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E. Mills

Elizabeth Mills, cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant Shee—I had been at the Talbot Arms about three years at the date of Mr. Cook’s death. He first came to the Talbot Arms about three months before he died, and up to the time of his death he was constantly coming back and forward. During the time he was there I never heard him complain of anything except a sore throat or something of that kind through cold. I never noticed that he had any soreness about his mouth or that he had difficulty at all in swallowing. I have seen him with a foul tongue about once or so. He never complained in my hearing of the tongue being sore so as to render it difficult to swallow. I do not know of caustic having been applied to it while he was there. Before he went to Shrewsbury he had not been ailing at all to my knowledge. When he came back he said he was poorly. After Cook’s death I stayed at the Talbot Inn till the day after Christmas. I then went to my home in the Potteries, Shelton. Since then I have been in service in Dolly’s Hotel, Paternoster Row, London. I stayed six weeks there as chambermaid. About a week after I came to London I saw Mr. Stevens (the stepfather of Cook) about six or seven times. Two or three times I saw him alone; at other times perhaps Mrs. Dewhurst, the landlady of the inn, or Miss Dewhurst was there. It was not always about Mr. Cook’s death that he spoke to me. He would merely call to see how I liked London, and whether I was well in health, and all that.

E. Mills

Mr. Stevens is a man not in your station. He is a gentleman. Do you mean to say he called to see how you liked London?—Just to see whether I liked the place. I had some conversation with him at the Talbot Inn just before the funeral. I really cannot remember what he spoke about beyond Mr. Cook’s death. During the time I was at Dolly’s Hotel I never received a farthing from him, and he never made me any promise to get a place. The last time I saw him out of Court was on Tuesday last at Dolly’s Hotel. He never spoke to me about Mr. Cook’s death. When I saw him at that time there were other people present, including Lavinia Barnes, Mr. Gardner, and Mr. Hatton, the chief officer of police in Staffordshire. Mr. Gardner is an attorney at Rugeley. I cannot say what all the talk was about. Mr. Cook’s death might be mentioned. I daresay it was. I will undertake to say that there were other subjects of conversation between us besides the subject of Cook’s death. I do not wish to mention what they were. They did not, so far as I heard, talk about the evidence I was to give. They did not ask me what I could prove, nor did they read my depositions before the coroner to me. There was nothing read to me from a newspaper or anything else. Mr. Stevens never at any previous interview read anything from a newspaper to me. He never talked to me about the symptoms which Mr. Cook exhibited before his death. Before last Tuesday I had seen Mr. Hatton about twice. I saw him once at Dolly’s, when he dined there. I did not wait upon him. I merely saw him there. He might have talked about Mr. Cook’s death, but I cannot remember. I have seen Mr. Gardner there three or four times since Mr. Cook’s death. I have seen him at Dolly’s, and have met him in the street. I have merely said, “How do you do,” or “Good morning.” I have had no other talk with him. I do not remember to have read the case of a Mrs. Dove in the newspapers, but I may have done so. I have heard spoken of a case that lately occurred at Leeds of a lady who was said to have been poisoned by her husband, but I did not read it. It was not mentioned to me by Mr. Stevens, nor by Mr. Gardner, nor by Mr. Hatton.

Were you told when you heard of it what the symptoms of Mrs. Dove were?—I think not. I merely heard there had been strychnine used at Leeds, another strychnine case.

Were the symptoms of strychnine ever mentioned to you by any one?—No, never.

When, and to whom, did you first use the expression “twitching,” which you mentioned so repeatedly yesterday?—To the coroner, I did. If I did not mention twitching, I mentioned something to the same effect. I will not swear I used that word at the coroner’s. I cannot remember when I first used the word “twitching.” I cannot remember when I first used the word “jerking” to anybody. I will undertake to swear it has never been used to me by anybody.

You stated yesterday that on the Sunday some broth was brought in a breakfastcup between twelve and one o’clock; that you took it up to Cook’s bedroom; that you drank about two tablespoonfuls; that you were sick the whole afternoon, and vomited till five o’clock. Did you state one word about that in your deposition before the coroner?—It never occurred to me until three days afterwards.

Did you state before the coroner that there was nothing peculiar in the taste of the broth?—I believe I was examined three times before the coroner. My attention had been called to the fact of broth having been sent over on one occasion, but I do not remember whether it was the first. I was asked if I had tasted it, and I stated I had tasted it, and thought it was very good. It never occurred to me to mention that I was sick and vomited frequently in the course of the afternoon.

