1 00:00:02,380 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: Happy Saturday. Today we are returning to an episode full 2 00:00:05,860 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: of poison and murder. William Palmer, who was a convicted 3 00:00:09,690 --> 00:00:13,140 Speaker 1: murderer whose story went on to inspire an assortment of 4 00:00:13,220 --> 00:00:21,930 Speaker 1: fictional characters and dramatizations. This episode originally came out October 13th, 2021. 5 00:00:23,050 --> 00:00:26,050 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 6 00:00:26,130 --> 00:00:36,090 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly Frey. 7 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: And I'm Tracy V. Wilson. Okay, I don't know why 8 00:00:39,659 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: humans are wired this way, but the idea of serial 9 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:47,070 Speaker 1: killers is almost always gruesomely intriguing. So, what better topic 10 00:00:47,110 --> 00:00:50,470 Speaker 1: to trot out for Halloween? This particular case is one 11 00:00:50,510 --> 00:00:54,700 Speaker 1: that's often talked about when poisoners come up. Ugh. When 12 00:00:54,740 --> 00:00:57,990 Speaker 1: we were doing a season of Lady Poisoners for Criminalia, 13 00:00:58,030 --> 00:01:00,490 Speaker 1: we couldn't do it because it involves a man. But 14 00:01:00,550 --> 00:01:03,190 Speaker 1: it kept showing up in relation to things as a comparative. 15 00:01:04,050 --> 00:01:07,510 Speaker 1: And even though it's generally considered a settled case, there's 16 00:01:07,550 --> 00:01:09,750 Speaker 1: a lot about it and how it turned out that 17 00:01:09,790 --> 00:01:13,310 Speaker 1: doesn't really involve any hard evidence at all. We are 18 00:01:13,350 --> 00:01:16,090 Speaker 1: talking today about William Palmer, who is also known as 19 00:01:16,130 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 1: the Rugeley Poisoner. And we do want to give a 20 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,780 Speaker 1: little heads up here that while there is obviously murder 21 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:25,860 Speaker 1: in the mix, there is specifically brief mention of children dying. 22 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: So just know that going in. So William Palmer was 23 00:01:29,540 --> 00:01:34,100 Speaker 1: born on August 6, 1824 to Joseph and Sarah Palmer 24 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:39,260 Speaker 1: in Rugeley, Staffordshire, England. Joseph was employed as a sawyer 25 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,819 Speaker 1: and died when William was 12. That left Sarah with 26 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:48,510 Speaker 1: an estimated 70,000 to 75,000 pounds and eight children. William 27 00:01:48,550 --> 00:01:51,910 Speaker 1: was the sixth of the Palmer siblings. Yeah, that was 28 00:01:51,950 --> 00:01:54,270 Speaker 1: a significant amount of money, but she did also have 29 00:01:54,290 --> 00:01:56,170 Speaker 1: to raise a lot of children on her own after that. 30 00:01:57,030 --> 00:01:59,710 Speaker 1: William went to school near his home in Rugeley, and 31 00:01:59,770 --> 00:02:03,450 Speaker 1: he developed a reputation as a trickster at an early age. 32 00:02:04,050 --> 00:02:07,090 Speaker 1: He was not a good student. His peers often accused 33 00:02:07,130 --> 00:02:10,150 Speaker 1: him of cheating. And well before he had reached his 34 00:02:10,210 --> 00:02:13,290 Speaker 1: teenage years, he was in the habit of engaging in 35 00:02:13,350 --> 00:02:16,470 Speaker 1: petty theft. He wasn't the kind of boy who would 36 00:02:16,550 --> 00:02:19,690 Speaker 1: shake down anyone or do anything violent, but if he 37 00:02:19,750 --> 00:02:23,070 Speaker 1: found money unattended, even if he knew that money belonged 38 00:02:23,090 --> 00:02:25,790 Speaker 1: to someone, and even if that someone was a family member, 39 00:02:26,450 --> 00:02:29,169 Speaker 1: he just took it. And in some accounts of his life, 40 00:02:29,310 --> 00:02:31,910 Speaker 1: the event of his father's death is pointed to as 41 00:02:31,950 --> 00:02:35,489 Speaker 1: this moment where he may have started justifying his stealing 42 00:02:35,550 --> 00:02:38,230 Speaker 1: habit as a means of helping his mother, but that 43 00:02:38,290 --> 00:02:42,020 Speaker 1: sort of seems like conjecture or like, kind of backwards 44 00:02:42,100 --> 00:02:45,900 Speaker 1: engineering a gentler version of his personality. But as he 45 00:02:45,940 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: grew into a young man, in addition to continuing his 46 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: perpetual obsession with money and stealing, William also developed a 47 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,740 Speaker 1: reputation as a womanizer. When he finished school, William took 48 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: up a position as an apprentice to a chemist in Liverpool. 49 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: That was roughly 80 miles northwest of where he'd grown 50 00:03:04,620 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: up at a firm called Evans & Company. Initially, this 51 00:03:08,660 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: seemed to go well, although he was once again getting 52 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,590 Speaker 1: into some trouble not long after. As a young man 53 00:03:15,810 --> 00:03:18,950 Speaker 1: instead of a child, and this was way more criminal 54 00:03:19,150 --> 00:03:23,950 Speaker 1: than trickster-like, before long, the chemist was getting complaints about 55 00:03:24,110 --> 00:03:28,470 Speaker 1: orders that people had paid for but had never been filled. Apparently, 56 00:03:28,530 --> 00:03:31,700 Speaker 1: William was taking the orders and then pocketing the cash 57 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,940 Speaker 1: and never actually filing the requests with the chemist. He 58 00:03:35,980 --> 00:03:41,070 Speaker 1: denied any wrongdoing, though, and was fired after just three months. Next, 59 00:03:41,210 --> 00:03:44,670 Speaker 1: William studied medicine in London, first as an apprentice to 60 00:03:44,730 --> 00:03:49,950 Speaker 1: surgeon Edward Tilecote. But this also soon went awry. For 61 00:03:50,050 --> 00:03:54,590 Speaker 1: one thing, Palmer was scamming Tilecote's patients in small-time money cons. 62 00:03:55,260 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: And he was also rumored to have gotten mired in 63 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: a scandalous scheme where he had promised to marry a 64 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,810 Speaker 1: young woman, took her father's small life savings, which he 65 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:05,990 Speaker 1: was given to plan the wedding and get the couple 66 00:04:06,030 --> 00:04:08,490 Speaker 1: started in life, and then he broke up with the 67 00:04:08,530 --> 00:04:11,030 Speaker 1: young lady in question and just kept all the cash. 68 00:04:12,150 --> 00:04:16,290 Speaker 1: And he had developed a fairly extensive gambling habit, which 69 00:04:16,350 --> 00:04:18,860 Speaker 1: people knew about. And none of this was good for 70 00:04:18,900 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 1: the reputation of his mentor, Tilecoat, and William was dismissed 71 00:04:22,500 --> 00:04:26,650 Speaker 1: from his apprenticeship. He kept pursuing a career in medicine, though, 72 00:04:26,970 --> 00:04:30,029 Speaker 1: and moved to the Stafford Infirmary to work as a student. 