The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-21 00:00:00

teattreis could enable them to do to detect etrychnia,
yet they (IA riot detect it, hut that they did antimony.
From the .inforreati6n which they received from the
relations of the deceased, and from his solicitor, their
attention was called to the suspicion that existed of the
cause of Cooler; death being by poison, and yet in
December, a few weeks after death, they were unable
to find, -any - poison but antimony. Having, how-
ever, attended the inquest, -and heard the evidence
of Mr. Jeres, the female Mills, and others, and that
1 of the witness Roberta, who spoke to the purchase
l of strychnine by Palmer on the morning.of the deceased's
' 'death, Dr. Taylor came to the conclusion that the pills
that were administered to Cook on the Monday and
Tuesday contained strychnine, though he had previously
given his opinion in writing that the deceased must have
died from antimony, from traces of it having been found
in the body and no traces of strychnine. I am not about
to discuss that point of the case now, but I call your
attention to it. It will claim a proper place in the dis-
cussion, and I mention it now that you might know
at the commencement of my address what the course is
I I intend to pursue, and that you may not be under the
impression that I don't under the three heads to which
I.
I. have directed your attention refer to it, and that con-
sequently I intend to pass it over. I have, therefore,
told you what the case for the defence will be with 're-
ference to strychnine not being found in the deceased's
body, and the medical gentlemen who have come to the
conclusion that strychnine might have been there, though
they did-not find any, have arrived at those 'conclusions
by experiments of a very partial kind indeed ; and
they contend that the poison of strychnine is of that
nature that when once it has done its fatal work, and
becomes absorbed in the system, it ceases to be the
thing which it was when it was taken into the sys-
tem, because it became decomposed, and its elements
separated 'from each other, and therefore it was no
longer caPaLle of responding to the tests which, ac-
cording to them, would certainly detect the presence
of undec Imposed strychnine. They can't, however,
vary the fact that it was not found in the body, but
they still retained the belief that Cook was destroyed
according to that hypotheeis, which was an hypothesis
unsupported by any eminent toxicologists but them-
selves. But it was fair to them to say, and to Dr. Tayl r
in particular—because it is out of my power to speak
of Dr. Christison except with the respect due to a man
of his eminence and high standing—it is due to Dr.
Taylor to say that he had propounded his theory in a
book he had published- on that subject. • After refer-
ing to'the experience. of. Dr. Taylor and to this poison
on a number of rabbits, the learned gentleman said, I-
will call, on this point, before you many gentlemen of
the highest eminence in the profession,--analytical
:Chemists, who Frill state to you their utter reinicia-
lien of that opinion. I will call before you Dr.
Nuunely, a member of the Royal College of Surgeons,
a profensor of surgery 'at three schools of medicine,
and who attended the late strychnine case at. Leeds;
Dr S- Williams, professor of Alateria Modica in
Ireland, ' and surgeon for eighteen years at the
Dublin Hospital ; Dr. Letheby, one of the ablest and
:nest '_distinguished men of science in the great
city, a professor of chemistry and toxicology in the
medical school of the London Hospital,. who rejected
the theory of Dr. Taylor as a heresy, and:'eneworthy of
the:belief of scientific men ; Dr. N. Parker, peefeesor of
medicine at the London Hospital ; Dr.. Robinson, of
the College of Physicians ; Dr. Itoeers, professor of
chemistry at St. George's School ; and, lastly, I will call
befornyou probably the most eminent chemical analyst
in the country, Mr. W. Herepath, of Bristol, all of whom
reject the theory of Dr. Taylor as totally unworthy
of belief, and are ready to prove that not only could
half a grain of strychnine, or the 50th part of a grain of
strychnine, but the sth, 10th, or 20th part of that quan-
tity, if it had entered into the human fraine at all, it
could aid must be detected by the proper tests, and that
no•degree of putrefaction or ferinentation of the human
body c mid prevent its being found. I now apply my-
self to what in my judgment is of equal importance to
the above in the case, if nut a more important question,
and which I approach with no diffidence whatever,
except tee distrust which I have, under the circumstances
which I have s ated, cf myself ; and if it were possible
fit me to write what I think of it, and then read it to
you, •.I don't entertain the smallest doubt myself but that
you would he convirced of the innocence of the pri-
soner; ' And.that is the question whether in the second
week in Nevember, 1855, he had a motive for the com-
mission of, the murder—any strong reasons for desiring
that Cook should die, and unless it is made clear to you
thateitt was his interest to get rid of him, I never will
believe you will come to the conclusion that lie com-
mitted the act. It appears to me, by the evidence laid
before yoti, that it is abundantly clear, that not only
was it not the interest of Palmer that Cook should die,
but that his death was the went calamity that could
happen to him, and that he could not possibly be ignorant
that it must immediately be followed by. his own ruin.
