Brilliantly ironic quote of the week goes to dopey doc, William Palmer.
When faced with the trapdoor of his scaffold, Palmer is said to have said ‘is it safe’!
For Dr Palmer had been sentenced to death for his prolific propensity to poison for financial gain.
Not only was he given to killing people in order to cash in on their life insurance policies, Palmer bumped off a best mate after he came into a stash of cash.
Doctor Death
Palmer was no good with money and kept chalking up debts which needed paying. So, when a friend had some serious luck on the horses, Palmer invited his flush-with-cash friend over for a meal. Two days later the strychnine-laced savouries had done him in, leaving the money to fall into the palms of our gleeful, dodgy doctor.
Naturally though, his foul success was short-lived – he was hauled in because the traces of strychnine were unmistakable. However, the numbskull proceeded to compound his guilt by trying to bribe the coroners. Luckily no-one succumbed, leaving the doc to face his lifeless future.
What’s up doc?
Meanwhile the public had got wind of the poisonous Palmer and the salacious intricacies of his case, which had made him quite a cause célèbre, So he was elevated to Stafford’s star attraction today in 1856 and his execution is said to have reeled in as many as 30,000, who came to watch Palmer being strung up.
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