When the investigations following upon the mysterious death of Cook, the young Lutterworth solicitor and betting man, in November of 1855, led to his friend Palmer, the sporting surgeon of Rugeley, being charged with having poisoned him, the “Illustrated Times” came out with a Rugeley number filled with portraits and views sketched on the spot, and a narrative of this and other crimes of a similar nature of which Palmer was supposed to be guilty; together with the private family history of the accused, and all the incriminating gossip concerning him that could be picked up in the place. The latter had been taken down by Augustus Mayhew, special correspondent of the paper, from the lips of persons intended to be called as witnesses at the forthcoming trial, and who had already given evidence before the coroner, whom, strange to say, Palmer had sought to bribe with a basket of game and a £5 note. To-day one cannot but express one's amazement that a quarter of a million copies of this number of the paper were allowed to be sold without the courts being appealed to on behalf of the accused, and special correspondent, editor, printer, publisher, and proprietor being all promptly packed off to gaol for so outrageous a contempt of court.