At the lime of the death of Cook he (Palmer) was in
extreme embarrassment, but that state was in some de-
gree remitted by the person whose name he had forged
—his own mother, a lady of very large fortune. The
Attorney-General stated that the case against the pri-
soner was this, that the prisoner, with ruin staring him
in the face—when Cook was in possession of a large
sum of money—did wilfully destroy him. I beg the
jury to carefully scrutinise the evidence, and then to say
whether it was the prisoner's interest, in the second
week in November, to destroy Cook ; it not, they would
decide accordingly. A great number of letters
had been read yesterday, but although it was
thought that this did not in the least affect the
case, I firmly believe .in that correspondence the in-
nocence o: the prisoner lies concealed. Allow roe to call
your attention to the state Of friendship, which existed
between thc. deceased and the prisoner. They jointly
owned race-Lhorsesi, or were always seen together on the
race-course. lt had been remarked by Cook, before the
witness Jones, that they (meaning 'himself and Palmer)
hastiest a good deal of money together of late. That
would prove they were in the closest intimacy. In May,
1855, Palmer wanted 2001. to pay some debts, and he
epplied to Pratt for the surio, but it was refused without
be gave sonic good security, and he accordingly offered
his friend, John P. COO:. Nuw Cook was not possessed of
a very large fortunn—such a fortune as, he heard, might
have been thrown down in a week. It was not likely
that anybody would'go to Doei;ors' Commons 'to ascer-
tain what sum Cook received on his graudfatlser's death
before the sum of 2001. was advanced to him, for the
position he bad attained seemed of itself quite sufficient
security for the repayment of the money. As long as
there Was a vestige of property Pratt continued to lend
the prisoner money at a rate of about GO 'per cent.
A person paying such
.a sum fur interest
could have nothing but utter and irretrievable rein
staring him in the face. I beg the jury to. observe that
I am not defending the prisoner against the charge of
forgery ;that has, nothing to do with the present pro-
ceeding. I shall read a certain number of letters that
have been put in evidence, which will show that Palmer
and Coek.were jointly benefitted by the money received
from Pratt on certain occasions. The learned counsel
bore read some of the correspondence, which went to
show that in November he (Palmer) was being pressed
in such a manner by Pratt for money, that at that time
Cook's life was of the utmost importance to him ; and
also a letter from Cook to Fisher, telling him to pay
500/. to Pratt; it was of the greatest importance that he
should do so, and he (Cook) had sent up. 800/, towards
that sum. At this moment, therefore, it was clearly
evident: Cook was doing all ho could to assist Palmer,
and it was not at all to be supposed that he would
at that moment destroy him. ,In the spendthrift way
in which Cook and Palmer were living, it clearly showed
that Cook was doing all he could for Palmer, and on the
16th of November, when it was alleged Palmer was
poisoning him, he was. acting towards him with the
eseateet kindness. The evidence of Fisher, who was,
no friend of Palmer's, stated that on the Monday as
well us the Tuesday Cook was comparatively well, and
the inference was that that was so because Palmer
was absent . It would presently be shown how
very gross and simple that inference was. It
was the interest of Cook . that Palmer should not
he arrested by Pratt, and it was to prevent that circum-
stance bappeping that Cook desired Palmer to go to
London and -arrange the matter with Pratt himself,
Cook died on the morning of the 21st, and if we want to
know anything further about Palmer we' must get it
from Pratt, as Cook had never passed from the scene.
It has been 'proved that Palmer had acted in the most
affectionate manner to Cook, and the circumstance of his
wishing to secure the horse Polestar went for nothing,
and he would show that the five hundred pounds
obtained from Pratt was obtained for Cook alone,
but on his death Palmer was saddled with the payment.
The learned Sergeant went on to say that it was to the
highest degree. improbable that Cook did not have that
money upon that transaction of 5001. with Pratt.
Would Cook, who knew he had executed a bill of sale,
and wanted the money, and wanted that immediately,
have waited for two days ? The signature of Cook to the
cheque was not even an. imitation of Cook's handwriting.
It was probable that from the correspondence, and the
state of Palmer's banking account, that as Pratt had
sent a cheque which could have been cashed through a
London house, that Cook wanting the money, Palmer
let him have the money. Was it likely that Cook would
have let the matter rest for the time he did before his
death, when it was shown that he hal wanted money ?
Was it likely that Palmer desiCed Cook's death ? Cook
• had signed the cheque upon the day before his death
for 3501., and had to be sent up - to be paid
Now, if the news of Cook's death reached be-
fore,- which it was more.. than probable it would,
where would be Palrner's chances of getting the cheque
paid ? - Cook had no effects to meet that cheque, and it
was most likely that Cook's executors would dispute any
claim. What would be 'gain by Cook's death ? No-
thing. A 1 the evidence showed that Cook was his only
resource, and what would Cook's death bring him pro-
perty that would-now clear him of his forgeries upon
his mother ?
bring Would
about
it not
an
iide,vprietetigh
ai him
investigation
af
ot
fcao. ~s)k,
i sts a
a Dce!
of Cook, and
counts witliihe executors. Was it likely that Cook was
aot a close-fisted, penurious man ; and yet the theory of
the Crown was, that Palmer killed Cook because lie
thought lie .could better settle with the executors,
N hom he would.find shrewd men of butiness. Such a
theory was an absurdity. Would not all the forgeries
have then fallen, upon himself? The manual upon
chemistry which had been put in, bearini the pr'moner'e
notes made upon the margin, clearly showed that he well
knew whatneffects the poison would have had, upon
1. Cook. -

Lord CampbelFsaid that the prosecution had not made
any great point of that fact, but admitted that the pri-
soner was studying to qualify himself as a practitioner:
The learned Sergeant knew that,- but it would show
that the priSoner knew well the effacts that strychnia
would produce. What did the note fix attention to ?
Why, that the death of any one dying of strychnia would
be a most f,arful cane, and he (the learned Sergeant) put
it, tl the jury whtther a man (who knew well what would
result fromstioh poison); and was in the position in