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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![Wednesday afternoon; I did not try a key. We have got closets but no keys to them. 1 should not think the lock to the privy was a common one. I made no attempt to find any keys to fit the privy lock. I was not in the room more than 20 minutes; on Wednesday night I went to a cotilion party. If I had known a key about the bouse I should have tried it to the privy. I thought the spots upon the floor suspicious. I noticed spatters on the stairs more than any where else. They y/ere rather red then. I put my finger down and tasted it. I thought at the time that the spots were blood, and something had been put on to discolor it. I thought the spots upon ths floor of the upper laboratory were suspi- cious. I could not get into the lecture room without breaking the door. I communicated the facts about the hogshead right away to my wife, as soon as I got into the kitchen. I communicated them to Drs. Bigelow and Jackson on Friday. I did not have much to do on Thanksgiving Day. I tried the doors—did not try the window. I did not see Dr. Webster on Thursday, but I did not know but that lie might have tried to get in. I was about on Thursday. Before Thui-sday morning I had communicated my sus- picions to Dr. Uannaford, Bowdoin Square. On Tuesday night as I came from the Lodge, I was with him more than an hour. Up to Thursday morning I had communi- cated my suspicions to no one except my wife and Dr. Hannaford, and a man named Thompson, who worked for me. On Thursday afternoon I communicated with Mrs. Harlow. I told on Friday my suspicions to Mr. Tren- holm, Drs. Bigelow and Jackson. I told Mr. Trenholm after I came up from work from under the building, after Messrs. Kingsley and Stark- weather went away. I got home from the party on Wed- nesday at 10 or ],0-J- P. M. The first person to whom I mentioned that we could not get under the building, ex- cept through the wall, was Mr. Fuller, pn Tuesday, when we were under the building looking about. t;;I did not wish to take up the floor in the entry to get under the building, as I had told Dr. Webster workmen had got under before. The bricks of the floor are laid in mortar. The upper laboratory floor bricks are laid the same. I saw the floor removed when the Police had charge of the building. I did not see any more sand than would naturally be with the bricks. To a Juror.—The mortar was laid upon the floor, and the bricks laid on it, and none came up between the joints. There was sai.d placed all over the brick floor and swept so as to fill the cracks. Resinned.—The remains were two or three feet from a perpendicular line let fall irom the privy hole. I did not get in through the opening I made in the wall. I only put my head in. I have seen the knife with a silver sheath about the piemfses, in his little back private room. The Doctor kept his tools in that room, which I did not enter more than once. I fixed the time of seeing the clasp knife on the Monday before Dr. Parkman disappeared.— I have seen the Doctor cut corks. I have got twine for Dr. Webster. I did not get any blood before for Dr. Webster during this course of lectures. He may have had blood before, but 1 do not recollect of getting it for him. I had no particular signal with the Doctor to get into his room. If anybody called I used to knock on the door. I sometimes found the lecture room locked, but seldom. I did not knock on Friday. I tried the doors and did not think it proper to knock simply for myself. When he was at work 1 never attempt- ed to force my way in. I did not attempt to be more ac- curate in my te.stiinony before tlie Coroner's Jury than I do now„ I did go to Mr. Merrill to correct the turkey affair. I don't recollect ot going to correct anything about Tuesday's search. I may have made .•-ome minutes of testimony before Coroners' Jury wus held—I did alter. I kept the minute.-1 tolook at. I never wrote the heads otf but once I did [ not examiiiC the minute.'* every day. I have read a num- ber of times my own te.-'tiiuony before the Coroners' Jury. Not a hundred times—but twenty times I guess. I u^^ed to see my te.-tiujony. I kepi, it in a drawer wheie I kept civ|,ars and IVequeutly went to get tue articies.— I have jiever had a copy of my own statement before the Coronei's Jury. I nevei ijvtd in tiie book (exhibited by counsel) the statement wiu<:a I made before the Coroner's Jury. It was my own minutes I saw. I never heard the book read, that I recollect of. [Mr. Sohier, counsel for the defence, read extracts from the evidence of Mr. liittlefield as taken before the Coro- ner's Jury, as to going down town on Wednesday at 9 o'clock, returninf,' at 1 P. M., hearing some one in the la- boratory, and feeling heat on the wall. He wished to know if witness did not thus testify. Some discussion en- sued between the opposing counsel and Court, and the matter was dropped.! I saw the rewards ofi'ered for Dr. Parkman on Monday when I met Mr. Tienhohn di.-tnbuting placards. 1 saw them ituck up ill great nurnber^ all around the College and sheds—more of them than I ever saw before in so small a space. 