James
Myatt, postboy at the Talbot Arms. From the Times Report of the Trial
of William Palmer, Published 1856.
Samuel
Cheshire postmaster bribed by Palmer From the Times Report of the Trial
of William Palmer Pub. 1856.
He was imprisoned for two years for tampering with letters in connection
with the inquest on Cook
Coroner
William Webb Ward from the Times Report of the Trial of William Palmer
published 1856.
Rugeley
Town Hall where the Inquest was held.
From Illustrated Times
2nd February 1856
The
Rugeley Borough Court during the hearing of the examinations
touching the death by treachery of Cook.
Illustrated Times 2nd February 1856
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In court Myatt, the postboy at the Talbot Arms, accused Palmer of trying
to bribe him. He alleged that Palmer asked him if he was driving Mr. Stevens
to the railway station. Myatt claimed that Palmer said, "Do you think
you could upset them?" and offered him £10. Serjeant Shee for
the Defence suggested that Palmer had actually said, "I wouldn't mind
giving £10 to break Steven's neck". Myatt then said that he
could not recollect the words "break his neck" but when asked
if Palmer had said "I wouldn't mind giving £10 to upset him",
Myatt replied "Yes I believe those were the words".
The
famous Dr. Taylor, who considered himself an authority on poisons, had
to try to analyse the samples sent to him was so dissatisfied with what
was sent that he insisted upon a second post-mortem.
The
second post-mortem on Cook, 29th November 1855:
Devonshire conducted a second post mortem when he removed liver, kidney,
spleen and some blood.
Palmer
blunders when he gets the postmaster to intercept the Coroner's post and
then tries to bribe the Coroner:
Palmer got his friend Samuel Cheshire, the postmaster of Rugeley, to intercept
the letters written to the Coroner and when he read that Professor Taylor
could find no traces of either strychnine, prussic acid or opium in the
samples he wrote to the Coroner. He twice sent presents of fish and game
to the coroner. The first a splendid hamper sent from London to the Coroner's
private address in Stoke-on-Trent and the second delivered by George Bates
to the Coroner in Stafford.
Finally
he sent a letter (see below). It was delivered by hand by Bates who had
instructions not to let anyone see him deliver it.
In
the letter Palmer urged a verdict of 'death by natural causes' in view
of what he had read, and also enclosed a £10 note inside the letter.
The
letter was eventually sent by the Coroner to the Home Secretary and was
produced at Palmer's trial and was said to have had a damaging effect on
the minds of the jury.
Cheshire
was imprisoned for two years for tampering with the mail and was brought
from Newgate Prison to give evidence at Palmer's trial.
Dec.
13th, 1855.
RUGELEY.
MY DEAR SIR,
I am sorry to tell you that I am still
confined to bed. I don't think it was mentioned at the Inquest yesterday
Dec. 12th, that Cook was taken ill on Sunday and Monday night , in
the same way as he was on the Tuesday, when he died. The Chambermaid
at the Crown Hotel (Master's) can prove this. I also believe that a
man by the name of Fisher is coming down to prove he received some
money at Shrewsbury. Now, here he could only pay Smith £10 out
of £41 he owed him. Had you not better call Smith to prove this?
And, again, whatever Professor Taylor may say tomorrow, he wrote from
London last Tuesday week to Gardner to say, "We (Dr. Rees and
I) have this day finished our analysis, and find no traces of either
strychnine, prussic acid, or opium.
What can beat this from a man like Taylor,
if he says what he has already said, and Dr. Harland's evidence? Mind
you I know and saw it in black and white, what Taylor said to Gardner;
but this is strictly private and confidential, but it is true.
As regards his betting-book, I know nothing
of it, and it is of no good to anyone. I hope the verdict to-morrow
will be that he died from natural causes, and thus end it.
Ever yours,
W.
P.
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Rugeley
Post Office later in 1906
From The Life & Career of Dr. William Palmer of Rugeley published
in 1925
The inquest was held at the Rugeley Borough Court in the Rugeley Town
Hall. The coroner was William Webb Ward.
Dr.
Taylor said that he could not find any trace of strychnine but said that
the symptoms led him to believe that strychnine was administered by Palmer
in the pills that he gave to Cook on the Tuesday. It was commented upon
in one newspaper that Dr. Taylor sat by the Coroner and asked more damning
questions at the Inquest than the Coroner did.
The
Coroners Inquest returned a verdict that William Palmer had willfully
murdered John Parson's Cook.
The coroners jury were supposed to be investigating the cause of death
and it would have been normal practice to adjourn any inquest which may
involve a charge of murder until all criminal proceedings have been finished.
The
Chief Constable went straight to Palmers house to arrest him. (see
His Arrest). However Palmer was ill in bed and already under house
arrest by Sheriff's men because a warrant had been taken out against Palmer
by the money-lender, Padwick, on a charge of forgery, a case that was
tried at Westminster January 20th 1856. (see Crimes
not Murder)
In
the Illustrated Times dated 14th June 1856 a brief note about Coroner
Ward:-
| CORONER
WARD.— At the annual general meeting of the Coroners' Society of
England and Wales, held last week, it was unanimously resolved, that
"the conduct of Mr Ward, the coroner for Staffordshire on the occasion
of holding the inquest on the body of John Parsons Cook, was discreditable,
and if left uncensured by this society, will have the effect of lowering
the office of coroner in public opinion; and that, regarding the ancient
institution as one of the surest safeguards for the security of life
and the detection of crime, we cannot but lament that Mr Ward should
have acted as he appears to have done on the late inquiry, and that
he should have laid himself open to the severe censure he received at
the hands of the Lord Chief Justice. |
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Introduction
