The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-26 00:00:00

tcatiton

years.
Had you your own lodging's and chambers at Ruge.
ley ? —Yes.
Your own bedroom ?—Yes.
How far was your lodgings from Mrs. Palmer's house ?
—Nearly a quarter of a mile.
Will you be so good as to explain why, having your
own place of abode, and your own bed-room so near to
Mrs. Palmer's, you were still h the habit of sleeping
two or three times a week for several years at the house
of Mrs. Palmer ?—Yes ; sometimes there were members
of Mrs. Palmer's family present.
Who were they ?—There was Mr. Joseph. Palmer,
who u asides at Liverpool ; Mr. Walter Palmer, too ;_
and sometimes William Palmer.
When you went to see the members of Palmer's
family, was it too late when you separated to return to
your own lodgings ?—We used to stop very late drinking
gin and water, smoking, ant sometimes afterwards
playing at cards.
Then you did not go to your own lodgings ?—No.
And this continued several years two or three times
a week ?—Yes.
Did you ever stay at Mrs. Palmer's house all night
when there were no members of the family visiting ?
Ye., frequently.
How often ?—As many as two or three times a week.
When there were none of Mrs. Palmer's sons there ?
—Yes.
And when the mother was —Yes.
How often did that happen ?—I cannot say. Some-
times two or three times a week.
When there was no one else in the house but the
lily ?—There were the mother, daughter, and servants.
You might have gone to your own home, then, for
there was no one to drink brandy and water with,
ght have done so, but I did not.
or to smoke with ?-1 mi
Do you mean, then, to swear solemnly that no impro-
per intimacy subsisted between you and Palmer's
mother ?-I do.. (Sensation.) •
Now I will turn to another subject ; do you remem-
ber being applied to by Palmer to attest a proposal for
on the life of Walter Palmer in
an insurance of 10,400/.
the Universal Life Office ?—I do not remember ; if you
have any document which will show it I shall be able
to recollect, perhaps.
Now, do you remember getting a 51. note for attesting
the signature of Walter Palmer's assignment of his
policy to his brother ?—I do not.
Is that your signature (handing a document to wit
ness) ?---It is very similar to it.
Is it not yours ?—t do not know. (Sensation.)
Upon your oath, sir, is not that your signature ?-.-
Witness hesitating.
Examine the document and then tell rise, on your
oath, whether that is not your signature ?—(Witness-ex-
amined the document.)
Now you have perused it, tell me is not that your sig-
nature ?—Witness (hesitating)—l have some doubts
whether this is my handwriting. (Sensation.)
Have you read the whole of the document I—l have
not.
Then do so. (Witness again perused the whole of the
paper.) Now, Was that document prepared in your
office I—lt was not.
Have you ever aeen it before ?—lt is very much like
my handwriting.
That is not what I asked yen. Upon your oath, have
you ever seen that document before I—Witness (with
hesitation)—It is very much like my handwriting. (Sen.
sation.).
I will have an answer to my qustion. Upon your
oath, sir, is not that your handwriting ?--I think it is
not in my handwriting. I think it is a very clever
imitation of it. (Sensation.)
Will you swear it is not in your handwriting I—l will
swear it is not my handwriting. (Renewed sensation.)
The Attorney-General—Will your lordship please to
take a note of that answer.
Mr. Baron Alderson—Did you ever make such an at-
testation as that in your hand ?---I do not remember.
The Attorney.General—Now is that the signature of

Upon the life of Bates for 10,000/.?—l did. (Sensa-
tion.) Bates was at that thus superintending W. Palmer's
stud and stables. I do not know at what salary.
afterwards. went to the widow of Walter Palmer to get,
her to give up. her claim on the policy of her husband.
She was then at Liverpoel. William Palmer gaVe me
a latter for Pratt to take to her to sign. Mrs. Palmer
said she would like to see her solicitor about it. I
brought the document back with me because sho would
not sign it. I had no instructions to leave it.
Did she give any reason for not signing it !
Mr Sergeant Shee objected to the question. • ,
The Attorney-General : Do you know whether Wal-
ter •Palmer received anything on executing the assign-
ment of his policy to Williain-Palmer ?—I believe he
.ultimately.had something. . .
Did be not.get a bill for 2001. ?—I believe he did, and
he also got a house furnished for him.
\Val that hill paid do not remember.
Is that document in your handwriting [document
hapled in] ? —lt is.
,No-,v, having seen that document with yetir signature
I alk you whether you were applied to to effect'an in-
surance' on the life of Walter Palmer ?—I do not
recollect. .
Not recollect I when your own signature is staring
you in the face I do not.
You are an attorney, and accustomed to business
transactions ?—I am.
Now. I ask you again, were you ,applied to on the
subject may have been ;it is from my memory I
am speaking, and I wish, therefore, to speak as accurate
as.•pcissibls; ..(Laughter).
I'don't-_ask you as to your memory in the abstract,
but your memory now that it• is refreshed by that do•
eminent. Is that your signature ?—Witness (hesitating)
—I have no doubt it may be.
Look at that document and see whether you were
not applied to to effect the insurance I have named,?
—That, is my signature.
I ask
.you. have you any doubt that in the month of
January, 1855, you were called upon ti attest another
pioposal fdr 13,0001. oa the life ,of Walter Palmer?—
Witness (with hesitation) ; I may have sighed that
paper in blank.
Did you sign that proposal in blank ?-4 might have
done so. •

