The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-10

TFrom the boston MAIL
The supreme Judicial Court, now in session at Wor-
s<stsr Chief Justice Shaw presiding engaged In the
the trial Of John Cook Jr for the murder Of nus we
SssSu.py, issl The parties married in 1882 the
asseaed being twelve years Older than the prisoner
Sesn the cause of difficulty between them They lived
toeeher in hburnhsm until the death of Mrs Cook
when the husband married again and removed to
whine nden where he has since resided Suspicious
attached to Cook at the time of his wifes death, but
thew we're not deemed sufficient to warrant the sum-
moning Of q coroner, and the body deposited in
the tomb In February last, fourteen after the
.nnssrsnce Of the remains of deceased which still
in good preservation, led to examination under the
direction Of medical board, when 1t was found that
the stomach contained arsenic These in connection
with previous caused the arrest OF Mr.
Cook and primary examination before Iyers Phillips,
ESQ OF Ftchburg resulted in his committai to jail,
and subsequently the finding Of bill against him for
murder. The further history of this extraordinary
case be gathered from the evidence, portions Of
which give reported in the Worcester Telegraph.
Mrs. wARp (hIst witness)-Am q sister Of the de-
ceased remember her well; she WAS in good health
che had usually been on SaDps,n ternoon. the asy
this half hour after had seen her in the room
about her work. Mr.. Cook called me; went into the
bed ROOM found sister the bed In great DISTRESS
and trying to vomit; gave her some peppermint and
water she said she we'll when she sat down to sup
per- she in great distress at intervals and
wondered what could all her. she appeared different
from what she did before that afraid to stay
with~her and asked him to GO after my sister. Mrs
Lane; he said he did not want anything to do with
her; this about shutdown; he did not go after he
went to milking, went after her myself and she came
In the latter part of the evening after the deceased
had second distressed turn urged g. to so after
physician. He directed to 60 into the next room
and quiet the child, which crying; objected as
the room cold; be insisted and took the child
and laid down; afterwards heard Cook mix something
ar,nS ny ia o and her distress grew more
This about twelve o'clock went to her; he said
she ana had drunk some hot sling; urged
him TO get some assistance immediately ne soon after
went Mrs. Raymond; che came about two O'CLOCK,
and joined me in urging e. to go or pnysiS@n; lie
&C. but finally went for Or. Cutler who came about
I've O'clock and staid Til my sister died, which
about ten o'clock Monday morning, Soon
after the doctor came Mr. Cook went Tor help;
he came back after his wife dead bring
ing Miss Cynthia Metcsf; when he came In,
tod him Roxanna dead be followed to
the bed, and looked at her and fad. !uppose she
was ready In the afternoon, Mr. Cook consulted
in reference the funeral arrangements, and when
told there nothing in the house suitable for
STROUD he directed that Roxanna's wedding dress
should be used, which was done The funeral was
"Wednesday; had previously suggested to Mr.. Cook
post morte examination ought tc be made he said it
should not be done The body sveled considerably
after death; it deposited in my fathers tomb At
her death, she had $500 in money and notes had
heard something taid about his having part of it
this about three weeks before her death she
not willing to let him have any, she intimsted that
he had told her he wanted It for the last payment
his farm-the same reason he had given she had
furnished him money on former occasions. Were not
troubled with rats at Cooks house, during the winter
in which my sister died. He some time after showed
paper Of poison at fathers house sad he got il Of
Mr. Cook subseqSently married Miss Metcalf The
night after sister died, had occasion to go down
into the kitchen about IL O'Clock found the prisoner
sitting with Cynthia Metcalf | had said in the eve
ming that would get things ready for tae night, AID
retire to rest On the afternoon my sister taken
sick, heard Cook down cellar and draw cider
and afterwards go into my sisters room and ask her to
drink and see how sweet 1t was. (The witness said,
howe YER that she whether her knowlsdgs
of drinking was obtained above stated, whether
her sister, or Mr. Cook told her) Cook gave note
of about SIS for what he owed me the note was on
that due to Roxanna he gave the note soon after
her death.
forta hiatt tho had i'm Tad
in relation to finding Mr. Cook and Miss Metcalf in
company, on the light before mentioned, but had
known of NO intimacy having existed between them
Mrs. ABIGAIL LANE was the next witness She is the
wife Of Mrs. Cooks brother, and the same whom Mrs.
Ward called in on Sabbath evening. Her testimony
mainly corroborative ofsome portion of Mrs Wards
statements.
Dr.. CUTLER, the physician who called by Mr..
Cook, described the symptoms which ne discovered
when he saw Mrs. Cook; they were such would be
caused by arsenic though 1t did not occur to him then
home he met the prisoner retur ming with Miss Met
calf; told him his wife was dead but he made reply
DR. Cutler testified the examination Of the remains
last February; found the stomach in good pressrva
tom also other parts of the body He also test
Ned the presence OF arsenic to which owing the
preservation of the remains.
MIR HASTINGS the exton at Ashburnham, testified in
effect that he had noticed the swollen state Of the
body when put into the tomb; that it subsequently
became much swollen that the coffin split,
ths he said about five years after3 that he had
continued to notice the singular preserv alton of the
body, particularly about since, the occasion
of putting another body into the tomb
DR.. WEBSTER, Of Cambridge, testified to the chemical
animation Of the remains found upward of four
grains Of white arsenic part OF which he produced in
court of IL reduced metallic state; could not
how much would be required to produce death, and
doubted whether any physician could writer's have
stated all quantities, from one to te grains.
Dr. WEBSTER sta ed, the examn alton, that he
began the chemical analysis of the remains with the
who had been poisoned. The cross. examination
elected interesting and detailed account of the
various tests employed in the ans sis and the results
physician Of MIR Cook He testified the good health
OF Mrs Cook also that he had sold arsenic to the
prisoner, who said he wanted 1t to kali rats this
short time before her death Dr. Pierce also testified
Cook came out and asked if he bad sold him arsenic;
and, being answered in the affirmative, said Don't
Mr. KANE Of Sudbury testified having collected for
Mr. Cook in 1884 two of the notes that due his
wife.
The prisoner is about forty years Of age healthy,
robust looking man and appears with much proprety
in the court room.
[From the Boston Times
Mrs. Ward, the chief evde nee against Mr. Cook,
trial at Worcester for the murder OF his wife, had
out. According to correspondent of the Times, it
was in this wise -" That Mrs Cook murdered, and
that the murder discovered fourteen days after the
act committed She interprets days TO years,
and it discovered years after her death
that there poison in the body and there is suf
fcien evidence Of murder bring Cook trial she
judges part Of the dream as likely to be true as
a bas @ lo on hs
mind Of Mrs Ward preudical to the prisoners but the
court would not admit it on any ground"
The DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT UTrcA.-A hre was
discovered about 81 o'clock this morning IN the cell
lar of Owen ONes hardware store 81 Genesee street.
and, at the time, in email wooden building
cupied by Warwick and Bryan, the west side Of
Burchard street, nearly in the rear of Mr. O'Neips
store. BY the first Mr. ONes extensive copper, tin,
and fheetro manufactory: store and lcck factory,
entirely destroyed and from the latter the fire
spread along up Burohard into Hotel street. destroy
ing the city building occupied as the Common Coun
Gil and engine houses, aud considerably damag
ing the dwelling houses adjoining in the block. From
the Common Council room learn nothing
ed except Of the Mayors portraits all the city
records being destroyed The fire was obviously
the work Of an incendiary, and but for a drench.
ing rain which accompanied the high wind, would
have destroyed an immense amount Of property.
The hAmee subdued till AMER O'Clock, A M