73 00:04:30,810 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: He wasn't very interested in actual study, though, and was 74 00:04:33,950 --> 00:04:37,190 Speaker 1: more likely to be out drinking than focusing on medical texts. 75 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:41,180 Speaker 1: He did manage to barely pass his exams and qualified 76 00:04:41,260 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: as a doctor in the late summer of 1846. Just 77 00:04:45,100 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: a few months after that, he was once again in 78 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:51,279 Speaker 1: the middle of a scandal, and this one had fatal consequences. 79 00:04:52,180 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: In October 1846, William was drinking with a plumber and 80 00:04:56,460 --> 00:05:01,010 Speaker 1: glazier named George Abley. Palmer had invited Abley to a 81 00:05:01,050 --> 00:05:04,210 Speaker 1: pub called the Lamb and Flag. And there are a 82 00:05:04,270 --> 00:05:07,740 Speaker 1: couple of different ways the particulars of this story are told. 83 00:05:08,460 --> 00:05:12,980 Speaker 1: In one version, Palmer just continuously kept brandy refilled for 84 00:05:13,100 --> 00:05:17,570 Speaker 1: Abley until... Well after the man was intoxicated, he bet 85 00:05:17,589 --> 00:05:21,170 Speaker 1: the plumber, half a sovereign, that he could not drink 86 00:05:21,290 --> 00:05:25,410 Speaker 1: one more glass, which Abley did. In another version, the 87 00:05:25,450 --> 00:05:28,930 Speaker 1: bet was offered that Abley couldn't drink two tumblers of brandy, 88 00:05:29,150 --> 00:05:32,500 Speaker 1: one right after the other. Whichever way this played out, 89 00:05:32,770 --> 00:05:36,260 Speaker 1: Abley took the bet, drank the brandy, and then stumbled 90 00:05:36,300 --> 00:05:39,339 Speaker 1: out of the pub. And two hours later, George Abley 91 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,169 Speaker 1: was dead. Whether Palmer had intended for the man to 92 00:05:43,210 --> 00:05:46,849 Speaker 1: meet his end, he was implicated in town rumors, although 93 00:05:46,890 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 1: he was never charged with any crime. Not long after 94 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,700 Speaker 1: this incident, William Palmer moved to London, maybe to get 95 00:05:53,740 --> 00:05:56,540 Speaker 1: away from this whole thing. He got a job at St. 96 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,679 Speaker 1: Bartholomew's Hospital, and he started a courtship with a woman 97 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:04,060 Speaker 1: named Anne Thornton, who sometimes went by Annie. Anne Thornton 98 00:06:04,180 --> 00:06:07,340 Speaker 1: was the daughter of Anne Mary Thornton, who is often 99 00:06:07,540 --> 00:06:11,060 Speaker 1: referred to as Mary in recountings of Palmer's life and 100 00:06:11,180 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: will follow suit to keep things from getting confusing. Anne's 101 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,930 Speaker 1: father was Colonel Brooks, who had not been married to 102 00:06:19,170 --> 00:06:22,890 Speaker 1: Mary when Anne was born. Brooks did acknowledge his daughter. 103 00:06:23,010 --> 00:06:26,110 Speaker 1: She's listed in some records as Anne Brooks, and she 104 00:06:26,150 --> 00:06:29,860 Speaker 1: was provided for in his will. The colonel died by 105 00:06:29,940 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: suicide in 1834, and at that point, Annie inherited 8,000 pounds. 106 00:06:35,260 --> 00:06:37,710 Speaker 1: So Annie's fortune was not a secret, and it may 107 00:06:37,770 --> 00:06:40,470 Speaker 1: well have been the source of Palmer's attraction to her. 108 00:06:41,290 --> 00:06:45,350 Speaker 1: William Palmer was consistently described as charming, and when Anne 109 00:06:45,370 --> 00:06:48,860 Speaker 1: Thornton met him, she definitely found him so as well. 110 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,979 Speaker 1: But Palmer's reputation was also not a secret. A lot 111 00:06:53,020 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 1: of people viewed him with suspicion and And Anne's family 112 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:58,659 Speaker 1: was pretty direct in telling her that this suitor was 113 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,460 Speaker 1: bad news and that he was probably just after her money. 114 00:07:02,339 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: So when he initially proposed marriage, Anne did not accept. 115 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,900 Speaker 1: But William was persistent. After an almost two-year courtship, to 116 00:07:10,940 --> 00:07:13,660 Speaker 1: which to Anne seemed to have proven that this man 117 00:07:13,740 --> 00:07:16,119 Speaker 1: truly cared for her, the two of them were finally 118 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: married in 1847. They made their home in Rugeley, renting 119 00:07:20,370 --> 00:07:22,390 Speaker 1: a house on Market Street for a reported £ 25 a year. 120 00:07:23,970 --> 00:07:27,570 Speaker 1: and William's medical practice was run from there at the house. 121 00:07:28,250 --> 00:07:31,100 Speaker 1: The marriage was tense from the start. I feel like 122 00:07:31,150 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: this is a recurring theme in recent episodes. It wasn't 123 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: because of anything between William and Anne, but because William 124 00:07:37,220 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: and Anne's family did not get along. Anne's mother, Mary Thornton, 125 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:45,020 Speaker 1: had always been suspicious of Palmer and had been pretty 126 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: vocally against this match, so when her new son-in-law immediately 127 00:07:49,580 --> 00:07:53,140 Speaker 1: started borrowing money from her once they were officially family... 128 00:07:53,500 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: She lent it to him for Anne's benefit, but she 129 00:07:56,060 --> 00:08:01,170 Speaker 1: was ceaselessly irritated. Anne and William welcomed a son, William 130 00:08:01,190 --> 00:08:05,690 Speaker 1: Brooks Palmer, in October of 1848. Three months later, in 131 00:08:05,730 --> 00:08:09,630 Speaker 1: January of 1849, Mary went to the Market Street house 132 00:08:09,690 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: to stay with her daughter and son-in-law. Sometimes this is 133 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: characterized as a visit, but you'll also see it described 134 00:08:16,780 --> 00:08:19,380 Speaker 1: more that she was moving in with them because of 135 00:08:19,420 --> 00:08:23,630 Speaker 1: her failing health. Regardless, it was a brief stay. She 136 00:08:23,730 --> 00:08:28,060 Speaker 1: died on January 18th, two weeks after arriving. Her cause 137 00:08:28,100 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: of death was listed as apoplexy by the doctor who 138 00:08:30,900 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: examined her. That doctor's name was Bamford. Bamford is going 139 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: