The Sun. — 1856-06-30 (London, England)

THE. RUGELEY POISONINGS.  STAFFORD, JUNE 28. It will aff }l'd some satisfaction to the public to be made aware of the fact that since the execution of the notorious criminal William Palmer, certain facts have become known which leave very little doubt that shortly before his execution the prisoner virtually made an admission that he was not only guilty of the murder of the unhappy man, J. P. Cook, but also of those of his wife and brother. There appears to be little doubt that but for the extraordinary privilege that was granted to the culprit of having his relations, and indeed almost any one he desired to seehitn, continually with him, and even to the most enreaeouable hour', his brothers and slater, and— Mr. Smith, his solicitor, not having left the prison tintiV half-past 12 o'clock on the very morning of his exechtion, the plisorer Avotill have had better opportunities for tlinking senior sky of his position, and the result would perhaps have been that he would have made a full confession. From first to last his relations professed an entire belief in his intioceuce, and it will be readily under., stood that tuis was annulated to-induce a man like Palmer to persevere in a course of deception. It appears that the Rev. Mr. Goodacre, the chaplain •of the pri=on, had kept h joharnal of everything that bad occurred between hirus,elf arid the prisoner. This jour wk.]. was of a-private nature- and no one was allowed to see it but the visiting justices. Only a small portion o the contents of this journal has been made public, but this is quite sufficient to surp,rt the statement that the wretehed man did virtually snake a confession of his guilt shottly befUre his execution ; and other portions of the journal would, if they were wade public, entirely confirm this statontent. _  Although, g9nerally speaking, Palmer exhibited a good deal of firmness during his confinement at Stafford,it would seem that occasio: alit' he exhibited violent paroxysms of grief, and at times he was in a most depressed and melancholy condition ; and this was paid-cularly the case when any allusion was made to his wife or his brother Walter. Early on the morning of the Friday, the day preceding the ex,,cution of the prisoner, the chaplain bad been c•mversing with hifn in a most serious manner, earnestly icnpres,ing upon him the short oPrimi of existence that remained to him, and urging  the vital necessity, in his then position, of evincing sincere repentance of the crimes he had committed in this world. The prisoner appeared a good deal affected. He was lying upon the bed in his cell, arid he cud tenly raised himself up, and, addressing the chaplain, said, "Then it will not be enough to save my sent to confess to this murder (Cook's), but I must also confess to the murder of my wee and my brother." The chaplain, amazed at the observation of the prisoner, inquirsd of him whether he was to understand that he admitted heaving committed those crimes. Palmer made no reply, but heaved a deep sigh, thrust his head tinder the bad clothes, so as to.coneeal himself from observation, and burst into aflood of tears. •We believe it may he stated in the meat ,po-itive manner that the prisoner made other admissions of a still stronger character, but the authorities of the gaol do not feel justified in allowing them-to be made public without the sanction of the visiting justices. • TI a interest taken in this remarkable case appears to have very far from subsided in the neighbourhood wherethe crimp was committed. Auumber of strangers almost daily visit Rugeley, and the late te,idenceof the prisoner, that of his mother, and the grave of p )orCook, are the chief objeute of attention. Two yew trees mark the spot where lie the mouldering remains of the murdered man, and they have been so stripped of their branches by curious visitors that the parish officers have issued a notice that legal proceedings will be taken against any person detected in committing damage. To-day (Monday) and to-morrow there will actually be special trains for Rugeley from the Potteries, and what is called the "bleak o-nintry," for the express purpose of enabling persons to visit the scenes of the murder !  The Obseiver states that the twelve tradesmen who  formed Pal-ner'. jury have inetuorialised the Lords of .the Treaiury for koine compensation being allowed them br the loss they sustained in being kept away from their respective businesses during the protracted trial of Palmer at the Central Criminal Clurt.