Cook, John Parsons, -1855; Palmer, William, 1824-1856 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Murder) -- England -- London
[Sidenote: Anne Brooks]
Mrs. ANNE BROOKS, examined by the ATTORNEY-GENERAL--I live in
Manchester, and am in the habit of attending race meetings. I was at
Shrewsbury races in November, 1855. About eight o’clock in the evening
of Wednesday, the 14th, I met Palmer in the street. I had some
conversation with him as to horses that were running during that week at
Shrewsbury. About half-past ten the same evening I went, along with some
friends, to the Raven, where I knew Palmer was staying. I had been there
frequently before. I left my friends downstairs and went upstairs to go
to Palmer’s room, which I knew. As I approached Palmer’s room a servant
called my attention to Palmer himself, who was standing at a small table
in the passage. When I first saw him he had a glass tumbler in his hand,
in which there appeared to be a small quantity of liquid like water. I
did not see him put anything in the glass. I saw him shaking up the
fluid that was in it. There was a light in the passage. It was nearer to
me than to him. He held up the glass as if he were looking at the light
through it. He then said to me, “I will be with you presently.” He
noticed me the moment I got to the top of the stairs. After he made that
remark to me he stood for a minute or two holding the glass in his hand
up to the light once or twice and shaking it now and then. The only
observation he made was about the fine weather we had. After this he
carried the glass into a sitting room adjoining his own. The room, I
imagined, was empty, as I heard no one speaking. He remained there two
or three minutes, and came out with the glass still in his hand, and
carried it into his own sitting room, shutting the door after him. Three
or four minutes afterwards he came out to me, bringing me a glass--it
might be the same one, it was very like it--with some brandy and water
in it. I took the brandy and water, and it produced no unpleasant
consequences in me. We had some conversation regarding the next day’s
racing, and he said he should back his own horse “Chicken.” “Chicken”
lost. Palmer never told me afterwards whether he had won or lost on the
race.
Cross-examined by Mr. SERJEANT SHEE--I am a married woman, and am in the
habit of attending race meetings, but my husband does not sanction my
going when he knows about it. Several people were taken ill in
Shrewsbury on the Wednesday. One of my company was dreadfully ill, and
there was a wonder what could cause it; we made an observation. We
thought the water might have been poisoned. We were all affected the
same way by sickness.
Can you tell me in what way it affected persons?
By the ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Any person you saw. Whom did you see yourself
affected in that way?--There was a lady that came to meet me there; she
was one; and there was another party in my company who was so ill that
he could not go to the races on Thursday.
By Mr. SERJEANT SHEE--They were affected by sickness and purging.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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