A
postcard detailing the inscription on John Parson Cook's Grave. Postcards
were still on sale in Rugeley 50 years after his death. It is incorrect
as Cook died at 1.00a.m. on 21st Nov 1856
not the 22nd Nov 1856
The
Talbot Arms where, in Room 10, John Parsons Cook died in 1855. Picture
appeared in the Illustrated London News May 24th 1856.
The
Shrew as it was called in 2001 Photograph taken by D. Lewis. The stables
on the left of the building, shown in the 1856, have been replaced by a
shop. (Wilkinsons)
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Friday
16th November 1855
Cook got up in the afternoon and dined with Palmer.
Saturday 17th November 1855
Palmer visited Cook early in the morning and ordered him some coffee. Unfortunately
Cook was very ill and was constantly being sick. Palmer was in and out all
day to visit his sick friend.
Sunday 18th November 1855
Palmer called in Dr. Bamford an old family friend. The chambermaid Elizabeth
Mills later claimed that she had been sick after tasting some broth that
Palmer had sent to Cook.
Monday 19th November 1855
Palmer went to London with Cook's betting books and managed to obtain most
of Cook's winnings before returning to Rugeley where he found Cook to be
slightly recovered. This was the night that Newton claimed Palmer bought
three grains of strychnine from him at 10.00 p.m. Jere Smith was Palmer's
alibi that he could not have bought poison at that time. Another witness,
the driver of the 'fly', went missing and could not be called by the Defence.
Tuesday
20th November 1855
Cook was very ill in the early hours but rallied. Dr. Jones, Cook's long-time
friend and doctor, arrived at 2.00 p.m. Palmer had written to Dr. Jones
because of Cook's poor state of health.
Wednesday
21st November 1855
Cook, aged 28, died at 1.00 a.m. The Illustrated Times of 2nd February
1856, under the heading DEATH BED SCENE, gave the following account:
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Dr. Bamford, aged 82, had been called in before, and had prescribed two
opiate pills, which Mr. Palmer himself had from him. Mr. Jones slept
in the same room with his friend; the foot of the beds were opposite
to each other , the room being sufficiently large, and Mr. Cook lying
between the door and the window. A little after eleven Mr. Palmer went
across and gave the sick man two pills supposed to be morphine vomiting
ensued but the pills remained on the stomach. About midnight Mr. Jones
undressed himself and turned in. He had not lain down above twenty minutes,
when his friend called to him in alarm, and begged that Mr. Palmer might
be sent for immediately. That gentleman was by his bedside within three
minutes, foolishly volunteering the remark that he had never dressed
so quickly in his life before. He then gave him two pills which he brought
with him, saying that they were ammonia pills - a preparation never kept
ready made up , because of evaporation. A terrible scene now ensued.
Wildly shrieking, the patient tossed about in fearful convulsions; his
limbs were so rigid that it was impossible to raise him, though he entreated
that they would do so, as he felt that he was suffocating. Every muscle
was convulsed; his body bent upwards like a bow; they turned him over
on his left side; the action of the heart gradually ceased; and he was
dead. |
As
soon as Cook had died Mary Keeley, a widow from Rugeley, was sent for by
Palmer to 'lay out the body'. She came immediately with her sister-in-law.
Mary was later called to give evidence at Palmer's trial in London. She
stated that she had laid out many corpses before but had never found a
body as stiff as Cook's.
Cook was dead but was it murder?
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Introduction
