“My dearest Annie,--I snatch a moment to write to your dear, dear little self. I need scarcely say the principal inducement I have to work is the desire of getting my studies finished, so as to be able to press your dear little form in my arms. With best, best love, believe me, dearest Annie, your own William.”
Now, this is not the sort of letter that is generally read in Courts of justice. It was no part of my instructions to read it to you, but that book was put in to prove that this man was a wicked, heartless, savage desperado, and I show you from it what he was when that letter was written--what his deceased wife knew him to be when she copied it--a young man who loved a young woman for her own sake--loved her with a pure and virtuous affection, such an affection as would in almost all natures be a sure antidote against guilt.
Such, gentlemen, is the man whom it is my duty to defend. Upon the evidence which is before you I cannot believe him guilty. Do not suppose for a moment that he is abandoned in this dreadful strait by his family and friends. An aged mother, who may have disapproved of some parts of his conduct, expects in an agony of grief your verdict. A dear sister can scarcely sustain herself under the suspense which presses upon her. A gallant and devoted brother stands by him to defend him, sparing neither time nor labour to save him from an awful doom. I call upon you to expand your minds to a capacity for estimating the high duty that you have to perform. You have to stem the torrent of prejudice; you have to vindicate the honour and character of your country; you have with firmness and courage to do your duty, and find a verdict for the Crown, if you believe that guilt is proved; but if you have a doubt upon the point, depend upon it the time will come when the innocence of this man will be made apparent, and when you will deeply regret any want of due and calm consideration of the case which it will be my duty to lay before you.
[Illustration: Note written by Palmer to his Counsel while in the dock at the Old Bailey]
Mr. THOMAS NUNNELEY, examined by Mr. GROVE--I am a Fellow of the College of Surgeons, Professor of Surgery at the Leeds School of Medicine, and a member of several foreign and English scientific societies. I have been in practice between twenty and thirty years. I have seen cases of both traumatic and idiopathic tetanus. One of the four cases of idiopathic tetanus I have seen did not commence with the symptoms of lockjaw, nor did lockjaw occur sufficiently to prevent swallowing during the whole period of illness. I have been present during the evidence given here as to the symptoms of Mr. Cook. I had previously read the portions of the depositions as to the scientific and medical part of the case. Judging from the symptoms as described, and confining myself to the evidence as to the scientific part of the case, my opinion is that Mr. Cook died from some convulsive disease. I found that upon the difference of the symptoms described in the deposition and on the evidence before the Court.