Trial of William Palmer

by Unknown

George Myatt, examined by Mr. Grove—I am a saddler at Rugeley. I was at Shrewsbury races, and saw Palmer and Cook at the Raven Hotel there on the Wednesday evening of the race week. It was about twelve at night, and Cook seemed the worse of liquor. We had some brandy and water together. Cook drank most of his, and remarked that it was not good, and thought there was something in it. Cook proposed having some more, but Palmer told him to finish what he had first. Cook then drank his up. We all then went to bed. I slept in the same room as Palmer. The brandy we had was brought in a decanter and poured out. I did not leave the room from the time Palmer and Cook came in till we went to bed. Had anything been put in the brandy and water I should have seen it. As far as I can remember, when Palmer and I went to our bedroom we left Cook in the sitting room. I locked our door, and Palmer never left the bedroom during the night. In the morning Palmer asked me to call Mr. Cook, which I did. Cook then told me how ill he had been during the night. He said he had been obliged to send for a doctor, and asked me what was put in the brandy and water. I told him I did not know that anything was put in. He then asked me to send Palmer to him, which I did. After Palmer and I had finished our breakfast, I next saw Cook, who came into the sitting room and had his breakfast. That night the three of us had dinner at the Raven, and left for Rugeley about six o’clock. We went by express from Shrewsbury to Stafford. Palmer took the three tickets and paid. We took a fly from Stafford, there being no train. In the fly from Stafford to Rugeley Palmer was sick, and vomited through the window. They could not account for it, unless it was cooking in some brass utensil, or the water. I heard other people speak about being ill at Rugeley, and they could not account for it. It is 9 miles by the road from Stafford to Rugeley.

George Myatt

Cross-examined by Mr. James—I have known the prisoner all my life, and he deals with me for his saddlery at his racing stables. I am not in the habit of going to racing meetings with him, although I attend them myself. He paid my expenses at Shrewsbury races, but never at any other race meeting. About four or five weeks ago I went with Mr. Smith to Stafford gaol, and was with Palmer for about two hours. I have now and then stood in half a sovereign or a sovereign with Palmer when betting on his horses. On the Wednesday night in which I saw Palmer and Cook I dined at home at Rugeley, and reached Shrewsbury between eight and nine. I went straight from the station to the Raven Hotel, and up to Palmer’s room, where I saw Cook. Palmer was out, and I went to the town for about an hour, and returned to Palmer’s room. He was not in; I waited about two hours, when he came in with Cook, about twelve o’clock. Cook was drunk, but not very drunk. The decanter of brandy and the tumblers were brought in directly. The water, I think, was on the table. I do not remember Mrs. Brooks calling, or Palmer being called out of the room to speak to her. I remember Mr. Fisher coming in. I will swear that Palmer did not at any time that evening take out a glass of brandy and water and leave the room. He never left the room from the time I joined him till we went to bed. When Cook drank his brandy and water he made a remark to the effect that it was not good, and that there was something in it. I will swear that he did not say, “It burns my throat dreadfully,” or anything to that effect. The brandy and water was then given to some one to taste. I think there were but four people in the room when Cook drank the brandy and water. Palmer sipped from the glass Cook had drank from, and said he could not taste anything the matter. He held the glass to Mr. Fisher. I do not remember whether Fisher said, “It is no good giving me the glass, it is empty.” I will not swear he did not. Palmer and I went to bed about half an hour after, and left Cook in the room. That I will swear. The first I heard of Cook being ill during the night was when he told me of it next morning.

