Cook, John Parsons, -1855; Palmer, William, 1824-1856 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Murder) -- England -- London
And here we may refer to the evidence of this Jeremiah Smith, who was
called as a witness on behalf of Palmer. His cross-examination was the
most dramatic scene of the trial. He was shown to have been concerned
with Palmer in the insurance schemes, and not a rag of his credit
remained. But Sir James Stephen remarks, “No abbreviation can give the
effect of this cross-examination. The witness’s efforts to gain time,
and his distress as the various answers were extorted from him by
degrees, may be faintly traced in the report. The witness’s face was
covered with sweat, and the papers put into his hands shook and
rustled.”
During Saturday and Sunday Cook was attended by Mr. Bamford, a medical
man in Rugeley. As Mr. Bamford’s age gave rise to some observation, I
may mention that he was eighty. He was told by Palmer on the Saturday
that Cook had had a bilious attack owing to having taken too much wine
at the dinner the day before, but when Mr. Bamford mentioned this Cook
replied that he had only two glasses of champagne, and Mr. Bamford, in
fact, found that the symptoms were not bilious.
On Sunday, as the sickness continued, Mr. Bamford prepared two opiate
pills containing half a grain of morphia, half a grain of calomel, and
four grains of rhubarb. The ingredients are important. The following
Monday is a crucial day. Palmer went to London and saw Herring, a
betting man, gave him a list of Cook’s winnings, and instructed him to
attend Tattersall’s and settle. Herring was not Cook’s regular agent,
but Fisher, the man to whom Cook had entrusted his money at Shrewsbury
whilst he was ill. Fisher declared that he had, in fact, advanced £200
on the strength of the money which Fisher expected to draw at
Tattersall’s. This £200, at the request of Cook, in a letter written by
him from Rugeley on the 16th of November (Friday), was applied by Fisher
to one of Pratt’s acceptances. This letter was used by the defence to
show that, as Palmer alleged, the bills were for the joint transactions
of himself and Cook, and by parity of reasoning that Palmer had probably
Cook’s authority to draw his bets. Herring drew £900 of the £1020 at
Tattersall’s, and, as Palmer had instructed him, he paid £450 to Pratt.
He was also instructed to pay Padwick £350 for a bet which Padwick had
won, partly from Palmer and partly from Cook, but for which Palmer was
liable: again a suggestion of joint transactions between Palmer and
Cook. This payment was to be made, according to the prosecution, to keep
Padwick quiet over his £2000 forged acceptance, half of which remained
unpaid. Herring, however, did not pay Padwick. If he had done so he
would have been out of pocket, as it had been agreed between him and
Palmer that part of the money he was to draw should be applied to debts
of his own due from Palmer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account