to show up a lot. He was an elderly doctor 140 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: that was friends with William Palmer. There was a payout 141 00:08:41,380 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: for Anne after Mary's death of £ 12, 000, although it seems 142 00:08:45,900 --> 00:08:48,700 Speaker 1: that this was not in a lump sum. And William 143 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:53,010 Speaker 1: had been expecting more. He clearly viewed his marriage to 144 00:08:53,210 --> 00:08:55,890 Speaker 1: Anne as a source of income, and between what he 145 00:08:55,929 --> 00:08:59,890 Speaker 1: believed to be a weak inheritance and his ongoing frustration 146 00:08:59,929 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: at Anne's larger fortune being parceled out in quarterly payments, 147 00:09:03,940 --> 00:09:07,580 Speaker 1: he felt like he was being cheated. This was particularly 148 00:09:07,620 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: the case because he spent all of the couple's money 149 00:09:10,780 --> 00:09:13,290 Speaker 1: far faster than it was coming in, so even though 150 00:09:13,690 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: his wife was very wealthy on paper... and should have 151 00:09:16,500 --> 00:09:19,220 Speaker 1: kind of been set for life, in reality, there was 152 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:25,209 Speaker 1: a massive debt accruing. To complicate the family finances even further, Palmer, 153 00:09:25,470 --> 00:09:29,849 Speaker 1: who already had a propensity for gambling, started becoming interested 154 00:09:29,890 --> 00:09:34,070 Speaker 1: in horse racing. And through this interest, he became acquainted 155 00:09:34,110 --> 00:09:38,830 Speaker 1: with a man named Leonard Blayden. Before meeting Blayden, William 156 00:09:38,870 --> 00:09:41,689 Speaker 1: had gotten himself into even deeper trouble with money because 157 00:09:41,730 --> 00:09:44,650 Speaker 1: he had become the owner or part owner of several 158 00:09:44,730 --> 00:09:49,110 Speaker 1: racehorses He made some pretty desperate sales of horses at 159 00:09:49,150 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: a loss because he kept finding himself in need of 160 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:55,620 Speaker 1: quick cash. Yeah, exactly what somebody with a gambling problem 161 00:09:55,660 --> 00:09:58,569 Speaker 1: needs is to buy into the system that he gambles 162 00:09:58,710 --> 00:10:03,100 Speaker 1: in and also in a way that is very expensive. Like, 163 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: horses are not cheap to keep. And Blayden, who worked 164 00:10:07,059 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: for Charrington's Brewery, loaned William Palmer money after the two 165 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,860 Speaker 1: had become acquainted. But it very quickly became apparent that 166 00:10:14,900 --> 00:10:17,780 Speaker 1: getting that money back was going to be difficult. In 167 00:10:17,860 --> 00:10:20,620 Speaker 1: early May 1850, the two men went to the Chester 168 00:10:20,700 --> 00:10:24,070 Speaker 1: races together. Bladen had a very lucky day of betting 169 00:10:24,130 --> 00:10:26,910 Speaker 1: and came away from the races with several hundred pounds. 170 00:10:27,809 --> 00:10:29,770 Speaker 1: On top of that, Palmer told him that if he 171 00:10:29,830 --> 00:10:32,390 Speaker 1: came back to Rugeley with him, he could finally pay 172 00:10:32,429 --> 00:10:35,260 Speaker 1: him back the money he was owed. And Bladen agreed, 173 00:10:35,380 --> 00:10:36,900 Speaker 1: and he wrote a note to his wife that he 174 00:10:36,940 --> 00:10:40,620 Speaker 1: was going to stay with the Palmers. But after arriving 175 00:10:40,700 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: at William and Ann Palmer's home, Bladen started to feel unwell. 176 00:10:45,380 --> 00:10:48,300 Speaker 1: He was in really a lot of pain. pretty quickly, 177 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,420 Speaker 1: and then he died. The cause of death was listed 178 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,660 Speaker 1: as injury of the hip joint five or six months, 179 00:10:55,100 --> 00:11:01,020 Speaker 1: abscess in the pelvis. That is, once again, that same 180 00:11:01,140 --> 00:11:06,230 Speaker 1: elderly doctor writing that death certificate. After that death, William 181 00:11:06,309 --> 00:11:09,850 Speaker 1: actually claimed that Bladen had owed him money, and he 182 00:11:09,890 --> 00:11:12,910 Speaker 1: was brazen enough to ask Leonard Bladen's widow for it. 183 00:11:12,990 --> 00:11:16,780 Speaker 1: He said that he was owed 60 pounds. Mrs. Bladen 184 00:11:16,980 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: was immediately suspicious of William Palmer. She knew that he 185 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,060 Speaker 1: had owed her husband money when he died. Leonard had 186 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,620 Speaker 1: included that information in his letter to her. And she 187 00:11:26,660 --> 00:11:29,439 Speaker 1: was also suspicious that no money had been found in 188 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:32,590 Speaker 1: her husband's effects when he died because he had also 189 00:11:32,660 --> 00:11:34,730 Speaker 1: told her that he had won money at the races. 190 00:11:35,380 --> 00:11:38,910 Speaker 1: His betting book was also missing. And she gave Palmer 191 00:11:39,150 --> 00:11:42,650 Speaker 1: no money, kind of made it clear that she suspected him, 192 00:11:43,410 --> 00:11:46,110 Speaker 1: and he backed off. We're going to take a quick 193 00:11:46,190 --> 00:11:49,110 Speaker 1: break from all of this grim business and take a 194 00:11:49,690 --> 00:12:02,790 Speaker 1: moment for a word from some of our sponsors. In 1852, 195 00:12:02,790 --> 00:12:06,530 Speaker 1: Palmer's uncle Joseph Bentley died. That was on October 27th 196 00:12:06,580 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: of that year. He had allegedly perished after having been 197 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:14,510 Speaker 1: challenged to a drinking contest by his nephew. But Joseph 198 00:12:14,550 --> 00:12:17,370 Speaker 1: was 62. He was not in great health to begin with. 199 00:12:17,470 --> 00:12:21,190 Speaker 1: So even if those were the circumstances of his passing, 200 00:12:21,610 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 1: this was not looked at as a particularly odd situation. 