| 1855. |
| August. | | Walter Palmer, William Palmer’s brother, dies.Payment of policy on his life for £13,000assigned to William Palmer, and held byPratt, moneylender, as security, refused byinsurance office. Negotiations about itcontinue up to Cook’s death. |
| Nov. | 6. | Writs issued by Pratt against Palmer and hismother for £4000, Mrs. Palmer’s acceptancebeing forged. Writs not served, for Palmerto have opportunity of raising instalments. |
| “ | 13. | (Tuesday) Palmer and Cook go together fromRugeley to Shrewsbury Races. Cook’s mare,“Polestar,” wins Shrewsbury Handicap,and he has in his possession, in consequence,£700 or £800, and is entitled to stakes of£350 and bets, to be paid at Tattersall’s theMonday following, of over £1000. |
| “ | 14. | (Wednesday night) Cook ill at the Raven,Shrewsbury, where he and Palmer stayed.Palmer is alleged to have dosed his drink. |
| “ | 15. | Palmer’s horse, “Chicken,” beaten in his race,and Palmer loses heavily. |
| | | Cook and Palmer return to Rugeley, and Cookputs up at the Talbot. |
| “ | 16. | Cook dines with Palmer and Jeremiah Smith.Cook apparently in usual health. |
| “ | 17. | (Saturday) Cook ill in bed, with the samesymptoms as at Shrewsbury. |
| “ | 18. | (Sunday) His illness continues, and during thetwo days Palmer is in constant attendance,and orders and administers food, drink, andmedicine. Dr. Bamford called in. |
| “ | 19. | (Monday) Palmer goes to London and arrangeswith Herring to draw Cook’s bets at Tattersallsand make payments to Pratt and Padwick,the moneylenders. |
| | | Cook is better all the Monday while Palmer isaway. |
| Nov. | 19. | Palmer returns in the evening. Goes to Newton,the assistant of Mr. Salt, surgeon at Rugeley,and purchases 3 grains of strychnia. Is inand out of Cook’s room up to eleven o’clock.Gives Cook pills, and leaves about eleveno’clock. These pills were professedly thosesent by Dr. Bamford, but were alleged by theprosecution to have been substituted byPalmer with others containing strychnia.Jeremiah Smith gave evidence that Cook hadtaken Dr. Bamford’s pills before Palmer’sarrival. |
| | | About twelve o’clock Cook is taken ill with violentspasms, and awakens household with violentscreaming. Palmer is sent for. |
| “ | 20. | (Tuesday) Cook “comparatively comfortable” inthe morning. |
| | Palmer during the day purchases from Roberts,the assistant at the shop of Mr. Hawkins,druggist at Rugeley, prussic acid, 6 grainsof strychnia, and liquor of opium. |
| | | Palmer requests Cheshire, the Rugeley postmaster,to fill up cheque on Wetherby for Cook’sstakes won at Shrewsbury. |
| | | Mr. Jones, surgeon, of Lutterworth, Cook’s mostintimate friend, comes, at Palmer’s request,to stay with Cook. |
| | | Pills again made up by Dr. Bamford at his houseand taken away by Palmer. Pills administeredby Palmer at 10.30. Jones sleeps inCook’s room. Cook taken ill again as onMonday, about twelve o’clock, and in a fewminutes dies. Palmer had been sent for, andwas present at the death. |
| “ | 21. | (Wednesday) Wetherby declines to pay £350cheque, as the stakes were not received fromShrewsbury. |
| | | Palmer writes to Pratt that he must have“Polestar.” |
| “ | 22. | Palmer goes to London and pays Pratt £100; hehad no money at Shrewsbury, and lost on theraces. |
| “ | 23. | Palmer at Rugeley again; sees Cheshire, anddesires him to witness a document purportingto be signed by Cook acknowledging £4000of bills to have been negotiated by Palmer forCook. |
| Nov. | 23. | Mr. Stevens, Cook’s stepfather, arrives in Rugeley,sees Palmer, and discusses Cook’s affairsand the funeral. Cook’s betting book andpapers not found. Coffin ordered by Palmerwithout Stevens’s knowledge. Stevensnotices unusual appearance of the body;returns to London and consults a solicitor,who gives him introduction to Mr. Gardner,solicitor in Rugeley. Stevens and Palmermeet on the train from London to Rugeley,and Stevens informs Palmer that he intendsto have a post-mortem. |
| “ | 25. | (Sunday) Palmer applies to Dr. Bamford for deathcertificate, which is given for apoplexy. |
| | Sends for Newton, and has a conversation aboutthe effects of strychnia. |
| “ | 26. | Post-mortem examination; Palmer is present, andacts suspiciously. |
| | | Mr. Stevens takes jars, with contents from thebody, to London for analysis to be made byProfessor Taylor. |
| Dec. | 5. | Cheshire, having opened Professor Taylor’s letterto Mr. Gardner, containing account ofanalysis, tells Palmer strychnia or otherpoisons, with the exception of traces of antimony,have not been found. |
| “ | 8. | Palmer writes to the coroner as to ProfessorTaylor’s letter. |
| “ | 14. | Inquest, at which Professor Taylor gives evidence. |
| | | Verdict of “wilful murder” returned. |
| | | Palmer, who was in custody of Sheriff’s officer forthe bills, is arrested on the verdict and takento Stafford Gaol. |