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    , AAt, U5B aMADB B. [No. 3&1, Saturday, ...

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    tMUa due at the . end of the month . On the 6 th of October Se ' again wrote to Palmer , respecting the bills , and alao , on tfce 10 th , 18 th , and 22 nd of , Qctober . In the last-men" tioned jitter he acknowledged the receipt of 260 / ., and added that with the exception of issuing writs for the amount remaining due against the prisoner ' s mother , no proceedings as to service should be taken until the morn-L « f Saturday , the 10 th of November , when the prisoner should send up * L 000 / . or 1500 / . On the 6 th of November it appears that two writs were issued tor 4000 / . —one against Palmer and the other against his mother ; but , on the same day , Pratt wrote to say that , although he had sent two writs to his agent , Crabbe , they should not be served' until he sent further directions : and he strongly urged the prisoner to make

    immediate arrangements for the bill of 1500 / . that was coming due on the 9 th of the month . Palmer then paid 300 ? ., and , having before paid two sums of 250 / ., the entire payments amounted to 800 / ., from which 200 / ., for two months' discount , having been deducted , left 600 ? . to be applied to payment of the first bill for 2000 / ., becoming due on the 25 th of October ; and after payment of that sum of 6001 . there remained due on that bill a sum of 1400 / . On the 14 th of November , the day on which Polestar ( Cooke ' s horse ) won the Shrewsbury , there was another letter urging the prisoner to make up the sum of 10007 ., without which it would be impossible to renew the bill for 1500 / 1 due on the 9 th . That was the state of things

    in which the prisoner was placed on the 13 th of November . They would find that Pratt held at that time 12 , 500 / . worth of the prisoner ' s bills in his hands , minus the 600 / ., leaving nearly 11 , 000 / . worth of bills , the whole of which bore the forged acceptance of Palmer ' s mother—forged by him , or some , other person by his directioDs , and for which he was criminally as well as pecuniarily liable . The Prince of Wales Office declined to pay the sum for which his brother's life was insured , and Pratt , who held the policy as a collateral security , could no longer renew the bills , and therefore had issued writs against the mother , which were forthwith to be served if Palmer did not find the means of paying off * a portion of the demand made by Pratt , on behalf of himself and his clients .

    The circumstances attending the races at Shrewsbury last November , and the subsequent death of Cooke , were then related by the Attorney-General ; but with these our readers are so well acquainted that they need not be repeated , with the exception of an incident which occurred on the morning of the death , when—Palmer went to the shop of a certain Mr . Hawkings , a druggist , at Rugeley . He had not dealt with him for two years before , it being his practice during that period to purchase such drugs as he required from Mr . Thirlby , a former assistant of Mr . Hawkings , who bad set up in business for himself . But on this day Palmer went to Mr . Hawkings's shop , and , producing a bottle , informed the assistaat that he wanted two drachms of prussic

    acid . While it was being prepared for him , Mr . Newton , the same man from whom he had on a former occasion obtained strychnine , came into the shop , whereupon Palmer seized him by the arm , and , observing that he had something particular to say to him , hurried him into the street , where he kept talking to him on a matter of the smallest possible importance , relating to the precise period at which his employer's son meant to repair to a farm he had taken in the country . They continued to converse on this trivial topic until a gentleman named Brassington ( or Grassington ) came up , whereupon Mr . Newton turned aside to say a few words to him , Palmer , relieved by this accident , went back into the shop , and asked , in addition , for six grains of strychnine and a certain quantity of Batley ' s liquor of opium . He obtained them , paid for them , and went away .

    The incidents connected with Palmer s visit to a Mr . Herring , a sporting man , at his residence in Beaufort-buildings , Strand , Ijondon , during the illness of Cooke , may be reproduced for the sake of some additional details : — Immediately on seeing Palmer , Herring inquired after Cooke ' s health . " Oh , " said Palmer , " he is all right ; his medical man has given him a dose of calomel , and recommended him not to come out , and what I want to see you about is the settling of his accounts . " Monday , it appears , was settling-day at Tattersall ' s , and it was necessary that all accounts should bo squared . Cooke ' s usual agent for effecting that arrangement was a person named Fisher , and it seems not a little singular that

    Cooke should not have told Palmer why Fisher should not have been employed on this as on all similar occasions . On this point , however , Palmer offered no explanation . He was himself a defaulter , and could not show at Tattersall ' s . He produced a piece of paper , which he said contained a list of tho sums which Cooke was entitled to receive , and ho mentioned tho names of the different persons who were indebted to Cooke , and the amounts for which they wore respectively liable . Herring held out his hand to take tho paper , but Palmer said , " No , I will keep thin document ; here is another piece of papor ; write down what I read to you , and what I have hero I will retain , S it will be a check against you . " Ho then dictated tho names of tho various persons with tho sums for which

