The Attorney-General: I must set this right. I have here the original deposition, and I find that the matter stands thus:—“There were strong symptoms of”—then there is the word “compression” struck out; and then there is the word “tetinus” also struck out—it is evident that the clerk did not know the meaning of what he was writing—and then the words “violent convulsions” are added; so that the sentence stands, “There were strong symptoms of violent convulsions.”
By Mr. Serjeant Shee: I also said before the coroner that I could not tell the cause of death, and that I imagined at the time that it was from over excitement.
The Lord Chief Justice said, that the learned counsel must not read detached portions of the depositions—the whole must be read. (The depositions were accordingly read by the Clerk of the Arraigns.)
Cross-examination continued: I do not recollect that I ever said that deceased died of epilepsy. Dr. Bamford said that he died in an apoplectic fit, and I said that I thought he did not. I said that I thought it was more like an epileptic than an apoplectic fit. I do not know Mr. Pratt, but I took a letter from him to Cook. Cook did not open it, but said, “I know the contents of it—let it be till to-morrow morning.” I have seen Palmer’s racing establishment at Rugeley. I saw a number of mares in foal, and others in the paddock, and some very valuable horses. The stables were good, and the establishment appeared to be a large and expensive one.
Re-examined by the Attorney-General: I am not a good judge of the value of racing horses, but I understand other horses very well. I have only seen one case of tetanus, and that case resulted from a wound. The patient in that case lasted three days before death ensued. I am satisfied that the death of Mr. Cook did not arise from epilepsy. In epilepsy consciousness is lost, but there is no rigidity or convulsive spasm of the muscles. The symptoms are quite different. I am equally certain that death was not the result of apoplexy.
Lavinia Barnes was recalled, at the instance of Mr. Serjeant Shee, and in answer to the learned Serjeant, she said: On Monday morning Mr. Cook said to me that he had been very ill on Sunday night, just before twelve o’clock, and that he had rung the bell for some one to come to him; but he thought that they had all gone to bed.
Elizabeth Mills, recalled by the Attorney-General, and examined on the same point: I remember on Monday morning asking Mr. Cook how he was, and he said that he had been disturbed in the night, adding, “I was just mad for two minutes.” I said, “Why did you not ring the bell?” and he replied, “I thought you would be all fast asleep, and would not hear me. The illness passed away, and I managed to get over it without.” He also said that he thought he had been disturbed by the noise of a quarrel in the street.
Dr. Henry Savage, physician, of 7, Gloucester-place, examined by the Attorney-General: I knew John Parsons Cook. He had been in the habit of consulting me professionally during the last four years. He was a man, not of robust constitution; but his general health was good. He came to me in May, 1855, but I saw him about November of the year before, and early in the spring of 1855. In the spring of 1855 the old affair—indigestion—was one cause of his visiting me, and he had some spots upon his body, about which he was uneasy. He had also two shallow ulcers on his tongue, which corresponded with two bad teeth. He said that he had been under a mild mercurial course, and he imagined that those spots were syphilitic. I thought they were not, and I recommended the discontinuance of mercury. I gave him quinine as a tonic, and an aperient composed of cream of tartar, magnesia, and sulphur. I never at any time gave him antimony. Under the treatment which I prescribed the sores gradually disappeared, and they were quite well by the end of May. I saw him, however, frequently in June, as he still felt some little anxiety about the accuracy of my opinion. If any little spot made its appearance he came to me, and I also was anxious on the subject, as my opinion differed from that of another medical man in London. Every time he came to me I examined him carefully. There were no indications of a syphilitic character about the sores, and there was no ulceration of the throat, but one of the tonsils was slightly enlarged and tender. I saw him last alive, and carefully examined him, either on the 3rd or 5th of November. There was in my judgment no venereal taint about him at the time.
Cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant Shee: I do not think that the deceased was fond of taking mercury before I advised him against it; but he was timid on the subject of his throat, and was apt to take the advice of any one. No; I don’t think that he would take quack medicines. I don’t think he was so foolish as that.
Charles Newton, called and examined by Mr. James, Q.C.—I am assistant to Mr. Salt, a surgeon at Rugeley. I know the prisoner, William Palmer. I remember Monday, the 19th of November. I saw Palmer that evening at Mr. Salt’s surgery about nine o’clock. I was alone when he came there. He asked me for three grains of strychnine, and I weighed it accurately and gave it to him, enclosed in a piece of paper. He said nothing further, but “Good night,” and took it away with him. I knew him to be a medical man, and gave it him,—made no charge for it. The whole transaction did not occupy more than two or three minutes. I again saw Palmer on the following day, between eleven and twelve o’clock. He was then at the shop of Mr. Hawkins, a druggist. He asked me how I was, and put his hand upon my shoulder, and said he wished to speak with me. Accordingly I went out into the street with him, and he then asked me when Mr. Edwin Salt was going to his farm. The farm in question was at a place about fourteen miles distant from Rugeley. Palmer had nothing whatever to do with that farm; but Mr. Salt’s going there was a rumour of the town. While we were talking, a Mr. Brassington came up and spoke to me, and during our conversation Palmer went into Hawkins’ shop again. Palmer came out of the shop a second time, while I was still talking to Brassington. I am not sure whether Palmer spoke to me at that time; but he went past me in the direction of his own house, which is about 200 yards from Hawkins’. I then went into Hawkins’ shop, where I saw Roberts, Mr. Hawkins’ apprentice, and I had some conversation with him about Palmer. I knew a man named Thirlby, who had been an assistant and a partner of Palmer. Palmer usually dealt with Thirlby for his drugs—in fact, Thirlby dispensed Palmer’s medicine. On Sunday, the 25th of November, about seven o’clock in the evening, I was sent for and went to Palmer’s house. I found Palmer, when I got there, in his kitchen. He was sitting by the fire, reading. He asked me how I was, and to have some brandy-and-water. No one else was present. He asked me what was the dose of strychnine to give to kill a dog? I told him a grain. He asked me what would be the appearance of the stomach after death? I told him that there would be no inflammation, and that I did not think it could be found. Upon that he snapped his finger and thumb in a quiet way, and exclaimed, as if communing with himself, “That’s all right.” (Sensation.) He made some other remarks of a commonplace character, which I do not recollect. I was with him altogether about five minutes.