Did you know that he called in order that you might afford him information for an article in the Illustrated Times?—I swear solemnly I did not. The publication of that article was the most disgraceful thing I ever knew. I had never seen him before, nor did I know that he was the editor of the Illustrated Times.
“On your oath?—On my oath. It was the greatest deception that was ever practised on a scientific man. It was disgraceful. He called on me in company with another gentleman, with a letter from Professor Faraday. I received him as I should Professor Faraday, and entered into conversation with him about these cases. He represented, as I understood, that he was connected with an insurance company, and wished for information about a number of cases of poisoning which had occurred during many years. After we had conversed about an hour he asked if there was any objection to the publication of these details. Still believing him to be connected with an insurance-office, I replied that, so far as the correction of error was concerned, I should have no objection to anything appearing. On that evening he went away without telling me that he was the editor of the Illustrated Times, or connected with any other paper. I did not know that until he called upon me on Thursday morning, and showed me the article in print. I remonstrated verbally with him. He only showed me part of a slip. I told him I objected to its publication, and struck out all that I saw regarding these cases. He afterwards put the article into the shape in which it appeared. I could not prevent his publishing the results of our conversation on points not connected with these cases.”
You did permit him to publish part of the slip?—Nothing connected with the Rugeley cases.
Did he show you the slip of “Our interview with Dr. A. Taylor?”—I do not remember seeing that. I will swear that, to the best of judgment and belief, he did not. He showed me a slip containing part of what appeared in that article. I struck out all which referred to the Rugeley cases. I thought I had been deceived. A person came with a letter of introduction from a scientific man and extracted information from me.
Why did you not tell your servant to show him the door?—Until we had had the conversation I did not know anything about the deception. It was not until the Thursday morning that I knew he was connected with a paper. He told me it was an illustrated paper.
Did you correct what he showed you?—I struck out some portions.
And allowed the rest to be published?—I said I had nothing to do with it, but I objected to its publication.
Peremptorily?—No; I said, “I do not like this mode of putting the matter. I cannot, however, interfere with what you put into your journal.”
Did you not protest as a gentleman, a man of honour, and a medical man that it was wrong and objectionable to do it?—I told him that I objected to the parts which referred to the Rugeley cases. It was most dishonourable.
Did you not know that in the month of February an interview with Dr. Taylor on the subject of poison must be taken to apply to those cases?—I did not think anything about it. I thought it was a great cheat to extract from me that information. Mr. Mayhew was with me about twenty minutes or half an hour on the Thursday morning. I remonstrated with him. I was not angry with him in the sense of quarrelling.