306 KINGSCLERE 



Cook was taken, the poisoner completed his work. The 

 chambermaid tasted about two tablespoonfuls of some 

 broth which Palmer had sent over for Cook, and was so 

 sick she had to go to bed. Mr. Jones, a surgeon at 

 Lutterworth, an intimate friend of Cook's for the last five 

 years, was written to by Palmer on Monday, the 19th, 

 stating that Cook was taken ill at Shrewsbury, and obliged 

 to call in a medical man ; that ' since then he had been 

 confined to his bed with a very serious bilious attack, 

 combined with diarrhoea,' and that Palmer ' thought it 

 advisable that his friend should come and see him.' 

 Palmer thereupon proceeded to London. It was settling 

 day at Tattersall's, and he had written to Herring to meet 

 him at a house in Beaufort Buildings. Cook's usual agent 

 was Fisher, and Palmer was a defaulter. Herring was 

 naturally surprised on hearing from Palmer that he was to 

 get in Cook's debts ; but, however, he undertook to do so. 

 Palmer returned to Rugeley. In response to the letter 

 which Palmer had written him, Cook's friend Jones, who 

 had been ill, came to Rugeley, but not until the afternoon 

 before Cook died. Approaching the end, with Jones 

 sleeping in the room with him, Cook suddenly started up 

 in his bed and called out : ' Doctor, get up, I am going to 

 be ill. Ring the bell and send for Palmer.' Palmer came 

 in two or three minutes after the chambermaid called him. 

 He said, ' I never dressed so quickly in my life.' He gave 

 Cook two pills, which he said were ammonia pills. Cook 

 swallowed them. Directly he did so he uttered loud 

 screams, threw himself back in the bed, and was dreadfully 

 convulsed. He said : ' Raise me up, I shall be suffocated.' 

 The convulsions continued, accompanied by stiffening of the 

 limbs, and the heart gradually weakened. Palmer, who 

 had gone to his house for some spirits of ammonia to be 

 used as a stimulant, fetched a bottle, and found that the 

 pulsations of the heart were gradually ceasing, and life was 

 almost extinct. Cook died very quietly a short time 

 afterwards. 



Palmer was present at the post-mortem examination. 

 When the stomach and intestines were removed from 

 the body they were separately emptied into a jar by Mr. 

 Devonshire and Mr. Newton. While the former was 

 opening the stomach a push was given by Palmer, which 

 sent Mr. Newton against Mr. Devonshire, and shook some 