201 00:12:25,140 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 1: Before Joseph Bentley's death, starting in late 1850, the Palmers 202 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,700 Speaker 1: had four more children. But none of those babies lived 203 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: past infancy. Their daughter, Elizabeth, died at 10 weeks old 204 00:12:36,990 --> 00:12:41,990 Speaker 1: on January 6th, 1851. A son named Henry died exactly 205 00:12:42,090 --> 00:12:44,530 Speaker 1: a year later to the day when he was one 206 00:12:44,570 --> 00:12:49,990 Speaker 1: month old. Another son, Frank, died on December 19, 1852, 207 00:12:49,980 --> 00:12:52,839 Speaker 1: which was the same day he was born. And finally, 208 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: a baby named John, who was born on January 24, 1854, 209 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:02,330 Speaker 1: died three days later. All of the infant's causes of 210 00:13:02,410 --> 00:13:06,890 Speaker 1: death were the same, which was convulsions. At the same time, 211 00:13:07,270 --> 00:13:10,790 Speaker 1: these were considered to be normal, if tragic, occurrences. It 212 00:13:10,850 --> 00:13:13,270 Speaker 1: was thought of as just a run of bad luck 213 00:13:13,330 --> 00:13:18,550 Speaker 1: for the Palmers. Yeah, infant mortality was a kind of 214 00:13:18,650 --> 00:13:22,709 Speaker 1: common occurrence at this point in this area. So even 215 00:13:22,750 --> 00:13:27,250 Speaker 1: though it looked terribly awful, nobody really suspected anything. But 216 00:13:27,270 --> 00:13:29,820 Speaker 1: that bad luck that they were having seemed to continue 217 00:13:29,940 --> 00:13:33,420 Speaker 1: in their finances because they were falling deeper and deeper 218 00:13:33,500 --> 00:13:37,030 Speaker 1: into debt. William's gambling had, of course, continued. It had 219 00:13:37,090 --> 00:13:40,230 Speaker 1: only gotten worse. And then he started forging notes in 220 00:13:40,290 --> 00:13:43,750 Speaker 1: his mother's name to keep borrowing money. And he was 221 00:13:43,910 --> 00:13:46,660 Speaker 1: very aware that he could end up in debtor's prison. 222 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:51,559 Speaker 1: And that's why, seven years into Ann and William Palmer's marriage, 223 00:13:51,980 --> 00:13:54,660 Speaker 1: the husband took out a life insurance policy on his 224 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:58,589 Speaker 1: wife that was worth £ 13, 000. He actually tried to take 225 00:13:58,650 --> 00:14:01,930 Speaker 1: out several policies with different companies, but was only able 226 00:14:01,950 --> 00:14:04,990 Speaker 1: to secure one with the Prince of Wales Insurance Company. 227 00:14:05,910 --> 00:14:07,939 Speaker 1: The year he took out the policy, which was 1854, 228 00:14:07,940 --> 00:14:11,839 Speaker 1: he made the first premium payment in the amount of 229 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 1: 750 pounds. Anne died on September 29th of 1854 at 230 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:21,590 Speaker 1: the age of 27. There was a cholera outbreak in 231 00:14:21,670 --> 00:14:24,010 Speaker 1: England at the time, and Anne Palmer was believed to 232 00:14:24,070 --> 00:14:26,930 Speaker 1: have died from it. She was buried in the Palmer 233 00:14:26,970 --> 00:14:30,210 Speaker 1: family vault, and William quickly put together the paperwork to 234 00:14:30,270 --> 00:14:33,770 Speaker 1: claim the payout on her insurance policy, which he received 235 00:14:33,830 --> 00:14:36,860 Speaker 1: in very short order, and he used that cash to 236 00:14:36,910 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: pay off the many people that he owed money to. 237 00:14:40,100 --> 00:14:43,700 Speaker 1: In early 1855, just a few months after Anne's death, 238 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 1: Palmer was once again forging bills in his mother's name 239 00:14:47,940 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: to get creditors to give him money, but that wasn't 240 00:14:51,580 --> 00:14:55,940 Speaker 1: working particularly well anymore. Some of the creditors were suspicious 241 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: and asking to speak with Sarah Palmer about her son's 242 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:01,580 Speaker 1: assurances that she could cover any money that he borrowed. 243 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:05,020 Speaker 1: William was really backed into a corner. He could not 244 00:15:05,060 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 1: let his mother find out about this gambling debt. And 245 00:15:08,950 --> 00:15:12,670 Speaker 1: in 1855, a repeat of the circumstances of Anne's death 246 00:15:12,730 --> 00:15:17,130 Speaker 1: played out, this time with William's brother, Walter Palmer. William 247 00:15:17,230 --> 00:15:21,630 Speaker 1: insured his sibling's life for 14,000 pounds. made one payment 248 00:15:21,670 --> 00:15:25,850 Speaker 1: on the policy, and then suddenly Walter died. Walter was 249 00:15:25,890 --> 00:15:28,490 Speaker 1: living alone at the time. He was married, but he 250 00:15:28,510 --> 00:15:32,130 Speaker 1: and his wife had separated due to Walter's alcoholism. And 251 00:15:32,150 --> 00:15:37,890 Speaker 1: while William had attempted to take out a whopping £ 84, 000 252 00:15:35,650 --> 00:15:39,230 Speaker 1: policy on Walter, he was turned down for that. But 253 00:15:39,430 --> 00:15:42,270 Speaker 1: once again, Prince of Wales Insurance Company was there with 254 00:15:42,310 --> 00:15:47,190 Speaker 1: a policy approval in that £ 14, 000 amount. That single premium, 255 00:15:47,250 --> 00:15:49,270 Speaker 1: as we said, had been paid, but this time it 256 00:15:49,310 --> 00:15:53,450 Speaker 1: was paid directly by one of William's creditors. He basically said, like, hey, 257 00:15:53,490 --> 00:15:55,450 Speaker 1: I don't have the fast cash for this. Could you 258 00:15:55,490 --> 00:15:57,890 Speaker 1: go ahead and pay for it? And that payment was 259 00:15:57,930 --> 00:16:03,250 Speaker 1: made just before Walter's death on August 16th, 1855. Because 260 00:16:03,290 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: of Walter's history of alcohol misuse, this was also not 261 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: entirely a shocking demise. Because he lived alone, there weren't 262 00:16:10,300 --> 00:16:13,820 Speaker 1: a lot of people to say otherwise. William had, at 263 00:16:13,860 --> 00:16:16,260 Speaker 1: the end of his brother's life, made sure that Walter 264 00:16:16,380 --> 00:16:19,940 Speaker 1: always had plenty of gin on hand. But this time, 265 00:16:20,020 --> 00:16:22,850 Speaker 1: Prince of Wales Insurance was not so quick to turn 266 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:26,410 Speaker 1: around the payment on the claim. Walter's death and the 267 00:16:26,430 --> 00:16:29,630 Speaker 1: fact that Palmer had filed paperwork to take out another policy, 268 00:16:29,690 --> 00:16:32,890 Speaker 1: this time on an undergroomer who cared for Palmer's horses, 269 00:16:33,630 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: led the insurance company to open an investigation. That policy 270 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: had some problems in the details that investigators found puzzling. 