The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-27
SOME INSURANCE GRIMES.
Prominent Cases in Which Victims
Were Murdered to Obtain the Poll
cies on Their Lives.
From the New York Herald.

London, May u, ls94-The Antwerp
poisoning mystery has caused not little
comment in London, as well as on the
continent, and much has been said upon
the subject of life insurance as an in
centive to murder. Various cases have
naturally been cited in connection with
II, among the more interesting OF which
is the great hugely poisoning case,
which will probably long remain as one
OF the most celebrated murder trials on
record. This is the story of il in brief
PALMER, TIE FAMOUS PRISONER
Some forty years ago there came to
Hugely. a small town in Northamptou-
shire, a young Cocior named William
Palmer. He had been somewhat given to
sport, and owed good deal OF money. He
married, Went TO church regularly every
Sunday, and was looked upon as an emf
nenty proper parsonage. Little by little,
however, he interes Jed himself again in
turf pursuits. He neglected his proIes-
sion, ana eventually be anne an owner and
breeder of Indifferent race horses. He
lost more or less heavily, and being on
more than one occasion unable to settle
his account at Tattersall's, was eventu-
ally refused admission TO those sacred
precincts. Then he took 10 the brandy
tottle, with the usual disastrous conse-
quences.
MURDER SERIES.
Palmer had a mother-in-law, one Mrs.
Thornton, who had some little money of
her own, to which his wife was the only
heir, and when, while on visit to her
daughter and her Son-in-law, she suddenly
died, the little windfall which resulted
to the Palmer household came in remark
ably handy for setting some of the most
pressing Liabilities of the master thereof.
One of his sporting friends, who had won
large sums from him, was taken suddenly
i'll, and, being attended professionally by
Palmer, was obliging enough to die. A
few months subsequently, Palmer became
a widower, his grief being somewhat
lightdned by the fact that he had provi-
dentially insured the poor womans life
for el3,0O few months beior her death.
Three months after his wite's death Wal
ter Palmer also passed away while being
professionally attended by his brother
William, who, curiouslY enough, had in-
sured his life for several thousand pounds.
This sum, however, the insurance COM
pany refused to pay, owing TO some irreg-
ularities connected with the policy.
Meanwhile Falmer's debts began to
worry him more than ever, and he was
forced to resort to a London bill dis
counter, who charged him something like
go per cent. per month for the accommo-
dalton.
DID IT ONCE TOO OFTEN.
1t was while in these circumstances
that Palmer found himself in close friend
ship with one j. p. Cooke. While he was
at the Shrewsbury races with Palmer,
staying at the same hotel and occupying
the same sitting room, Cookies horse,
Pole Star, won a small race, for which he
had been entered, and Cooke, who had
I'm cd han vii l,s anlf IA
something like $4,000 in his pocket. At
Worcester, the week before, he had won
something between 200 and 500
pounds, which were all to be
collected as usual at Tattersal's on
settling day. But Cooke was taken
so unfortunately i'll that he was unable
to attend to his own business, and Pal
mer, who was looking after him profess
sionally, travelled up TO London, spent
93, coo on his friends bhalf. He did not
mention the fact to Cooke when he re-
turned. Cooke had recovered slightly
during Palmer's absence in town, and
owing chiefly to the treatment of a
strange doctor, whom he had called in
Palmer, however. recommended his min
istrations, and twenty-four hours later
Cooke died in terrible agony.
Certain facts which transpired at the
inquest led to the arrest of Palmer and
at the trial, which occupied many days
and aroused the greatest interest
throughout England, it was indubitably
proved, not only that this young sporting
doctor had deliberately poisoned his COM
panion, first with anthony and subse-
quently with strychnine, in a most
cruelty deliberate manner, but had al
most as certainly done to death his
mother-in-law, in order to profit by their
deaths. need only add chat he was exc
cuted in Stafford jail in the year 1856
THE PRITCHARD CASE.
Some years later another celebrated
poisoning case was brought prominently
before the public by the arrest and trial
on Monday, July 3. 1865. of DR.. Pritchard,
physician holding respectable position
in Glasgow, on the charge of numbering
his wife and mother-in-law. For some
time previous TO her decease Mrs. Pritch-
ard had been in a delicate state Of health,
and her mothertMrs TAYLOR, had gone to
Glasgow to nurse her While so engaged
she was seized with illness, and died sud
denly, about three weeks previous to the
day on which Pritchard was appre-
hended. ApopleXy was assigned as the
cause, and as Mrs. Taylor was about 20
no public attention was awakened Mrs
Pritchard died shortly after her
mother, and report was circu-
lated that she was cut of by gas
trio fever. The deaths of the two
women occurring within so short an
interval of each other, coupled with
certain hints which they had received.
set the police on the alert, and as the
result of their inquiries warrant was
issued 1t appears from the notes Of the
trial that Pritchard had been administer.
ing anthony TO his unfortunate wife in a
slow, deliberate, and deadly manner for
long time before her death. She suffered
terribly, her symptoms being those found
in antimonial poisoning, viz, frequent
vomiting. retching and severe cramps
in the stomach in fact, incessant torture
night and day, gradually increasing I'M
der the deadly administration of skilled
poisoner. This man was, at the time, and
long previously, carrying on an intrigue
with one of his wite's servants At his
trial he preserved his sang froid to the
end, save when the sentence was pro-
nounced, and before being removed bowed
deeply to the Jury and the bench.
WOMEN WHO GAVE ARSENIC.
Some shocking revelations were made
during the hearing of the case of 'Queen
VS.. Flanagan and Higgins at the Liver
pool assiles, in February, 1884 Catha-
rine Flanagan and Margaret Higgins
were charged on the following indict-
ments; First-Of numbering timothy
the husband of the prisoner, in
October. 1888 Second-For numbering
Margaret Jennings, January, 1888. Third
For numbering John Flanagan, son of
the prisoner A fourth Indictment
charged the woman Higgins alone with