Mrs. Ann Brooks, examined by the Attorney-General: I live at Manchester. I am in the habit of attending races. I was at Shrewsbury Races in November, 1855. I saw Palmer there. On the 14th (Wednesday), about eight o’clock in the evening, I met him in the street, and asked him whether he thought his horse Chicken would win? He desired me, if I heard anything further about a horse belonging to Lord Derby, which was also to run, to call and tell him on the following day. I went to the Raven to see him at half-past ten o’clock on the Thursday evening. Some friends waited for me in the road. I went upstairs, and asked a servant to tell Palmer that I wished to speak to him. The servant said he was there. At the top of the stairs there are two passages, one facing the other, to the left. I saw Palmer standing by a small table in the passage. He had a tumbler-glass in his hand, in which there appeared to be a small quantity of water. I did not see him put anything into it. There was a light between him and me, and he held it up to the light. He said to me, “I will be with you presently.” He saw me the moment I got to the top of the stairs. He stood at the table a minute or two longer with the glass in his hand, holding it up to the light once or twice, and now and then shaking it. I made an observation about the fineness of the weather. The door of a sitting-room, which I supposed was unoccupied, was partially open, and he went into it, taking the glass with him. In two or three minutes he came out again with the glass. What was in the glass was still the colour of water. He then carried it into his own sitting-room, the door of which was shut. He afterwards came out, and brought me a glass with brandy-and-water in it. It might have been the same glass. I had some of the brandy-and-water. It produced no unpleasant consequences. We had some conversation about the races. In the course of it he said he should back his own horse, Chicken. I was present at the race, when Chicken ran and lost.
Cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant Shee.—I am married. Brooks is the name of my husband. He never goes with me to races. I live with him. I don’t attend many races in the course of a year. My husband has a high appointment, and does not sanction my going to races. A great number of racing men were ill at Shrewsbury on the Wednesday. There was a wonder as to what had caused their illness, and something was said about the water being poisoned. People were affected by sickness and purging. I knew some persons who were so affected. The passage in which I saw Palmer holding the glass led to a good many rooms. I think it was lighted by gas. I supposed that he was mixing some cooling drink.
Re-examined: I was not examined before the Coroner. The brandy-and-water which Palmer gave me was cold. I had been on friendly terms with him. I had known him a number of years as a racing man.
Lavinia Barnes, examined by Mr. E. James: In November, 1855, I was a waitress at the Talbot Arms. I knew Palmer and Cook. Cook called there on the 12th (Monday) as he was going to the races. He did not complain of illness. I saw him when he returned on the 15th. On the Friday he came between nine and ten o’clock in the evening, after dining with Palmer. He spoke to me. He was sober. On the Saturday I saw him twice. Some broth was sent over and taken up to him by me. He could not take it; he was too sick. I carried it down and put it into the kitchen. I afterwards saw Palmer, and told him Cook was too sick to take it. Palmer said he must have it. Elizabeth Mills afterwards took it up again. She was taken ill with violent vomiting on the Sunday, between twelve and one o’clock. She went to bed, and did not come down stairs till four or five o’clock. I saw some broth on that day in the kitchen. It was in a “sick-cup,” with two handles, not belonging to the house. I did not see it brought. The cup went back to Palmer’s. On the Monday morning, between seven and eight o’clock, I saw Palmer. He told Mills he was going to London. I also saw Cook during the day. Sandars came to see him, and I took him up some brandy-and-water. I slept that night in the next room to Cook’s. Palmer came between eight and nine o’clock in the evening, and went up-stairs, but I did not see whether he went into Cook’s room. About twelve o’clock I was in the kitchen, when Cook’s bell rang violently. I went up-stairs. Cook was very ill, and asked me to send for Palmer. He screamed out “Murder!” He exclaimed that he was in violent pain—that he was suffocating. His eyes were wild-looking, standing a great way out of his head. He was beating the bed with his arms. He cried out, “Christ, have mercy on my soul!” I never saw a person in such a state. Having called up Mills, I left to send “Boots” for Palmer. Palmer came, and I again went into the room. Cook was then more composed. He said, “Oh, doctor, I shall die.” Palmer replied, “Don’t be alarmed, my lad.” I saw Cook drink a darkish mixture out of a glass. I don’t know who gave it to him. I both saw and heard him snap at the glass. He brought up the draft. I left him between twelve and one o’clock, when he was much more composed. On the Tuesday he seemed a little better. At night, a little before twelve o’clock, the bell rang again. I was in the kitchen. Mills went up stairs. I followed her, and heard Cook screaming, but did not go into the room. I stood outside the door and saw Palmer come. He had been fetched. I said as he passed me: “Mr. Cook is ill again.” He said, “Oh, is he?” and went into the room. He was dressed in his usual manner, and wore a black coat and a cap. I remained on the landing when Palmer came out. As he went down stairs, Mills asked him how Cook was? He said to her and to me, “He is not so bad by fifty parts as he was last night.” I heard Cook ask to be turned over before I went in, while Palmer was there. I went in after Palmer had left, but I came out before Cook died.