271 00:16:41,420 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: It listed his regular occupation as farmer, indicating that he 272 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: had a farm of his own. But the reality was 273 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,410 Speaker 1: that he was more of an on-again, off-again field hand 274 00:16:51,450 --> 00:16:55,290 Speaker 1: and just drifted from job to job as needed. When 275 00:16:55,330 --> 00:16:58,190 Speaker 1: that worker in question, who is named George Bates, was 276 00:16:58,290 --> 00:17:01,870 Speaker 1: interviewed about this policy, he thought it was only for £ 4, 000, 277 00:17:01,670 --> 00:17:08,010 Speaker 1: not the £ 10, 000 that appeared on the application. To top 278 00:17:08,109 --> 00:17:11,230 Speaker 1: off all of the suspicious aspects of the policy, while 279 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,660 Speaker 1: it was signed by George Bates, it was witnessed by 280 00:17:14,740 --> 00:17:18,100 Speaker 1: two of Palmer's friends from the racetrack. So it appeared 281 00:17:18,140 --> 00:17:20,619 Speaker 1: that William Palmer had offered to help Bates set up 282 00:17:20,660 --> 00:17:24,380 Speaker 1: a life insurance policy, had lied about the amount intending 283 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,490 Speaker 1: to take the overage for himself, and named himself as 284 00:17:27,530 --> 00:17:30,630 Speaker 1: a beneficiary. He had also promised to give Bates £ 1, 000 285 00:17:30,530 --> 00:17:35,290 Speaker 1: in the next year as an early payout. The two 286 00:17:35,330 --> 00:17:38,400 Speaker 1: inspectors on the case, whose names were Simpson and Field, 287 00:17:38,859 --> 00:17:42,540 Speaker 1: thought this whole situation was shady, and they suspected that 288 00:17:42,580 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: Palmer had poisoned his brother. They were not going to 289 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,010 Speaker 1: pay out on Walter Palmer's policy, and they were going 290 00:17:49,050 --> 00:17:52,409 Speaker 1: to suggest to the authorities that a legal investigation begin 291 00:17:52,510 --> 00:17:55,490 Speaker 1: into the matter. So Palmer was panicked. He needed to 292 00:17:55,510 --> 00:17:57,909 Speaker 1: pay off his debts. He needed to find a way 293 00:17:57,950 --> 00:18:01,149 Speaker 1: to do it without relying on an insurance payout, and 294 00:18:01,270 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: that sealed the fate of a man named John Parsons Cook. 295 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:07,619 Speaker 1: So Cook and William Palmer had been friends for a 296 00:18:07,660 --> 00:18:11,980 Speaker 1: couple of years by 1855. They were racing buddies. Cook 297 00:18:12,030 --> 00:18:14,070 Speaker 1: had been one of the men who signed the application 298 00:18:14,130 --> 00:18:18,430 Speaker 1: for George Bates' life insurance policy. And like William Palmer, 299 00:18:18,550 --> 00:18:21,670 Speaker 1: Cook owned a horse, and he liked to bet. But 300 00:18:21,730 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: he was apparently luckier than Palmer in that enterprise, and 301 00:18:26,150 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 1: he had an inheritance, and he was not carrying a 302 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:33,830 Speaker 1: huge debt. On November 13th, 1855, the two men attended 303 00:18:33,890 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 1: the Shrewsbury races together. Cook won an estimated 3,000 pounds 304 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:41,950 Speaker 1: that day when his horse named Polestar had a good 305 00:18:42,030 --> 00:18:45,340 Speaker 1: run To celebrate, the winner had a party at the 306 00:18:45,540 --> 00:18:48,139 Speaker 1: inn where he was staying, which was the Raven Hotel. 307 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:53,130 Speaker 1: Palmer attended, but left early and headed home. The next day, though, 308 00:18:53,190 --> 00:18:56,530 Speaker 1: he went right back to Shrewsbury. That's because in the interim, 309 00:18:56,590 --> 00:18:59,990 Speaker 1: he received another ultimatum from a creditor who was very 310 00:19:00,050 --> 00:19:03,310 Speaker 1: ready to visit his mother about all of his outstanding debts. 311 00:19:04,010 --> 00:19:06,210 Speaker 1: So he met that night with John Parsons Cook and 312 00:19:06,270 --> 00:19:09,120 Speaker 1: several other of their racetrack friends. They kind of hung 313 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,960 Speaker 1: out and ordered a round of brandies. But Cook, after 314 00:19:12,020 --> 00:19:16,709 Speaker 1: tossing his back, noted an unusual burning sensation in his throat. 315 00:19:17,550 --> 00:19:20,790 Speaker 1: William Palmer kind of mocked his friend openly for saying so, 316 00:19:20,890 --> 00:19:23,010 Speaker 1: kind of hinting like that he was being a wuss, 317 00:19:23,550 --> 00:19:26,590 Speaker 1: and asked one of their companions to check his Palmer's 318 00:19:26,650 --> 00:19:29,540 Speaker 1: glass to see if they thought it looked suspicious. That 319 00:19:29,580 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 1: glass was empty and it looked to have no residue 320 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,439 Speaker 1: in it. Before long, Cook, who was just getting worse, 321 00:19:35,500 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 1: was escorted to his room by two other men of 322 00:19:37,780 --> 00:19:40,419 Speaker 1: the party. where he began throwing up a great deal. 323 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,510 Speaker 1: And he also told the other men that, quote, I 324 00:19:43,550 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: believe that damned Palmer has been dosing me. Cook was 325 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,310 Speaker 1: seen by a doctor, but he did not improve. The 326 00:19:50,350 --> 00:19:52,870 Speaker 1: next day, Palmer was back at the track and had 327 00:19:52,910 --> 00:19:56,230 Speaker 1: an abysmal outing. He lost a great deal of money. 328 00:19:57,100 --> 00:20:00,580 Speaker 1: That night, he and Cook headed back to Rugeley. Cook 329 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,939 Speaker 1: was still sick, but seemed to be improving slightly. He 330 00:20:04,020 --> 00:20:06,179 Speaker 1: spent the night at an inn across the street from 331 00:20:06,220 --> 00:20:09,100 Speaker 1: the Palmer residence. And the day after that, which was 332 00:20:09,140 --> 00:20:12,310 Speaker 1: a Friday, the two men had lunch together, along with 333 00:20:12,380 --> 00:20:17,290 Speaker 1: Jeremiah Smith, who was Cook's solicitor. On Saturday morning, Palmer 334 00:20:17,350 --> 00:20:19,470 Speaker 1: called on Cook at the inn again, and this time, 335 00:20:19,730 --> 00:20:22,270 Speaker 1: Palmer ordered a coffee, which he shared with his friend. 336 00:20:23,230 --> 00:20:27,949 Speaker 1: According to accounts, Cook began vomiting again almost immediately. As 337 00:20:28,030 --> 00:20:30,439 Speaker 1: Palmer was a doctor, he cared for his friend, and 338 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 1: on that Saturday, he had another doctor, that was Bamford, 339 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,830 Speaker 1: come to see the patient. The solicitor, named Smith, also 340 00:20:37,890 --> 00:20:40,880 Speaker 1: sent soup for Cook. He sent that to Palmer, who 341 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:42,859 Speaker 1: brought it over to the man, and after eating it, 342 00:20:43,340 --> 00:20:47,300 Speaker 1: Cook once again got worse. The leftover soup was stored 343 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:49,179 Speaker 1: in the inn's kitchen, and when one of the staff 344 00:20:49,220 --> 00:20:53,690 Speaker 1: tasted it, she also became ill. Still, that same soup 345 00:20:53,730 --> 00:20:57,570 Speaker 1: was once again fed to John Parsons Cook, whose condition worsened. 