    they were liable . Herring pbseryed that it amounted to 1020 / . " Very well , " Baid Palmer , " pay yourself 6 / ., Shelly , 30 / ., and if you see Bull , tell him Cooke will pay him on Thursday or Friday . And now , " he added , " how much do you make the balance ? " Herring replied that he made it 984 / . Palmer replied that that -was right , and then went on to say , " I will give you 16 / ., which will make it 1000 / . Pay yourself the 200 / . that I owe you for my bill ; pay Padwick 350 / ., and Pratt 450 / . " So we have it here established beyond all controversy , that Palmer did not hesitate to apply Cooke ' s money to the payment of his ( Palmer's ) own debts . With regard to the debt due to Mr . Padwick , I am assured that it represents moneys won by that

    gentleman , partly from Cooke , and partly from Palmer , but that Mr . Padwick held Palmer to be the responsible party , and looked to him for payment . The debt to Pratt was Palmer ' s own affair . Such is the state of things as regards the disposition of the money . Palmer desired Herring to send cheques to Pratt and Padwick at once , and without waiting to draw the money from Tattersall ' s . To this Herring objected , observing that it would be most injudicious to send the cheques before he was sure of getting the money . "Ah , well , " said Palmer , " never mind , it is all right ; but , come what will , Pratt must be paid , for his claim is on account of a bill of sale for a mare . " Finding it impossible to overcome Herring's objection to send the cheques until he had got the money at Tattersall's , Palmer then proceeded to settle some

    small betting transactions between himself and that gentleman amounting to 5 / ., or thereabouts . He pulled out a 50 / . note , and Herring , not having the full change , gave him a cheque for 20 / . They then parted , Palmer directing him to send down word of his proceedings either to him ( Palmer ) or to Cooke . With this injunction Herring complied , and I shall prove in the course of the trial that the letters he wrote to Cooke were intercepted by the postmaster at Rugeley . Not having received as much as he expected at Tattersall ' s , Herring was unable to pay Padwick the 350 / ., but it is not disputed that he paid 450 / . to Pratt . On the same day , Palmer went himself to the latter gentleman and paid him other moneys , consisting of 30 / . in notes and the cheque for 20 / . w hich he had received from Herring .

    The circumstances following the death of Cooke were thus related by the Attorney-General : — On the 25 th of November , Palmer sent for Cheshire ( the postmaster at Rugeley ) , and , producing a paper , purporting to bear the signature of Cooke , asked him to attest it . Cheshire glanced over it . It was a document in which Cooke acknowledged that certain bills to the amount of 4000 / ., or thereabouts , were bills that had been negotiated for his ( Cooke ' s ) benefit , and in respect of which Palmer had received no consideration . Such was the paper to which forty-eight hours after the death of the man whose name it bore Palmer did not hesitate to ask Cheshire to be an attesting witness . Cheshire , though , unfortunately for himself , too much the slave

    of Palmer , peremptorily refused to comply with this request ; whereupon Palmer carelessly observed , " It is of no consequence ; I dare say the signature will not be disputed , but it occurred to me that it would look more regular if it were attested . On Friday , Mr . Stevens , Cooke ' s father-in-law , came down to Rugeley , and , after viewing the body of his relative , to whom he had been tenderly attached , asked Palmer about his affairs . Palmer assured him that he held a paper drawn up by a lawyer , and signed by Cooke , stating that , in respect of 4000 / . worth of bills , he ( Cooke ) was alone liable , and that Palmer had a claim to that amount against his estate . Mr . Stevens expressed his amazement , and replied that there would not be 4000 shillings for the holders of tho bills .

    Subsequently Palmer displayed an eager officiousness in the matter of the funeral , taking upon himself to order a shell and an oak coffin without any directions to that effect from the relatives of tho deceased , who were anxious to have the arrangements in their own hands . Mr . Stevens ordered dinner at the hotel for Bamford , Jones , and himself , and , finding Palmer still hanging about him , thought it but civil to extend the invitation to him . Accordingly they all sat down together . After dinner , Mr . Stevens asked Jones to step up-stairs and bring down all books and papers belonging to Cooke . Jones loft the room to do so , and Palmer followed him . They were absent about ton minutes , and on their return Jonos observed that they were unable to find the bettingbook or any of tho papers belonging to the deceased . Palmer added , " The botting-book would be of no use to

    you if you found it , for tho beta are void by his death . " Mr . Stevens replied , " Tho book must bo found ; " and then Palmer , changing his tone , said , " Oh , I dare say it will turn up . " Mr . Stevens then rang tho bell , and told tho housekeeper to toko charge of whatever books and papers had belonged to Cooke , and to bo sure not to allow any one to meddle with them until ho came back from London , which he would booh do , with his Holicitor . Ho then departed , but , returning to Rugoloy after a brief interval , declared his intention to huvo a post mortem examination , l ' ulmor volunteered to nominate tho surgeons who should conduct it , but Mr . Stoven . refused to employ nny one whom ho should recommend . On Sunday , tho 26 th , Palmer called on Dr . Bumford , and nuked him for a certificate attesting the causo of Cooko ' a death . Tho doctor expressed his surprise , and observed , " Why , ho was your patient . " But Palmer