After he died on the Tuesday I went into the room and found Palmer with a coat in his hand. He was clearing out the pockets of the coat and looking under the bolster. I said, “Oh! Mr. Cook can’t be dead!” Palmer said, “He is. I knew he would be,” and then left the room. I saw him on the Thursday following. He came into the body of the hall, and asked for the key of Mr. Cook’s bedroom, in which the body was lying. The key was in the bar. He said he wanted some books and papers and a paperknife, for they were to go back to the stationer’s, or else he would have to pay for them. I went with him into the room. He then requested me to go to Miss Bond for some books. I went downstairs and fetched the books. When I returned he was still in the room looking for the paperknife on the top of the chest of drawers among books, papers, and clothes. He said, “I can’t find the knife anywhere.” Miss Bond, the housekeeper, afterwards came up, and I left. On the Friday, between 3 and 4 o’clock, I saw Mr. Jones with Palmer. Jones said he thought Palmer knew where the betting-book was. Palmer asked me to go and look for it, and said it was sure to be found, but it was not worth anything to any one but Cook. Mills and I went up to look for it, but we could not find it. We searched everywhere, in the bed and all round the room, but not in the drawers. We went down and told Palmer and Jones that we could not find it. Palmer said, “Oh, it will be found somewhere. I’ll go with you and look myself.” He did not go with us, but left the house. I did not see him come out of the room on the Thursday. There was no reason for our not looking in the drawers. Some people were in the room at the time nailing the coffin.
Cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant Shee.—Cook had some coffee on the Saturday between 12 and 1. I did not pay any particular attention to the time when Palmer went up on the Monday. I am not sure it was before half-past 9, but I am sure it was before 10. I don’t remember whether Cook touched the glass from which he drank the mixture. I think some one else was holding it. There was some of Cook’s linen in several of the drawers. There was a portmanteau containing other things besides those in the drawers. There were dress clothes, an overcoat, and morning clothes. The door was locked on the night of the death. The women were sent for to lay out the corpse before it was light. The undertaker went on the following morning, and the door was locked after they left. They came again on the Thursday night, had the key, and went up by themselves. The body was put into the coffin the day Stevens was there. The women were in the room with the undertakers when I looked for the book.
Re-examined by the Attorney-General.—The chamber-maid and I were in and out of the room while the women were laying out the body, but they were sometimes left alone. I saw nothing of the book at that time. I had seen it before in Cook’s hand, but I don’t remember seeing it in the room.
Ann Rowley, examined by Mr. Welsby.—I live at Rugeley, and have frequently been employed as charwoman by Palmer. On the Saturday before Cook died Palmer sent me to Mr. Robinson’s, at the Albion Inn, for a little broth for Cook. I fetched the broth, took it to Palmer’s house, and put it to the fire in the back kitchen to warm. After doing so, I went about my work in other parts of the house. When the broth was hot, Palmer brought it to me in the kitchen, and poured it into a cup. He told me to take it to the Talbot arms for Cook, to ask if he would take a little bread or toast with it, and to say that Smith had sent it.
By Lord Campbell.—He did not say why I was to say that.
Examination resumed.—There is a Mr. Jeremiah Smith in Rugeley. He is called “Jerry Smith.” He is a friend of Palmer’s. I took the broth to the Talbot Arms, and gave it to Lavinia Barnes.