Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-12-21
Whole No. 065


| The MURDER CASE AT WoRcEsTER-About
year ago II was announced in the papers thar
John Cook had been arrested at Worcester on
The charge Of numbering his wife, by poison,
IN lo3i-fourteen years ago. The charge
was made by Mrs. Ward, the deceased wife,
sister. Why il Vas not sooner made we have
not been able to ascertain from any of the pub
lished accounts.
Recently Mr.. Cook has been brought to trial.
and the case seems to have been thoroughly
investigated. The principal witness was Mrs.
Ward, and the substance of her testimony was
that on Sunday, February %, 1884, her sister
was IN her usual excellent state Of health until
tca-t time ; that while she was taking tea her
husband went 10 the cellar and drew glass of
cider, which he asked her TO drink that she
dld so and almost Immediately became violent-
! ly sick, so continuing through the night; that,
at about ii O'Clock, the witness, being in an
adjoining room, heard Nr. Cook mixing some
thing in glass on her return 10 the bed
loom he told her that he had given his wife
some hot sling; that Mrs. Cook soon grew
worse and Mr.. Cook was urged 10 90 for a
doctor, which he at first refused but finally
went and that Mrs. Cook died the next morn
ing.
Mrs. Ward added that on the night after
Mrs, Cooks death she had occasion 10 20 into
tlie tcitchen and there found Mr.. Cook sitting
with young woman, a Miss Meicalf, whom
he had sent for and whom he subsequently
married this leading TO the inference that 10
marry her was his object in getting rid Of his
wife. Also that MIR. Cook objected toa post
mortcm examination Of his wife body. Also,
that month or two after his wife 'sdca,h, Cook
showed lfer paper which he said contained
poison.
The body was exhurned ~ February last.
when the intestlnes were removed, and the
usual tests disclosed in them the presence Of
arsenc'
This was The main evidence for the prosech.
ton part Of il was cOrroboratcd, more or Jess
distinctly, by several witnesses besides Mrs.
Ward.
For the defence agreai number ofwitnesscs
testified, and their testimony put somewhat
different face on the.matter. II was'provcd tiiat
the objection tc send for doctor came not
from Mr.. Cook, but from Mrs Cook herrelf--
that MIR. Cook sent, not for Miss Metcilf but
for her mother, Mrs. Metcalf, and the young
woman went because the mother WAS oihcrwise
engaged-tbat the shot sling was given TO
Mrs. Cook, rot by mr.. Cook but by the women
in at,endancc-Mrs. Ward and others--thst
none Of the many who took part in the layihg
out (excopt Mira. Ward) heard anything saif
about post mortern examinaton--thata paper
OF arsenic was found in the clock case, after
MIs. Cooks death, and Mrs. Ward said she
feared her sister had taken some ofit-tbat the
poison" shown by Cook to Mrs Ward was
piece Of lunar caustic--and that Mrs. Warr
had somewhat questionable name among her
nelghbors for talking rather at random.
The jury Acquitted Mr.. Cook. A cores
nnx IL
the verdict was declared the prisoner occupied
a box, the sides of which were about four feet
high and when the Court passed the order
for his discharge he did not wait for the door
OF hls box TO be opened but lcaped over the top
and sprang toward the outer door of the room
exhibiting the most extravagant tokens of Joy
at his deliverance.
lie had been one year in prison.
The LATEST FROM EUROPE, &c.-Tho
telegraphc addition. in the morning papers,
contains few items of intelligence that is
really new, to wit, the death of Lord Mel
bourne, formerly the Wing Premier-t'he
London papers of the eth ult mentioned that
he was not expected to live--l; the failure of
Lord g. Co., at Birmingham, liabilities said to
be ESQ, 900; a rumor that the King Of Prussia
had yielded TO the demand of the National
Assembly by dlsnlssing his Ministry another
rnmGr that an unofficial ietfer G'om Lord Pal
had been shown to the King, approx
ing his course another, from Vienna, that the
Rothschilds were about TO wind up their affairs
and cease business and accounts from Wirtem-
burg and Saxony, that the Kings Ministry in
the former had resigned, on the civil list qoes.
ton, mentioned'by our correspondent, and from
the latter that the King had prorogued tho
Legislature on account Of fuinolts, actual
and expected.
TnE GoLD AND SILVER MISfs Of Hexico
produced. IN the fourteen years Of Spanish rule,
from l796 to 1910, (as ascertained by tho
poinage reports) S342 ia, 2S5. being an aver
ngc Of $2i ,Ot o 900 year. In tho succeeding
Ieriod of fifteen years, the coinage was only
1888 ,276, 972, or about SO 200, 900 annual
y. This dlmlno,ion Of produciiseness was as
snbed aor to the lack Of gold, but to the dis
urbcd state Of the country. These mines are
now worked by Englishmen, TO whom they
have been pledged, for money loaned to the
Mexican government.
The PLAQUE" What Bews'" said ono
neighbor TO another.
"Ah! it's very sadr
Sdd-wby, how -
"Why the plague has arfived!" replied he
Of the rucful countcnance.
"The plsgue--good gracious ~ siammcrcd
out the other, turning deadly pale aud gasping
for breath.
"los," rcjoined he. with sigh SO ptcous
that il shook his whole bulk" Ny wye has
some hornet"