The trial of Prof. John W. Webster, indicted for the murder of Dr. George Parkman, at the Medical college (North Grove street) on the 23d of November, 1849 : Supreme judicial court, before Chief Justice Shaw, and Associate Justices Wilde, Dewey, and Metcalf. Counsel for the government, Attorney General J.H. Clifford, and George Bemis, esq. Counsel for the defence, Hon. Pliny Merrick, and E.D. Sohier, esq. / Reported for Boston journal.
- Webster, John White, 1793-1850
- Date:
- 1850
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The trial of Prof. John W. Webster, indicted for the murder of Dr. George Parkman, at the Medical college (North Grove street) on the 23d of November, 1849 : Supreme judicial court, before Chief Justice Shaw, and Associate Justices Wilde, Dewey, and Metcalf. Counsel for the government, Attorney General J.H. Clifford, and George Bemis, esq. Counsel for the defence, Hon. Pliny Merrick, and E.D. Sohier, esq. / Reported for Boston journal. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
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![1 called again at Dr. Parkman's house at a quarter be- fore two. 1 reraembereci an engagement lie liad the pre- vious day at bait-past one, auu alter goinj; to the person witli whom it had been made, I oould get uo informanon. I then went ev»ry where I couid think of, but could as- certain nothing. I traced him to Wushin.<>;[on street, up Wiiliams Court to the Massachusetts Block, from there out through Cornhill Square (or Joy's Buildings) into Washini^tou and Water streets, and also to Devonshire streev—thence to State street, the Merchants' Exchange and tlie Post Office; up State street again into Court, Green and Vine streets, to a corner of Blossom street, to a grocery there, where he had left a bag-coutaiuing lettuce. The boy told me that Dr. Parkmau liad left some lettuce there the day before, and told me to take it as it was his property. I did not know of the lettuce being there pre- viously. I heard of him in Fruit, leading from Blossom to Crove streets, and traced him to the ivttdical College. There was some excitement in the neighborhood at that time. I continued the search Saturday in conjunction with the Police, until 11 o'clock that night. Two of the Police called at my house next day at 2 o'cloc'ic. Our enquiries during the day were verbal. After that we ottered re- wards and advertised. The first advertisement was pub- lished on Saturday afternoon. The Eceniiig Journal was one of the papers in which we advertised. On Sunday we seai-ched about the city all day, and heard rumois of Dr. Parknian being seen at Cambridge, where the police went at 4 o'clock in the af- ternoon to make inquiry of the Kegister of Deeds. There was some search made about the jail lauds, and some'of Dr. Parkman's houses that were unoccupied. On Monday we went to East Cambridge again, and af- ter coming back went to the Medical College at 10 o'clock. [Some remarks, scarcely audible, were here made by the bench on the subject, as we understood, of introduc- ing, through Mr. Kiugsley's testimony, the first suspi- cious which led to tlie semcit in the College.] Mr. Starkweather and I searched all the building, the lecture rooms, and the large vault where the remains from the dissecting room are thrown. Littlefield and another was with us, and we found, although I am not certain, that the doors were locked. We went into Professor Webster's apartment. We knocked at the door, and found it locked. Littlefield was there while we waited admittance, and when we got in. We went back to the stairs and saw a door at which we-knocked, as we had been told that Professor Webster was in the apartment to which it led. It being now two o'clock, P. M., the Court adjourned till half past three. AFTEKNOON SITTING. Charles M. Kingsley's examination continued. We had got to Dr. Webster's door. Starkweather and myself went down stairs. When Littlefield shook the door severely. Dr. Webster came. This was tlie door lead ing into the lecture room. Littlefield said we came to see something of Dr. Parkman. We walked through the apartments. We went into the lecture-room, back-room, and into the lower laboratory ; searched these places.— Dr. Webster did not pay much attention to us; he came behind us to the laboratory; did not speak to us; the only conversation held by him was with Mr. Littlefield. I went back again toEast Cambridge and continued the search. Stayed till about dark. Next day oflicers Clapp, Kice and Fuller came to me, and we went to the College again at about 10 o'clock; got into the prisoner's room by the lecture-door, Webster opened it in person — We inquired for Mr. Littlefield. Went into his (Little- field's) apartment and searched it and the closet, iilr. Lit tlefield was absent two or three times. We thought we might find papers. We went through the apartment, and then into the cellar We got in through a small trap-door. I got down into the place and looked into the hole. The officers went further while we went up to Webster's apartment. The door was unlocked as before. Mr. Lit- tlefield said he could get in; why he wouldn't get in, I can't say. Mr. Clapp stated to him that we had come to search in that neighborhood—that we had come to the College first. The officers said that no person in the Col- lege was jjarticularly suspected; but that they were obliged to search all places. He said that we could look round if we wanted to; we walked through the lecture-room into the back-room, and then Mr. Clapn went into the back private room. The laboratory is on the same floor with tlie lecture-room; and at the end is a very small room, and when Mr. Clapp walked towaids it, Webster told him that his valuable and dangerous ar- ticles vi-ere in that room. Mr. Clapp put his head as far as the door and turned back again, saying, '• I will not go in to be blowed up; we went from thei-e into the low- er laboratory. In the upper laboratory I stood hi front of a small furnace which is there. J^ooked into the ashes; there was no fire there; could see nothing