1 was at the toll house on Cragie's Bridge Sunday af- ternoon about dark. I do not recollect of saying at that time to any one that I saw Dr. Parkman either go in or out of the College on Friday. I do not recollect of saying that I saw Dr. Webster pay Dr. Parkman any money, or that I knew him to pay him. I did not see a person of the name of Green at the toll house at the time I spoke of. [The cross-examination was concluded at this point when a recess was granted to accommodate the jury. Th« witness bore himself with a good deal of discretion, and did not falter in his testimony, except upon the subject of card playing in the Doctor's room. He was generally very prompt and decided in. his replies to the questions of Counsel, which certainly were urged with much deter- mination and skill. Every efibrt deemed legitimate wa« brought into requisition by the Counsel to elicit any tes- timony which might difier with that advanced upon the direct' examination.J Re-examined—I have never made any claim for re- ward, and disavow in Court any claim to reward hereaf- ter. Concerning the turkey affair, I happened to speak to my wife about its being Wednesday, and she said no, that it was a mistake. I went to Mr. Foster, and found the date of the charge the same as that upon the order. It was voluntary on ni> part in going to Mr Merrill to correct my evidence, without consultation with any government offi- cer. I only went once to correct my testimony. I was two days in giving my testimony before the Coroner's jury. I signed the book and my deposition at the same time. The first time that I ever saw the cuts or hacks in the sink or the laboratory floor, was that Saturday after Dr. Web- ster's arrest. They may have been there before, but I never saw them. I never knew Dr. Webster to hare any other keys than those of his own and the dissecting rooms. A key to the front door was found in Dr. Webster's pri- vate room after his arrest. I only knew that Mr. Leigh and myself had one. To a Juror.—It was after dark when I went over to the toll-house. To another.—I do not know that any ice was ever thrown into the sink. [The locality was pointed out upon the model.] To the Government.—Keys were found to the upper and lower front doors of the building. To the Defence.—When I saw the cuts in the sink I was looking for them. A piece was cut out by the Secretary of the Coroner's Jury. I have known ice to be placed in the sink. I know of no one having keys to the laborato- ry but Dr. Webster. Andrix a. Foster, called and sworn. I am a provision dealer in Court street I supplied a turkey to Mr. Little- field on Dr. Webster's order. It was on Tuesday, No- vember 27. I should judge it was between 3^ and 4 o'clock. I have not got the order. It was torn up. I hardly ever keep such orders The order read pretty much as thus : Please deliver Mr. Littlefleld a nice turkey weighing (I think the order said) 9 lbs., and charge the same to me. There was another order for a busliel of sweet potatoes to go by Mr. Sawin to Cambridge. I iden- tify the charges upon my books. Cross Examined.—I communicated these facts to Mr. Littlefleld a week or two after Dr. Parkman's disappear- ance, in my shop. He came to ascertain the day on which he got the turkey. I think that he may have said he was mistaken in the day. Caroline M. Liitlepield, called and sworn. Am wifie of Mr. Littiefieid, janitor of the Medical College; occupy part of the basement story. I knew Dr. Parkman by sight. I heard of his disappearancf on Saturday or Sun- day. I know I heard of it on Sunday, because my husband told me of it. I think I heard of it on Saturday. [Witness was asked if she cautioned her husband on Sunday to conceal his suspicions from all persons. Coun- sel for defence objected to this question as the introduc- tion of ,te>tiinony dependent upon conversation. A brief araumenttoak place vyheu the Court decided that it should be admitted.] On Sunday afternoon ai'lei tea, he went out and returned. He came into the house to the kitchen and beckoned to me to go into the bed-room. My iiusbund said he thought as much, a.s he was stand- ing there, that Dr. Webster murdered Dr. Parkman. I said what makes you think so, don't ever mention it again, never speak of it, or think of it again, for mercy sake. I told him not to mention it again, for if the Pro- fessors should get hold of it, it would make trouble for him. Well, I don't know as I noticed anything particular about Dr. Webster's apartments until after my husband told me his suspicions; butafter this I recollected that the laboratory stairs door liad been fastened during Friday or Saturday. I first knew it ever to be fastened on Friday, rhis was the door I used. About the commencement of the lectuies. Dr. Webster asked me if I would not get the water from his laboratory, as he did not like to lea.ve it running as it spattered his floor. Somewhere about four o'clock on Friday aitemoon I sent a little girl to get wa- ter that way, and she t-aid she could not get in, as all was fast. I told her she must be mistaken, but I went with her and found it all fastened. I don't recollect any thing except that. I recollected that this was on Friday afternoon ; I recollected it after my husband had expressed to me his suspicions. I also recol- lected that the door was closed on Saturday. I don't recol- lect how many times I went on Saturday to the door, but](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083629_0028.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
