They Hanged My Saintly Billy (69 page)

smith
.
I
knew
that
he
had
been
a
bankrupt
some
years
before,
but
not that
he
was
an
uncertified
bankrupt.
I
knew
that
he
had
an
allowance
from
his
mother,
and
I
believe
that
his
brother
William
[the prisoner]
gave
him
money
at
different
times.

the attorney-general
.
During
1854
and
1855,
where
in
Rugeley did
you
live?

smith
.
In
1854,
I
think,
I
resided
partly
with
William
Palmer,
and

sometimes
at
his
mother's.

the attorney-general
.
Did
you
sometimes
sleep
at
his
mother's
?
smith
.
Yes.

the attorney-general
.
Did
you
sleep
in
his
mother's
room—on your
oath,
were
you
not
intimate
with
her?—you
know
well enough
what
I
mean.

smith
.
I
had
no
other
intimacy,
Mr
Attorney,
than
a
proper intimacy.

the attorney-general.
H
ow
often
did
you
sleep
at
her
house, though
having
an
establishment
of
your
own
close
by?

smith
.
Frequently.
Two
or
three
times
a
week.
[Here one of the jurymen sniggered, and slowly a laugh spread through the Court.]

the attorney-general
.
Explain
how
that
happened.

smith
.
Sometimes
her
son
Joseph
or
other
members
of
her
family were
on
a
visit
there,
and
I
went
to
see
them.
We
used
to
play
a game
of
cards,
and
have
a
glass
of
gin
and
water,
and
smoke
a
pipe perhaps;
and
then
they
would
say:
'It
is
late—you
had
better stop
all
night.'
And
I
did.

the attorney-general
.
Did
that
continue
for
three
or
four
years?

smith
.
Yes;
and
I
sometimes
used
to
stop
there
when
nobody
was
at home—when
they
were
all
away,
the
mother
and
everybody.

the attorney-general
.
And
you
have
slept
at
the
house
when
the sons
were
not
there
and
the
mother
was
?

smith
.
Yes.
Two
or
three
times
a
week.

[More laughter.]

the attorney-general
.
But
since
there
was
no
one
to
smoke
and drink
with,
you
might
have
gone
home.
Will
you
say
on
your oath
that
there
was
nothing
but
a
proper
intimacy
between
you and
Mrs
Palmer?

smith
.
I
do.

the attorney-general.
N
ow
,
I
shall
turn
to
another
subject.
Were you
called
upon
to
attest
a
further
proposal
for
£13,000
by
Walter Palmer,
in
The
Universal
Assurance
Office?

smith
.
I
cannot
say;
if
you
will
let
me
see
the
proposal
I
shall know.

the attorney-general
.
Answer
me,
Sir,
as
an
attorney
and
a
man of
business:
did
William
Palmer
ask
you
to
attest
a
proposal
for
a
£13,000
assurance
on
the
life
of
his
brother
Walter?

smith
.
If
I
could
see
any
document
on
the
subject
I
daresay
I
should recollect.

the attorney-general
.
Do
you
remember
getting
a
five-pound note
for
attesting
an
assignment
of
such
a
policy
by
Walter
Palmer to
his
brother?

smith
.
I
don't
recollect
positively.

the attorney-general
{handing a document to witness).
Is
that
your signature?

smith
(after considerable hesitation).
It
is
very
like
my
signature,
but

I
have
some
doubt
about
it.

the attorney-general
.
Read
the
document
and
tell
me,
on
your

solemn
oath,
whether
it
is
your
signature.

smith
.
I
have
some
doubt
whether
it
is
mine.

the attorney-general
.
I
will
have
an
answer
from
you
on
your

oath,
one
way
or
another.
Isn't
that
your
handwriting?

smith
.
I
believe
that
it
is
not
my
handwriting,
but
a
very
clever

imitation
of
it.

the attorney-general
.
Will
you
swear
that
it
is
not?

smith
.
I
will.

mr baron alderson
.
Did
you
ever
make
such
an
attestation
?

smith
.
I
don't
recollect,
my
Lord.

the attorney-general
.
Look
at
the
other
signature
there,
'Walter

Palmer';
is
that
his
signature?

smith
.
I
believe
so.

the attorney-general
.
Look
at
the
attestation
and
at
the
words 'signed,
sealed
and
delivered';
are
they
in
Mr
Pratt's
handwriting?

smith
.
They
are.

the attorney-general
.
Did
you
receive
that
from
Mr
Pratt?

smith
.
I
can't
swear
that
I
did.
It
might
have
been
sent
to
William Palmer.

the attorney-general
.
Did
you
receive
it
from
William
Palmer?
smith
.
I
don't
know;
very
likely
I
did.

the attorney-general
.
If
that
be
the
document
he
gave
you,
and
if those
are
the
signatures
of
Walter
Palmer
and
of
Pratt,
is
not
the other
signature
yours?