but pieces of coal and something resembling buttons; went down then to the low- er laboratory and looked at the furnace; found a bright fire; no ashes there; tliat was the furnace where the bou(.'s were afterwards found ; Mr. Clapp and Mr. Webster were talking We went to the southwest corner of the rtoin, where there was a lot of rubbish. Saw a tea-chest and some boxes of mineral stones—the boxes were quite filled up with minerals. The oflicers looked at the minerals—talk- ed of them—some remarked the tea-cliL-sf, and spoke of it after. Went to the privy, which Littlefield said was Web- ster's. and he addea, that the Dr. had the key of it. On the stairs there were spots, as on the first day, which seemed as if they had not dried. I think we went out in- to the dissecting room. Webster remained inside and shut the door after us. This was on Tuesday, and a steady search was kept up by myself and others until Friday. [Counsel for the defence otjjected to the question why the tea-chest had not been thoroughly examined, at first, but the objection was allowed.] In continuation witness said, the officers thought light- ly of my suspicions of the chest, and were laughing at them. Mr. Clapp, however, said there was uo s^uspicion of the Medical College, which might be the cause of there being no examination. Wednesday afternoon the search was not not quite so extensive. Thursday was Thanks- giving day. I think on Monday SfilOOO reward was ofler- ed; the other reward, ••S8000, was offered on Wednesday; am not positive of that, however; the notices were geneially distributed; I carried some of them myself Went to the College again on Friday night. I was in company with Mr. ararliweather in the afternoon ; called into Mr. Lit- tlefield's at four o'clock; saw his wife; inquired for him ; went down to the door of the College; we had been bor- rowing tools for the purpose of breaking through the wall of the vault, and we remained together a few minutes. 1 wished to know what Littlefield was about. I could hear a noise inside, which satisfied me that some one was striking on the brick work. We went back again to where we understood lie was at work. About 10 o'clock 1 went to the jail; saw the Dr. there. I went into the cell, accom- panied by Dr. Gay; there was a party with sue, of which Mr. Parker was one, and there were also two of the men employed in the jail. Prof Webster was lying on the bed in the cell with his face downward. He said lie was not able to get up; Dr. Gay spoke to him. His lace was down, and he had not strength enough to hold it up, and he was so much excited that I thought he would not live. They car- ried him to the jail office, and he asked for water, and he could not drink it. They held the tumbler to his face; he took hold of the tumbler once, and the water spilled over him. He struck the tumbler with his face several times. Dr. Gay held it for him once to drink out of it. Trem- bling and convulsive movements characterized him; never saw a person so affected before He wanted to send word to his family, as they did not know where he was. He men- tioned his friends several times. Mr. Parker spoke to him, and said there was another family in great distress, and that perhaps for their consolation he could explain those remains which were found in the College. He said he had nothing to explain, and would go to the College with us. Mr. Parker told him that he seenied to be per- spiring very much, though it was very cold there. Dr. Webster replied that his extremities were freezing.— They went to the 3Iedical College in a carriage—I walk- ed there; I arrived as they were getting into the small laboratory—but I can't say what way t'aey came. Web- .ster was accompanied by an ofBcer on each side of him, holding him up. They proposed to open the private room door and asked him for the keys—he said Mr. Clapp had taken them, and they then broke the door open. When they examined that, they asked lor the key of the privy. Webster said it «was on the shelf; I put my hand along the shelf, when somebody found it hanging against the door. Littlefield went down and then said it would not fit ; the prisoner remarked that somebody must have taken the real key away; So we went down and broke the door open. Protesssor Webster was helped down stairs by the officers. We were in the lower labora- tory fifteen minutes ; something was said about the bones being found in the furnace; in the lower laborato- ry my attention was called to different things, wnd 1 did not notice whether Mr. Webster was afiected by the ob- servation. We went to the trap-door that goes under the building; there were parts of a body taken out and laid on a board—the pelvis and right thigh and right leg.— These were laid on the board in presence of Dr. Webster; he could see them; no remark was made; he was asked no questions, and as far as I perceived, he appeared noth- ing difierent from before; he was excited all the time; he was supported by the oflicers; he stood eight or nine leet from the body; we left alter lookingat them 10or 15 min- utes, and the prisoner was taken to the carriage. Tliere was notliing more that night, but 1 was there the next af- ternoon (Saturday) when the thorax and other thigh were found in the tea-chest by oflicer Fuller. I was called down to witness new discoveries. This body came out of the chest when it was turned up; the thigh was pressed inside the trunk, and the impression of the ends of the ribs was on the flesh. It was the left tliigh. There was a knife also in the chest—it was a large jack- knife. There was a string which went lound the boiiy as if to keep it together. Ihe remains were taken out and wa.shed and put with the other remains, and given in charge to the oflicers who bad care of the prenaists all ihe time. Theinquestfiist met on Sunday. It was thai Sunday afternoon tlie pair of pant;iloons with blood on them were lound, and also a pair of slippers. Mr. Futnam, the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083629_0012.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