346 00:20:58,530 --> 00:21:02,189 Speaker 1: As Cook continued to decline, William Palmer started to collect 347 00:21:02,290 --> 00:21:04,740 Speaker 1: the winnings that were due to his sick friend from 348 00:21:04,780 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 1: the successful bets that he had placed before falling ill. 349 00:21:09,100 --> 00:21:11,880 Speaker 1: He did not bring that money back to Cook. He 350 00:21:11,940 --> 00:21:13,899 Speaker 1: used some of that to pay off his debts, and 351 00:21:13,940 --> 00:21:18,120 Speaker 1: then he bought three grains of strychnine from a chemist 352 00:21:18,260 --> 00:21:21,810 Speaker 1: named Salt. He made those into two pills that he 353 00:21:21,850 --> 00:21:24,670 Speaker 1: made up in his own office, and he administered these 354 00:21:24,770 --> 00:21:28,060 Speaker 1: to Cook. On November 20th, so this was a week 355 00:21:28,220 --> 00:21:30,030 Speaker 1: after the day that Cook had done so well at 356 00:21:30,070 --> 00:21:34,330 Speaker 1: the Shrewsbury track, he was terribly ill and a Dr. 357 00:21:34,410 --> 00:21:37,350 Speaker 1: Jones was requested by William Palmer to stay with the 358 00:21:37,369 --> 00:21:42,370 Speaker 1: patient overnight. Cook had difficulty sleeping and his condition grew 359 00:21:42,450 --> 00:21:45,260 Speaker 1: worse in the night, so Dr. Jones called for Dr. 360 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:49,500 Speaker 1: Palmer as things became more grave. William Palmer gave Cook 361 00:21:49,859 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: two ammonia pills. Within an hour, after a horrific series 362 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,510 Speaker 1: of convulsions, and repeatedly saying that he felt like he 363 00:21:57,550 --> 00:22:03,010 Speaker 1: was suffocating, John Parsons Cook was dead. Palmer had his friend, 364 00:22:03,230 --> 00:22:07,350 Speaker 1: once again the elderly Dr. Bamford, write up the death certificate, 365 00:22:07,650 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: and the cause was listed as apoplexy. We're about to 366 00:22:11,630 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 1: get to how everything unraveled for Palmer after Cook's death. 367 00:22:15,340 --> 00:22:17,739 Speaker 1: But first, we will pause for a word from the 368 00:22:17,820 --> 00:22:30,409 Speaker 1: sponsors that keep Stuff You Missed in History Class going. So, 369 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,500 Speaker 1: Cook's stepfather came to the inn the day after his 370 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:38,580 Speaker 1: stepson died, immediately after he had been told what had happened, 371 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:42,180 Speaker 1: and William Palmer immediately told the man, who had just 372 00:22:42,260 --> 00:22:45,899 Speaker 1: lost a family member, that Cook owed 4,000 pounds in 373 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,060 Speaker 1: unpaid bills that he could just give to him. But 374 00:22:49,100 --> 00:22:52,300 Speaker 1: Cook's stepfather, William Stevens, said, was a bit suspicious of 375 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:55,400 Speaker 1: all this, and he asked for a coroner's inquest into 376 00:22:55,420 --> 00:22:59,060 Speaker 1: the death and a post-mortem exam of the body. And 377 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 1: he also wanted samples from the body sent to a 378 00:23:01,700 --> 00:23:07,140 Speaker 1: poison expert, Dr. Alfred Swain Taylor. This post-mortem was total chaos. 379 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,620 Speaker 1: For one, it was held there at the hotel where 380 00:23:09,660 --> 00:23:13,100 Speaker 1: Cook died on November 26th, and there was an audience 381 00:23:13,180 --> 00:23:16,949 Speaker 1: of curious locals to watch. For another, the men who 382 00:23:16,990 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: performed it were young and inexperienced. One was a medical student. 383 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: One was the town chemist's assistant. They did have a 384 00:23:24,540 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 1: more experienced doctor supervising, but the two of them did 385 00:23:28,660 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: not have a lot of experience themselves. And then it 386 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:35,660 Speaker 1: went poorly. These two men were nervous. It was suspected 387 00:23:35,700 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 1: that they had had a drink beforehand to calm their nerves. 388 00:23:39,300 --> 00:23:42,940 Speaker 1: So they bumped into each other. They dropped Cook's organs. 389 00:23:42,980 --> 00:23:47,590 Speaker 1: They just bungled this entire thing. And as they fumbled around, 390 00:23:47,670 --> 00:23:49,949 Speaker 1: William Palmer was able to get a hold of the 391 00:23:50,030 --> 00:23:54,250 Speaker 1: jar where they had placed Cook's stomach contents. He took 392 00:23:54,350 --> 00:23:58,490 Speaker 1: that jar into another room. He returned it when someone 393 00:23:58,530 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: noticed it was missing, but the seal on it had 394 00:24:01,100 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 1: been cut. It looked otherwise intact. Yeah, he gave like 395 00:24:05,820 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 1: the very fumbly excuse of like, oh, I was getting 396 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:09,660 Speaker 1: it out of your way. You guys seem to be, 397 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,420 Speaker 1: you know, you had so many things going on. I 398 00:24:12,460 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: just thought I would clear the area for you. Not 399 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:19,540 Speaker 1: suspicious at all. When the poison expert, Dr. Taylor, received 400 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,540 Speaker 1: the specimens that had been prepared there at the Talbot Arms, 401 00:24:23,140 --> 00:24:25,540 Speaker 1: he found the entire collection such a mess that he 402 00:24:25,660 --> 00:24:28,420 Speaker 1: asked for a second post-mortem so that he could get 403 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:33,220 Speaker 1: better samples. When Dr. Taylor initially wrote to the coroner 404 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:36,620 Speaker 1: saying he had found no strychnine in the samples, Palmer 405 00:24:36,660 --> 00:24:39,300 Speaker 1: heard about it because he had bribed the postmaster to 406 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 1: intercept this letter. He then wrote to the coroner and 407 00:24:42,940 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: asked him to declare the death an accidental causes situation, 408 00:24:47,260 --> 00:24:51,060 Speaker 1: and he tucked a 10-pound note into this letter. Subtle. 409 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,919 Speaker 1: That bribe did not work on the coroner, William Webb Ward. 410 00:24:55,650 --> 00:24:58,070 Speaker 1: The final findings of Dr. Taylor were that he did 411 00:24:58,130 --> 00:25:01,530 Speaker 1: not find any strychnine in the samples, but that he 412 00:25:01,630 --> 00:25:05,010 Speaker 1: suspected that Palmer had given Cook strychnine at some point, 413 00:25:05,430 --> 00:25:08,689 Speaker 1: as the symptoms he had were consistent with strychnine poisoning. 