But Ali I,yen, I ask again I—l cannot swear I did, or
did not. I have some doubt whether I did not sign se-
veral of those proposals in blank [sensation].
Upon your oath do you know that Win. Palmer ap-
plied to you to effect an insurance for 13,0001. on the
life of his brother?--I do not remember.
Why this is a very large sum, surely yin must re-
member such a transaction as this ?—I may have been
applied to en this subject..
Was you applied to to attest another proposal for an
insurance with the Universal Litaoifice ?—.l. cannot say
that I was.
Will you swear that when Walter Palmer executed
tbs. deetof assignment of his policy to Wm. Palmer,
that you were not present ? Now, be careful for you
will certainly hear of this on some future day if you are
not careful.—l cannot say that I wits.
Upon your oath, did you not attest the deed of assign-
ment of Walter to his brother of his interest in the po-
licy of niseranee for 13,0001. ?—I cannot say. I believe
the signature " Jeremiah Smith" is very much like my
handwriting.
I repeat the question ?—I cannot say.
'Way, did you not receive a cheque for 5/. for attest-
inc.' it I —I think I did receive a cheque for 51.
attest-
ing
you not see Wm. Palmer write this upon the
counterfoil of his cheqtie-book [cheque-book banded to
witness] ? —Witness, with hesitation—l cannot posi-
tively swear that I did.
Did you not, sir, see him write it ?---That is William
Palmer's handwriting [referring to the cheque-book].
Do you know that you got a five-pound cheque for
attesting that signature ?—I may have got a cheque for
51., but I may not have got it for attesting the signature
of the document,.
You say you got 2001. for Ceok-100/. from Mrs.
-Palmer and 100/. from William Palmer ?—Yes, and he
gave 10/. for the accommodation.
're whom ?—re William Palmer.
Do you know that the 2001. bill was given for the
purpose of enabling William Palmer to make up is sum
of 5001?-1 believe it was not, for Cook received abso-
lutely from me 2001.
Did he not have the money from you in order to take
up to London to pay Pratt ?—No ; he took it with him,
I think, to Shrewsbury, to the races.
Who was the bill drawn in favour of think Wil-
liam Palmer.
What became of the bill ? —I do not know.
Witness—l was not present at the inquest on Cook.
I can't say who saw me when I went ta the Talhot Arms
and went into Cook's mini. One of the servants gave
me a candle—either Bond, Mills,' or Lavinia Barnes.
Re-examined by Mr. Sergeant Shee—l have known
Mrs. Palmer 20 years. I knew her before her husband's
death. 1 should say she is 60 ye: re of age. William
Palmer is not her eldest son. Joseph is the elde-t.
He resides at Liverpool. He is 45 or 46 years of age. I
think George is the next son. He lives at Rugeley.
Tie was frequently at his mother's house. There is
another son, a clergyman of the Church of England.
He 'resided with his mother until within the last two
years, except when he was at college. There is a
11 daughter. She lives with her mother. There are three
servants. Mrs. Palmer'a family does not vi3it much in
the neighbourhood of Rugeley. Her house is a large
one. I slept in a room nearest the Ud Church.
Mr. Sergeant Shee—ls there any pretence for saying
yon have ever been charged with any improper intimacy
with Mrs. Palmer ?—Witness—l hope not.
Mr. Sergeant Shee—ls there any pretence for saying
so ?—Witness—There ought not. to be.
Mr. Sergeant Shee—ls there any truth in the state-
ment or suggestion that you have had any improper in-
timacy with Mrs. Palmer ?—Witness—They might have
so, but there is no reason.
Mr. Sergeant Shee—ls there any truth in the state-
ment l—Witness—l should say not.
Mr. Sergeant Shee—When dil it come to yourknove-
ledge that there was a proposal for Walter's life ?—Wit
ness—l never heard of it until the inqpeet.
The court then adjourned for about 20 minutes, when
the proceedings were resumed.
W. Joseph Saunders was then called upon his subpcena,
but did not appear:'
The Attorney-General said he should be extremely
sorry to commence his reply if there was any chance of
the witness making his appearance.
Mr. Sergeant Shee said he should now ask for the
production of a letter written by Cook to Palmer on Tam
4,1855.
The letter, of which the following is a copy, was then
put in and read :

" Luther% orth, Jan. 4, 1855.
"My dear Sir,—l sent up tod.ortdon on Tuesday to back
St. Hebert for 501., and my commission has returned 10s.
Id. I have therefore booked 250 to 25 against him, to
gain money. There is a small len:lance of 18/. due to you,
which I forgot to give you the other day. Tell Will to
debit me with it on account of your share of training Pyr-
rhino. I will also write to him to do so, as there will be
balance doe from him to me.—Yosrs faithfully,
" W. Palmer, Esq." " J. PARSONS COOK.
Mr. Sergeant Shee submitted that he was entitled to
reply on a part of the evidence,. The course taken by
the Attorney-General on getting at the contents of the
cheque, the contents of an assignment of the policy on
Walter Palmer's life, and the contents of the proposals
to various offices,for the insurance, he submitted entitled
him to a reply on those points.
The Lord Chief Justice—We are of opinion that you
have no right to reply.
Mr. Baron Alderson—That is quite clear.
The Attorney-General said be had been taken some-
what by surprise yesterday by the evidence of Dr. Rich-
ardson, with respect to angina. pectoris. Dr. Richardson
adverted to several books and authorities. He had now
those books in his possession, and was desirous of putting
some questions arising out of that part of the e-fidence.
The court decided against the application.
The Attorney-General then rose to reply. He said the
case for the defence and the prosecution was now before
the jury, and it became his duty to reply on the whole of
the case. He wished he could, in reply to an observa-
tion of the learned sergeant made the other day, say
that he had convinced him of the innocence of the
prisoner ; but he felt he could mot, and on the whole of
the evidence asked for a conviction. The case
presented two points. They were ; Did the deceased man