    importuned him , and Bamford , taking the pen , filled up the certificate , and entered the cause of death as " apoplexy . " Dr . Bamford is upwards of eighty , and I hope that it is to some infirmity connected with his great age that this most unjustifiable act is to be attributed . However , he shall be produced in court , and he will tell you that apoplexy has never been known to produce tetanus . In the course of the day , Palmer sent for Newton , and after they had had some brandy-and-water , asked him how much strychnine he would use to kill a dog ? Newton replied , " From half a grain to a grain . " "And how much , " inquired Palmer , " would be found in the tissues and intestines after death ? " "None at all , " was Newton ' s reply ; but thisis a point on which I will produce important evidence .

    The body was exhumed , and was found to be for the most part healthy ; but in the January of the present year another examination was made , at which the conduct of Palmer ( who was present ) was very extraordinary . On the occasion of the first examination—Dr . Harland was joined by Palmer , whom he knew as a medical man , and he said , " What , Palmer , is this case—I hear that there is a suspicion of poison ? " " Oh , no , " replied Palmer , "he had epileptic fits on Monday and Tuesday night , and you will find an old disease both

    in the heart and in the head . " Then they went on to Baniford's , where the medical men were assembled . Here Palmer made this observation— " There is a queer old man , his ( meaning deceased ' s ) father-in-law , making inquiries—his conduct seems very strange—I don't know what he wants . " Among the medical men present was Mr . Newton , and , as they were leaving Dr . Baniford ' s , Palmer made this observation to him" This will be a dirty job , and I shall go and get a drop of brandy ; the poor fellow was full of disease—his heart was diseased . "

    Dr . Bamford on this occasion clung to the opinion he had previously expressed ( perhaps under the influence of Palmer ) that there was congestion of tlie brain ; but the other medical men unanimously dissented from this . On the second examination in January—The body was exhumed to see if there was any injury to the spinal marrow and cord to account for death ; but the two or three medical men who then examined the body found both in a perfectly healthy condition , and they also discovered that though the muscles of the trunk had lost their rigidity , those of the arms , fingers , and legs still retained theirs . The prisoner's attention was directed to the fact that

    there was no unhealthy appearance indicative of any inflammation or injury to certain parts , and he turned round to Dr . Bamford , and used more than once the remarkable expression , " Doctor , they won ' t hang us yet . " The stomach and intestines were taken out of the body , and the contents were placed in a jar . An accident happened while that was being done . Mr . Devonshire , being a young practitioner , did not perform these things in the most skilful manner . He ruptured something , and was obliged to tie it up with a string , and in doing so he happened to turn a portion of the stomach inside out , and to mix different matters together . While this was being done , the prisoner unnecessarily pushed against him , bo much so as to cause a remark by those who were

    present . When the stomach and intestines had been placed in the jar , the jar was covered over with two skins , and tied down by Dr . Harland , and then placed on one side while that gentleman turned his attention to the rest of the examination , but a minute afterwards he happened to turn round , and saw that the jar had disappeared . He immediately called out , " Where is the jar ? " and then every one ' s notice was directed to a room at some distance off . The prisoner answered from a door , " I have got it . I thought you could more conveniently put your hand upon it if I placed it here . " He was requested to bring back the jar immediately , and he did so , and it was found that two slits had been made through the double skins with a knife .

    Whatever his intention was ho would not venture to say , but if he wished to let out some of the contents of the jar he fuilcd in that object , for the slits were perfectly clean , and nothing had passed through them . These circumstances in tho conduct of tho mini were important when they came to consider tho external indications of hi . s innocence or guilt . He told Bamford that he did not think tho medical men oufiht to bo allowed to take away tho jar , adding , " Who knows what they will put , in it ? " If he had been an ignorant man , not familiar with tho course pursued on such occasions , thorn mi # ht have . been Home reason in hi . s entertaining a biispicion of that kind ; but it certainly did kcmh singular that a medical man should have ho little reliance in the honour and

    integrity of reapectnblo members of his own profession as to sunpect that they would tamper with nny portion of tho body which wn . s taken away for nnnlyzution . It would be for tho jury to say whether that anxiety to ntop tho jnr being removed was not mi indication of u guilty conscience . But tho matter did not stop hens . Tho jar was Hcalod up , and delivered to tho clerk ol Mr . ( Jnrdner , tho solicitor at . Hugoloy , in a Htalo inwlncli it could not bo tampered with , yet the prisoner was in tho highest state of anxiety IohL it Hhould «»<>•• reach its destination . Ho found that Stovon . s , tho father-inlaw , and Gardner ' s clerk , > vuro going away " <• n'S "

    , Aat, U5b Amadb B. [No. 3&1, Saturday, ...

    , AAt , U 5 B aMADB B . [ No . 3 & 1 , Saturday , JWiv ' '

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 17, 1856, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17051856/page/4/