414 00:25:09,570 --> 00:25:13,590 Speaker 1: The inquest jury, having examined Dr. Taylor's findings, issued their 415 00:25:13,630 --> 00:25:18,950 Speaker 1: verdict on December 15, 1855, which read, quote, Deceased died 416 00:25:18,990 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 1: of poison willfully administered to him by William Palmer. The 417 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,500 Speaker 1: postmaster who had intercepted the letter to the coroner, which 418 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,460 Speaker 1: was a man named Samuel Cheshire, was sentenced to two 419 00:25:29,500 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: years in prison for mail tampering. But here's the thing, 420 00:25:32,820 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: that coroner's jury was not a court of law, so 421 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:39,199 Speaker 1: Palmer still had to be tried in criminal court. He 422 00:25:39,260 --> 00:25:42,060 Speaker 1: was at home in bed, sick, when the coroner's jury 423 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 1: determination was issued. He was already under warrant on forgery 424 00:25:46,540 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: charges because of all of those fake bills that he 425 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,830 Speaker 1: had been giving creditors in his mother's name. But he 426 00:25:51,890 --> 00:25:54,389 Speaker 1: was allowed to stay at home under guard until he 427 00:25:54,430 --> 00:25:56,750 Speaker 1: was well enough to be moved to the Stafford jail. 428 00:25:57,430 --> 00:26:00,330 Speaker 1: There was no way William Palmer could get an impartial 429 00:26:00,410 --> 00:26:03,900 Speaker 1: trial in Stafford, so an act of parliament was enacted 430 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,859 Speaker 1: that would allow him to be tried in London instead. 431 00:26:07,700 --> 00:26:10,119 Speaker 1: By the time he was arrested, the rumor mill of 432 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,250 Speaker 1: the town and speculation in the press had already started 433 00:26:13,290 --> 00:26:16,610 Speaker 1: to link the many deaths in William Palmer's life together 434 00:26:17,310 --> 00:26:20,190 Speaker 1: and to suggest that he had been responsible for all 435 00:26:20,210 --> 00:26:23,950 Speaker 1: of them. Palmer's wife Anne and his brother Walter were 436 00:26:24,030 --> 00:26:27,530 Speaker 1: exhumed so that they could be a second coroner's inquest 437 00:26:27,630 --> 00:26:31,690 Speaker 1: into their deaths. Anne Palmer's body was in pretty good condition, 438 00:26:31,790 --> 00:26:35,700 Speaker 1: but Walter's was so badly decomposed that the gory scene 439 00:26:35,740 --> 00:26:38,290 Speaker 1: was written up in the papers. I'm going to read it, 440 00:26:38,369 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: so just brace. If you are squeamish, maybe jump ahead. 441 00:26:41,780 --> 00:26:44,820 Speaker 1: The Times ran this story on January 4th, 1856. Quote, 442 00:26:46,300 --> 00:26:48,860 Speaker 1: On the removal of the outer coffin, a hole was 443 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: bored in the leaden receptacle in which Walter Palmer's body 444 00:26:52,100 --> 00:26:57,100 Speaker 1: was confined, and instantly a most sickening and noxious effluvium escaped, 445 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:01,290 Speaker 1: which permeated the entire building, affected parties at the other 446 00:27:01,369 --> 00:27:03,990 Speaker 1: end of the inn, and produced a sickening effect on 447 00:27:04,250 --> 00:27:08,230 Speaker 1: all in the immediate vicinity of the coffin. Subsequently, the 448 00:27:08,310 --> 00:27:11,210 Speaker 1: leaden lid was removed and the spectacle presented by the 449 00:27:11,250 --> 00:27:15,790 Speaker 1: body was absolutely frightful. The cheeks were so terribly distended 450 00:27:15,930 --> 00:27:18,910 Speaker 1: as to extend to either side of the coffin. One 451 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: eye was opened and the mouth partially so, presenting the 452 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:26,660 Speaker 1: appearance of a horrible grin and grimace. Each limb was 453 00:27:26,740 --> 00:27:30,679 Speaker 1: also swollen to prodigious proportions and the sight was revolting 454 00:27:30,780 --> 00:27:34,750 Speaker 1: in the extreme. Nearly all the jurors were afflicted with 455 00:27:34,830 --> 00:27:39,169 Speaker 1: vomiting or fainting. Ultimately, it was determined that Walter's body 456 00:27:39,230 --> 00:27:44,750 Speaker 1: was just too decomposed for additional examination. But in Anne's tissue, 457 00:27:45,630 --> 00:27:49,709 Speaker 1: there was antimony found in multiple organs. Dr. Taylor had 458 00:27:49,890 --> 00:27:53,690 Speaker 1: analyzed these samples, and that was his finding. The coroner's 459 00:27:53,770 --> 00:27:56,710 Speaker 1: jury declared this to be a willful murder. Yeah, there 460 00:27:56,750 --> 00:28:00,930 Speaker 1: was definitely, like, kind of this inference that in describing 461 00:28:01,109 --> 00:28:07,770 Speaker 1: that gross state of Walter's body, that he had... decayed 462 00:28:07,869 --> 00:28:11,730 Speaker 1: so much possibly because of something nefarious that was never 463 00:28:11,810 --> 00:28:13,330 Speaker 1: proven but like that was kind of the way the 464 00:28:13,369 --> 00:28:16,899 Speaker 1: papers were framing it palmer's trial for the murder of 465 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:20,980 Speaker 1: john parsons cook began on may 14th 1856 at the 466 00:28:21,100 --> 00:28:24,620 Speaker 1: old bailey london that is the city's criminal court it's 467 00:28:24,660 --> 00:28:26,010 Speaker 1: called the old bailey because that's the name of the 468 00:28:26,050 --> 00:28:28,830 Speaker 1: street the men who had been drinking with cook and 469 00:28:28,890 --> 00:28:33,070 Speaker 1: palmer when cook first mentioned that throat burning sensation were 470 00:28:33,130 --> 00:28:36,889 Speaker 1: called for testimony The chambermaid who drank the soup that 471 00:28:36,930 --> 00:28:40,050 Speaker 1: Palmer brought Cook testified that she had gotten ill from it. 472 00:28:40,730 --> 00:28:43,550 Speaker 1: She also gave a pretty graphic account of Cook's appearance 473 00:28:43,650 --> 00:28:46,050 Speaker 1: and behavior while he was staying at the Talbot Arms, 474 00:28:46,570 --> 00:28:49,410 Speaker 1: including the fact that he had said the word murder 475 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:52,900 Speaker 1: twice while he was ill. The defense pointed out that 476 00:28:52,980 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: Cook had been fairly frail to start with. The defense 477 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,380 Speaker 1: attorney for Palmer offered up the possibility that based on 478 00:28:59,420 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: the chambermaid's description, Cook had actually died not of strychnine poisoning, 479 00:29:04,550 --> 00:29:07,730 Speaker 1: but of tetanus. But it was when the chemist's assistant 480 00:29:07,780 --> 00:29:12,060 Speaker 1: testified that things really fell apart for William Palmer. That assistant, 481 00:29:12,100 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 1: whose name was Charles Newton, told the court that Palmer 482 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: had bought strychnine from him on November 19, 1855. He 483 00:29:20,420 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 1: had not recorded that purchase in the poison records, as 484 00:29:23,740 --> 00:29:27,510 Speaker 1: required by law, because Palmer and the chemist, Mr. Salt, 485 00:29:27,550 --> 00:29:31,510 Speaker 1: who we mentioned earlier, had a rather sour relationship, and 486 00:29:31,610 --> 00:29:35,290 Speaker 1: Newton had not wished to anger his boss. Palmer had 487 00:29:35,350 --> 00:29:38,710 Speaker 1: told Newton that he needed enough strychnine to kill a dog, 488 00:29:39,210 --> 00:29:41,980 Speaker 1: and Newton said that Palmer also bought a second dose 489 00:29:42,020 --> 00:29:46,020 Speaker 1: of strychnine at another shop on November 20th. The assistant 490 00:29:46,060 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 1: from that shop, a young man named Charles Joseph Roberts, 491 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,870 Speaker 1: confirmed the second purchase and that he had also neglected 492 00:29:52,890 --> 00:29:55,469 Speaker 1: to record the sale of the poison as he was 493 00:29:55,570 --> 00:29:59,570 Speaker 1: legally supposed to have done. The elderly doctor who had 494 00:29:59,590 --> 00:30:03,610 Speaker 1: been involved, Dr. Bamford, provided a written testimony to be 495 00:30:03,670 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: read in court because he was too ill to attend. 