The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-06-30
'CBf 9ailg 5onrnal
THE PALMER P0IsoNINGS.


er in the same manner. The horrible Grim,
thus brought to light have caused as much e,
icitement in England as was created in tn
countrY by the PaIkman murder or the tri
lof Matt Ward. We find in the New Yor
Times the following condensed account Vi th
facts connected with the Palmer crimes:
Taking Turtles as they usually CO. Palme
was not reTolting specimen of his order, an
was rather held as good fellow among hi
sect. He certainly wore none of those exter
lor marks with which nature usually brand
great criminals. He was above the middl
size, rather fat and always dressed with an al
OF professional fashion, wearing usually bot
tie green cut-away, and drab trousers button
led closely round the boot. His hair. whicl
was thin, was combed smoothly over his brow
and his face, though somewhat bloated anc
sensual, had an expression of fresh and care
less bonhomme. 70 use his own stable par
lance, he had a look of being well groomed-
On the occasion of one of his horses (Goldfind-
Ier) winning the Chester cup, in 1853, he was
called on to acknowledge the toast of the
winner at the ordinary, in the evening, where
many of the leading young nobility were pres
ent. and he acquitted himself with case and
ability. of all Information connected with his
stable he was generous, particularly those OF
his own neighborhood, in whose hands he fire.
quently placed opportunities of making money;
and was, on the whole. a decided favorite.
To those not acquainted with the Turfman's
Bible, his betting book, Palmer would appear
to have been a winner by his racing specula-
tions. On more than one occasion he has won
large stakes, and with them large bettings.-
1t would seem. however, that at the start,
having, like all tyros, to pay for his expert
hah hao hax, Il
In these straits he adopted the course usually
resorted to on the turf, and had recourse to a
notorious uSurer named Pratt, who resides
in Queen street. May Fair, London, and from
the bourne of usurer's grip no traveller ever
returns. Gas WE'LL" exclaimed the English
Attorney General, Sir Arthur Cockb burn, who
could speak from personal experience in the
matter, appeal for mercy to a rabid tiger as
to usurer." Escape is impossible. The usu-
rer's grip is one of those gates by which you
can easily enter, but which does not admit
you backward. The interest usually charged
by these uSurer's IS twenty per cent for three
months, or eighty per cent per annum. The
principal in this way is usually repaid in about
nine months. All that follows is gain, and
so enormous sums have been those gains that
the parties conducting this traffic in the blood,
and heart, and honor of the youth of Eng
land have risen from poverty to enormous
wealth. and live in costly palaces, surrounded
by the most gorgeous appliances of luxuriant
art. By the evidence of Pratt it would seem
that he only charged sixty per cent per an
mum. which was unusually moderate for one
of the trade.
In '53, Palmer commenced transactions
with this Mr.. Usurer Pratt, through the in
strumentality of a Mr.. Smith. celebrated
lawyer of Birmingham and Ruglay, well
known for his coarse, unscrupulous ability in
criminal cases, and who has played part in
these poisoning cases, second only to Palmer
in guilt. In about year, Palmer became
involved. and found hiL1 elf with
mass of forged bills becoming due, without
any resource to meet them.
When in this condition, some such horrible
idea as that he afterwards carried out, appears
to have stolen over his senses, and he selected
as his victim his own wife. who, when ward
with considerable fortune, had married him
against the wishes of all her connections, and
and been to him true and loving mate. He
had insured her life for Fla, 900, and as no one
can for moment question, on reading the ev
idence, poisoned her, as he subseq pois- |
oned Cooke. The insurance was paid, hand
ed over to Pratt. and the difficulties for time, |
averted.
Analysis of the. heart say that in murder,
IS in other crimes, it is but the first step which
nficts the agony. That once taken, habit
makes even murder of light moment-some-
times even a passion, like opium or drink. Af-
ter his wife came his brother, whose life was
insured also for Els, 900, and who was made
away with by similar desperate effort to Sc
cure a similar resource. In the case of his
brother Walter, the Grand Jury threw out
The bills for murder, chiefly from flaws in the
medical evidence, and from the Incorporate
habits of the men, which made his sudden
leath from natural causes possible and even
probable. There can be now no question that
ne too was poisoned. A proposal for insur-
ance on his life for $1,000 had been altered to
el3,00O, and effected without his knowledge.
He was then placed in the charge of crea-
.ure of Palmer, who continued in his room to the
1our of his death His symptoms were prov
i'd to be precisely similar to those of Mrs. Pal
ner, and subsequently ofCooke, and his death
was compassed just in time to satisfy the de-
nands of Pratt. If the officers had but paid
this $4,000 for which Walter Palmer's lie
had been insured, the Rugeley poisoning cases
might have been never heard OF.
But here that mysterious spirit which ap-
pears to follow the murderer and clutches him
even before he reaches the grave, stepped
On the occasion of his first poi
soning. he contrived to elude the suspicion of
his own relatives or the public, but the death
of the brother following so close upon that of
his wife naturally reused suspicion, which
to insure the life of groom of his,
named Bates, for no less sum than f25, 900,
and the false representations which accompa-
MED it, naturally increased, and they declined
TO pay over the amount to Palmer.
The usurers rapidly grew importunate.-
Pratt held acceptances to the extent of3ll,5oo,I
every one of which had been forged by Palmer