of the medical
witnesses re-examined.
The Attorney-General said he had no intention to go
into it.
Witness examined—On Monday I prescribed and
prepared some pill,. for deceased. The medicine I pre-
pared on Monday I took myself to the Talbot Arms, and
gave it to the servant maid. I saw her take it upstairs.
On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, I prepared the
same sort of pills for deceased. I saw Palmer on Tues-
day morning on my way down to see the patient. He
met me, and I asked him if he saw Cook the night be-
fore. He said he sac kiln between 9 and 10 o'clock,
and was with him half-an-hour, and requested me not
to see deceased that morning to disturb him. I did not
see him then. Between 11 and 1 o'clock that day I was
met again by Palmer, on my way to see Cook. "Se
bugged I would not [el to see Cook, as he was still quiet,
and zed' d net e Lee him to be oister'cred. About 7 o'clock
that night Palmer sent a request to my house that I
would see Cook aeein. I ue';t and saw him fel- the Fret
terie ue dint dey. After Alet, I e reein with Mr.
Jones and Palmer, and had a conversation with him.
Palmer rather wished Cook to have his pills again, end