New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-31
BRITAIN.
From OR Own Correspondent.

lament, and little going on The great topic OF
the day is the trial of William Palmer-au event
which causes unparalleled interest from the mans
position. from the horrible nature of the charges,
and from the fact that poisoning seems to DO
especially the crime of the day. There is, no
doubt. fashion in crimes as in everything else.
They vary according TO the periods. Science is
active, and is always being diiiused in books; and
hence the fatal effects of drugs are easy to learn,
as also the difficulty of investigating into those
effects. Beside this, what with railways and the
telegraph, no man can hope to escape mdetected
after riolent crime. Again consider the new
temptations afforded by Insurance, and it becomes
clear that given criminal Tin every age heis much
the same fellow)-secret poisoning lie probable
way in which he will go to work. This is so widely
felt, and such suspicious stories have been set
aoat by Insurance Companies, that We all feel that
Pamers case is great representative affair. The
common public think him guilty, and fear if he gets
off through scientific difficulties that it will be all
announcement to murderers in posse. Lawyers
think that the case W i'll be difficult, delicate and
refned-which is their interest in the matter; and
| know that at consultations up TO the very time oil
the trial both sic were confident of success so.
dltOgttntT, IHt tEldi btSnu oh NcuhcsN"t wiz
tremendous interest on all hands; and it fills whole
sheets of the papers. The Lord Chief Justice pre-.
sides. and every circle of the building is crammed
with spectators from Lord Derby and Lord Grey,
down. The prisoner was racing man, and sup"
pose Lord Derby who is o racing man too, feels
kind OF philosophical interest in seeing how the case
GOES. Your readers, in the absence OF political
news will not be sorry TO hear how it proceeds,
either.
Palmer YOU have no doubt heard was staff
ordshire surgeon, living in Rugeey there of decent
middle-class education and position. lie don't
look villain, but is an ordinary.looking, ruddy
man. with good forehead, too, and somewhat
coarse and plausible in air. The family seem to
have been rather bad tot as people say, In their
private lives. He himself was not remarkable
one way or the other, belieye-rather popular,
ipdeed-a shrewd, clever surgeon, fond OF the
turf He kept racers, betted, Knocked about En'
gland among the same class of men, and lattery
only "practiced" little apparently The charge
Oh which he is now being tried (there are others
in reserve is for the murder OF one of his intimate
friends-anOther sporting man OF the same class
in life-John Parsons Cook. He is accused of
poisoning him at Rugeley in November last, with
anthony and with strychnine.
1t is quite certain that Palmer's money affairs
were desperate. Cook had just made ''hit,'
and il is supposed not only had money in his pos
session, but had claims against Palmer. In No
yemDer tlPy were DOtH al hukcltg tOSCtucib 'ho
usual intimate terms-COOk at the Talbot Arms
Inn, Palmer running in and out TO see him, and
having him quite under his control obviously FOR
Cook was weak, foolish Creatures kind
of mild " fast man'-not debauched but
man of pleasure--and obviously felt that Palmers
was the stronger nature. This is kind OF rela-
ton that one sees every day between this Kind OF
men-something like that between Sir Mulberry
Hawk and Verisopht. Well, it comes out In the
evidence already heard-the hotel servants and
local surgeons evidence-that Palmer acted at
once as " chum" and as surgeon to poor Cook;
carried pills to him. or BROTH or brandy and water
as the case might be; that Cook was taken SICK
after some broth 80 carried land which turned sick
a servant also who tasted it); that after being sick
he was seized one night with terrible commissions;
that again Palmer was with him. that next night
he was again seized with commissions, and 30 died
Palmer is throughout on the scene-before the
sickness, before the cOnvulsiOns before the DEATH
Palmer has abundant opportunities Palmer's
visits suit the times, and Palmer is known to have
books on poisoning, and to buy poison. On tho
other hand, if the man did not die by poison, how
did he die Not, say the doctors, by epilepsy or
apoplexy, but with all the symptoms of tetanus,
which is a known result of strychnine. The man
being dead, Palmer is about the room, and money
and betting. book disappear. The man being dis
sected, Palmer endeavOrs to prevent the jar con-
tanning part of the body from reaching London
safely. Here surely, are number of crcum.
stances oil pointing 10 Palmer's guilt. Of course,
you will understand that mine, too, is most bar
rem summary of what, in its abridged form, in a
newspaper even fills lanes of type. The defense,
hear is to consist Of minute medical evidence as
to the nature of tetanus and as 10 the appearances
on dissection. There are fears expressed that oil
this will bewilder and dazzle the jury; but then
the lawyers prepared for ii, and Campbell will
sum up, no doubt, with special eye to making it
all ineligible. If the man escapes in the case Of
Cook, there are the cases of MS brother aud bis
wife waiting for him; and should he escape the
law / fancy he would have a scratch T. escape the
pOpuace. But scarcely think he will escape the
law, and am sure he will have fair trial. In
deed, it is a spectacle of no common dgnity-the
grand care of everybody to be impartial. Thisitis
which gives reverence 10 law and security to life and
i ana quite cure that of the two parties, criminal
ard society, criminal in England has now the best
Glance, generally speaking BY the way, l have
an aDecdOte apropos of Palmer and Rugeley When
the affair first came out newspaper men swarmed
in Staordsbre to ferret out the story and all con-
nected with it. Among these very clever radi-
cal writer well known for his democratic opinions.
who attended there for a distinguished weekly
paper. 1t so happened that one day he was in
shop in the town. when the respectable clergyman
of the place dropped in, and seeing stranger,
naturally began to talk of the great topic OF the
time and place. Horrible event, thls, Sire it,
quite carries US back to the days of BOfgia|-
'What did be do ?" growled the Radical. "Poi-
soned three cardinals" answered the parson.
Thank God :" was the feryent response OF =,
which must have shocked the reverend gentleman
a Good DEAL record this Bit of character, be-
cause nowadays the talking class par e1ee1ence-'
viz, literary men about t0wn-rarely talk either
with character or point. Character IS rare, ana
81 fan a