496 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,260 Speaker 1: He stated that he thought the death was caused by 497 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:13,960 Speaker 1: congestion of the brain. Other medical experts dismissed this statement. 498 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 1: Of course, poison expert Dr. Alfred Taylor was also called 499 00:30:17,980 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: to testify. He explained that the remains had been so 500 00:30:22,460 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 1: poorly handled in the post-mortem that testing for strychnine was difficult, 501 00:30:26,820 --> 00:30:29,310 Speaker 1: if not impossible, but that he did look for it 502 00:30:29,350 --> 00:30:32,570 Speaker 1: just the same as well as other poisons. The stomach, 503 00:30:32,610 --> 00:30:35,489 Speaker 1: for example, had been sent emptied of its contents, so 504 00:30:35,550 --> 00:30:37,850 Speaker 1: he did not have one of the key samples he 505 00:30:37,870 --> 00:30:41,950 Speaker 1: would have normally needed for a thorough analysis. He did 506 00:30:42,020 --> 00:30:45,220 Speaker 1: find traces of antimony, though not enough to cause death. 507 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: All of the medical experts who were called admitted that 508 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,110 Speaker 1: they had never actually seen strychnine poisoning in a human, 509 00:30:52,370 --> 00:30:57,450 Speaker 1: only in other animals. So their expertise was largely theoretical 510 00:30:57,530 --> 00:31:00,490 Speaker 1: on the matter. The defense pointed out that if Cook 511 00:31:00,550 --> 00:31:03,670 Speaker 1: had died of strychnine poisoning due to how closely it 512 00:31:03,730 --> 00:31:06,470 Speaker 1: followed the date of the last purchase made by Palmer, 513 00:31:07,030 --> 00:31:10,750 Speaker 1: it should have been found in those post-mortem samples, even 514 00:31:10,810 --> 00:31:14,420 Speaker 1: if they had been mishandled. The prosecution made its final 515 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: case that Palmer had first weakened Cook with antimony and 516 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: then finished him off with strychnine. The defense claimed natural causes, 517 00:31:22,620 --> 00:31:26,650 Speaker 1: but no one could account for those strychnine purchases. Yeah, 518 00:31:26,670 --> 00:31:30,870 Speaker 1: there was no dog produced that he had done away with. 519 00:31:30,970 --> 00:31:33,010 Speaker 1: There was no other, like, use of it that made 520 00:31:33,050 --> 00:31:36,290 Speaker 1: any sense. So after just an hour and 15 minutes 521 00:31:36,330 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 1: of deliberation, the jury found William Palmer guilty of the 522 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:43,760 Speaker 1: murder of John Parsons Cook. The judge sentenced him to death. 523 00:31:44,300 --> 00:31:46,700 Speaker 1: And because of that sentence, trials for the murders of 524 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:50,680 Speaker 1: Walter Palmer and Ann Palmer did not move forward. William 525 00:31:50,740 --> 00:31:55,330 Speaker 1: Palmer was executed by hanging on June 14th, 1856, outside 526 00:31:55,370 --> 00:32:00,530 Speaker 1: of Stafford Prison. There were an estimated 35,000 spectators, and 527 00:32:00,650 --> 00:32:03,350 Speaker 1: demand for a view of the hanging was so great 528 00:32:03,390 --> 00:32:06,290 Speaker 1: that a lot of people slept outside the night before 529 00:32:06,330 --> 00:32:09,170 Speaker 1: to make sure they could get a good spot, even 530 00:32:09,210 --> 00:32:13,070 Speaker 1: though the night of June 13th was rainy. Throughout the trial, 531 00:32:13,110 --> 00:32:16,190 Speaker 1: the press had printed all the lurid and disturbing details 532 00:32:16,250 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 1: of Cook's final days, and there was a very real 533 00:32:19,170 --> 00:32:22,620 Speaker 1: desire among the general populace to see Palmer pay for 534 00:32:22,660 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: the misery that he had caused his friend. Ultimately, although 535 00:32:27,020 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: it was not found legally the case, Palmer was believed, 536 00:32:31,340 --> 00:32:34,840 Speaker 1: in public opinion, to have committed as many as 15 murders, 537 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 1: although all of the evidence involved was circumstantial. The Palmer 538 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: story has made its way into media in a number 539 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:46,020 Speaker 1: of ways. Dickens called him the greatest villain that ever 540 00:32:46,100 --> 00:32:48,739 Speaker 1: stood in the old Bailey and used his story as 541 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 1: inspiration in his work, basing the character of Inspector Bucket 542 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 1: in Bleak House on one of the investigators in Cook's death. 543 00:32:57,020 --> 00:33:00,940 Speaker 1: Various details about the sensational Palmer case pop up periodically 544 00:33:01,020 --> 00:33:05,680 Speaker 1: in plays, television, and films. including an Alfred Hitchcock character 545 00:33:05,740 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 1: named Richard Palmer who kills a man with brandy in 546 00:33:08,940 --> 00:33:13,420 Speaker 1: the film Suspicion. In 1998, Palmer's story was adapted into 547 00:33:13,460 --> 00:33:15,900 Speaker 1: a drama that ran in the UK titled The Life 548 00:33:15,940 --> 00:33:23,380 Speaker 1: and Crimes of William Palmer. William Palmer. Maybe a serial killer? 549 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:26,660 Speaker 1: We'll talk some about it on our behind the scenes, 550 00:33:26,700 --> 00:33:28,620 Speaker 1: but there are people today who think that he was 551 00:33:28,660 --> 00:33:35,130 Speaker 1: wrongly convicted. Yeah. More because... Just it wouldn't hold up 552 00:33:35,170 --> 00:33:36,960 Speaker 1: in a court of law today how it played out 553 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:45,800 Speaker 1: than necessarily believing he had never done anything wrong. Thanks 554 00:33:45,820 --> 00:33:48,700 Speaker 1: so much for joining us on this Saturday. If you'd 555 00:33:48,740 --> 00:33:50,660 Speaker 1: like to send us a note, our email address is 556 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:55,990 Speaker 1: historypodcast at iheartradio.com. And you can subscribe to the show 557 00:33:56,110 --> 00:33:59,450 Speaker 1: on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 558 00:33:59,490 --> 00:34:00,530 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.