You went to bed in consequence of the vomiting?—Yes.

E. Mills

I suppose sickness of that kind repeated frequently in the course of an afternoon is not a very common occurrence with you?—No, I have a bilious attack sometimes, but not such violent vomiting as I had that afternoon. I could not at all account for it at the time. I only took two tablespoonfuls. The vomiting came on from half an hour to an hour after I took them.

On the Saturday morning did Cook express a wish to have coffee for breakfast, or was it from Palmer the first you heard that his breakfast was to be coffee?—I do not know whether Palmer told me to bring coffee or whether it was Cook. I never knew Mr. Cook to take coffee in bed before. He generally took tea.

I understood you to say yesterday Palmer came over at eight o’clock and ordered a cup of coffee for Cook. Do you adhere to that?—I cannot remember whether Palmer ordered it or not. If I said it yesterday it is correct, but I cannot remember whether Palmer ordered the coffee or not now. I will swear now that Palmer ordered the coffee, and I took it and gave it into Cook’s hands, and Palmer was there.

You swear to it now?—Yes.

You doubted it a moment ago?—If that was stated yesterday I do not doubt it was correct.

Is that your only reason for stating it to be correct?—I believe it to be correct.

Will you swear that it is correct?—Yes; it is no doubt correct if I said so.

Why should that make it more correct if you cannot say it now from your own recollection?—I cannot remember as well to-day as I did yesterday. I cannot remember that I stated before the coroner that Cook had coffee for breakfast at eight o’clock, that he ate nothing, and that he vomited directly he had swallowed it, and that up to the time I had given him the coffee I had not seen Palmer. I cannot remember whether I stated before the coroner anything about the pillbox on Monday night. It was sent over wrapped up in paper. I will swear that Palmer was there between nine and ten o’clock. He brought a jar of jelly to the Talbot, and I opened it. I should say he was there nearer to ten than nine. I do not recollect whether he was there when I left Cook at half-past ten.

You stated yesterday that you asked Cook on the Tuesday afternoon what he thought the cause of his illness was, and he said, “The pills which Palmer gave me at half-past ten”?—Yes.

Did you say that before the coroner?—No.

E. Mills

Have you been questioned by any one since Mr. Cook’s death respecting what you did say before the coroner as to when these pills might have been given or respecting anything you have said about these pills before the coroner?—Yes; I was questioned by Dr. Collier at Hitchingly. I did not tell him that the gentleman in London had altered my evidence on that point, and that my evidence was now to be that “Cook said the pills which Palmer gave him at half-past ten made him ill.”

Did he state anything about your evidence being altered since?—Yes; he said he had not got that down in what I had given to the coroner in the coroner’s papers. I said “No, I thought it was down in some of the papers. I had given it to a gentleman in London.” The evidence has been altered by myself since. I do not remember who the gentleman was that I had given it to. I gave it to him at Dolly’s. The gentleman came to me at Dolly’s and asked if I would answer him a few questions. I said I would, and I saw him in a sitting-room. I was with him about half an hour. He asked me not very many questions, and during the time I was answering the questions he was writing. He did not tell me who he was or whom he came from, but he mentioned Mr. Stevens’ name.

What did he say about Mr. Stevens?—Mr. Stevens was with him. He called Mr. Stevens by name.

Why did you not tell us that before?—You did not ask me.

Then, although you did not know who he was, you knew he was an acquaintance of Mr. Stevens because he came with him?—He did. All that I said then was taken down. I do not remember saying before the coroner that when Cook was ill on Monday night and sitting up in bed beating the bed-clothes he said, “I cannot lie down; I shall suffocate if I do.” I do not remember whether I mentioned the word “jerking” before the coroner.

Did you say before the coroner, “He would throw his head back and raise himself up again”?—Yes.

You will say you said that?—Yes. I do not know whether I mentioned the word “jerking.” I said the whole of the body was in a jumping, snatching way. I believe I mentioned it was difficult for him to speak, he was so short of breath. I did not mention about him calling “murder” twice. I do not remember whether I mentioned before the coroner that Mr. Cook said the pills stuck fast in his throat and he could not swallow them. I did not answer the coroner anything more than he asked me. If he had asked me I should have answered him as I am answering now.

The first time that you were examined before the coroner was Dr. Taylor present?—I believe he was.