John Sargent

John Sargent, examined by Mr. Serjeant Shee—I frequently attend race meetings, and knew Mr. Cook intimately. I was with him at Liverpool on the week previous to the Shrewsbury meeting. We slept in adjoining rooms, and in the morning he called my attention to the state of his throat and mouth. The back part of his tongue was in a complete state of ulcer. I said I was surprised that he could eat and drink in the state his mouth was in. He said he had been in that state for weeks and months, and took no notice of it now. He had frequently before then shown me his throat when it was in that state. On one occasion, when he took a ginger nut with cayenne by mistake, he told me that it nearly killed him. Before Shrewsbury races Cook was very poor. He owed me £25, and paid £10 on account, saying he had not sufficient to pay his expenses at Liverpool. Cook and Palmer were in the habit of betting for each other on particular horses. I have heard Cook apply to Palmer to supply him with a lotion called blackwash. This is a mercurial lotion of calomel and lime water.

Cross-examined by Mr. James—He applied for it at the latter end of last year. Having seen the state of his throat, I was surprised at his eating and drinking so well.

J. Smith

Jeremiah Smith, examined by Mr. Serjeant Shee—I am an attorney at Rugeley, and knew the late Mr. Cook. I saw him at ten o’clock on Friday morning, 16th November, 1855. He was having breakfast in bed—a cup of tea with a wineglassful of brandy in it. I dined with him and Mr. Palmer about two o’clock. We had a beefsteak and some champagne. After dinner we had three bottles of port wine, of which Cook drank his share. We rose from the table between five and six, and Cook and I went to my house, and then to the Albion Hotel, which is next door, and had a brandy and water each. Cook left me there between seven and eight. He said he felt cold. During that day I asked Cook for £50 he was due me. He gave me £5, and when he took the note out of his case I said, “You can pay me the whole £50.” He said, “No; there is only £41 10s. due to you.” Then he said he had given Mr. Palmer money, and he would pay me the remainder when he returned from Tattersall’s on Monday after the settling. On the Saturday night following I slept in the same room with him, as he was not well. We went to bed about twelve o’clock. In the early part of the night he got some toast and water, and he was sick. I saw him using a night-chair in the room. He tried to vomit, but I do not know whether he did so or not. After that I slept until Mr. Palmer and Mr. Bamford came in the morning to see him. He said, “I am rather better this morning. I slept from about two or three o’clock, after the confounded concert was gone.” Mr. Bamford said, “I will send you some more medicine.” I then got up and left the house. I know Mrs. Palmer, the mother of the prisoner. She asked me to see her on Monday evening, and, in consequence of that, I went about two o’clock to see if I could find Palmer, but could not. About ten minutes past ten I saw him in a car coming from the direction of Stafford. I asked him, “Have you seen Mr. Cook to-day?” He said, “No; we had better just run up and see.” We went up, and Cook told Palmer he was late, and that he had taken the medicine. We only stayed two or three minutes. Cook said he had taken some pills Mr. Bamford had sent him. He also said he had been up that day, and Palmer said he ought not to have been up. Palmer and I then went to his mother’s house, about 400 or 500 yards. We stayed about half an hour, and then left for Palmer’s house. I left him at his house and went home. On the Saturday I asked Cook to dine with me, but he did not. He said he was not well. I got for him a boiled leg of mutton and some broth from the Albion, which was taken to him by Ann Rowley, a charwoman. In the May before his death I borrowed £100 from Mrs. Palmer and £100 from William Palmer for Cook. I also negotiated a £500 loan through Mr. Pratt. I know that Palmer and Cook were jointly interested in one horse, “Pyrrhine,” and that they were in the habit of betting very frequently for each other. Shortly before Mr. Cook’s death I had seen Mr. Thirlby, Palmer’s assistant, dress Cook’s throat with caustic. I have seen this four or five times, chiefly before Shrewsbury races. I know Mr. Cook’s signature. [Some papers were handed to witness.] Here are two notes, instructions for the £500. One is signed “J. P. Cook” and the other “J. Parsons Cook.” I saw that signed. Some weeks before Mr. Cook’s death he was served with a writ. [The following letter was read:—]

My dear Sir,—I have been in a devil of a fix about the bill, but have at last settled it at the cost of three guineas, for the damned discounter had issued a writ against me, and I am very much disgusted at it.

John Parsons.