Cook, John Parsons, -1855; Palmer, William, 1824-1856 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Murder) -- England -- London
Cross-examined by Mr. SERJEANT SHEE--I know that Mr. Cook had been under
treatment by Dr. Savage for some time.
You knew he had treated himself a good deal with mercurial
treatment?--No, not a great deal. I know that he had had a sore throat
for two or three months. In the summer it was bad. It was slightly
ulcerated; not a very extreme case; the back part of the tongue. He
could swallow, but it gave him a little pain occasionally. It depended
upon what he did swallow. I knew he had found it necessary to apply
caustic to his tongue. For two months before his death he had ceased to
do it. After that he never complained of occasional pain in his throat
or his tongue. I did not see much of him during these two months. He was
attending most of the races.
[Sidenote: W. H. Jones]
Was he apprehensive about some spots which appeared upon his body?--I
never heard him mention it. I had heard him express apprehensions of his
being affected by secondary symptoms of venereal disease. His habits
were, generally speaking, correct, though he may occasionally have gone
astray, and perhaps was not very particular. I do not know that he had a
chancre at the time he died, although I believe he had one twelve months
ago. I was not present at either of the post-mortem examinations. I was
at Shrewsbury Races with him on the Tuesday, and I knew he was very
anxious, as the winning of the race was of great consequence to him.
After the race was run he was so excited that for two or three minutes
he could not speak to me. He was elated and happy the rest of the day,
but he was not at all intoxicated. He was a very temperate man. That
night when he was first attacked, and when Palmer came, Cook said,
“Palmer, give me the remedy you gave me the night before.” I was rubbing
his neck for about five minutes, I should think. After I turned him over
on his side to the time of his death three or four minutes would elapse.
He died so very quietly that I could hardly tell when he did die. I have
seen cases of tetanus before.
You said nothing about tetanus at the inquest?--Yes, I did; convulsions
and tetanus.
Did you not say at the time it was from over-excitement that he died?--I
could not tell the cause. I was so much taken by surprise. I said I had
no idea of the cause of death.
Whatever you said about “violent convulsions,” did you say, “I could not
tell the cause; I imagined at the time it was from over-excitement”?--Yes.
* * * * *
[The deposition of the witness before the coroner was read.]
* * * * *
You say in your deposition you had been in your bed a quarter of an hour
or twenty minutes. Was it not as much as twenty minutes?--I do not think
it was. I had not begun to dose. I do not remember ever having stated I
thought he died of epilepsy. Mr. Bamford said it was apoplexy; I said it
was not. I could not make up my mind what sort of fit it was. I said it
was more like an epileptic fit than apoplexy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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