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.
30/68 (page 24)
![went down stairs to the bed-room door and called Mr. Littlefield. As I was passing into the entry I saw Mr. Littlefield come out of the bed-room door in his stocking- feet. I then passed into the kitchen and Mr. Littlefield went to the door. Cross Examined.—I recollect it was between 4 and 5 o'clock, because Mr. Littlefield had laid down after the lecture that afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Littlefield were out to Medford, speaking about the matter, and father asked me if I recollected anything about it, and I stopped and recollected of the day, the only time that I went to the fi-ont door. I had not heard of the disappearance when I went to the front door. JosHPH W. Preston, called and sworn. I am a student ot medicine. Have attended the last course of medical lec- tures. Attended Dr. Webster's lectures. I think I recol- lect when the talk was about the disappearance of Dr. Parkman. I recollect seeing Dr. Webster Friday, the 23d, after the lectures were over, about 6 o'clock. I saw him about 10 or 12 feet from the carriage shed on the east Bide of the building, and he entered the shed. I did see him enter the shed. I am not able to state whether he entered the College or not. I am perfectly confident it was Friday night, the 23d. I passed him on the walk, as I was passing out of the dissecting room entry. Cross Examined.—The shed is on the opposite side of the building from the dissecting room. I don't know wheth- er 1 touched him or not. I spoke to him, but Dr. Web- ster only bowed. I was to meet two young men on Han- orer street, that evening—medical students. 1 had met them on Thursday night. I expected to be detained on Saturday night, and agreed to meet them on Friday night. It was a remarkable circumstance to meet Dr. Webster there that night. I think that I mentioned it to some one as a remarkable fact. It was not far from Thanks- giving night that I mentioned this. Whether it was be- fore or after I don't know. I fix the hour, as we usually Lad tea at 6i P. M., and I was to meet the young men at 7 o'clock. I came from the dissecting room—left some one there. I don't know how many. [The witness spoke in so low a tone of voice, that we could not be certain ot any thing he said.] Re-examined.—I have never seen the Dr. there before that time, and this it was which made me consider it re- markable. This is the second and last course of lectures. William Calhoun, called and sworn. I drive a team for Mr. Fuller, the iron founder: know Mr. Littlefield; live on corner of Fruit street. About the time of Dr. Parkman's disappearance, I recollect seeing Dr. Webster one Sunday night, the first after Dr. Parkman was mis- sing. 1 saw him in front of the College in North Grove street. I was with Mr. Littlefield, talking with him. Dr. Webster was about twenty paces ofi, coming down Fruit street towards us. I had no watch, but I should think it was about 4 o'clock. It was pretty clear. Dr Webster came up to Mr. Littlefield—says he, did you see any thing of Dr. Parkman the latter part of last week?' Yes, says Mr. Littlefield, I did. Whereabouts did you see him ? About the ground where we now stand on. Which way was the Doctor coming? Little- field answered, He was coming towards the College. Where was you when you saw him ? Mr. Little- field said, Somewhere about the front door of the Col- lege. He also asked, Did you see him enter the Col- lege? Mr. Littlefield said, No, as I went and sat down in one of the rooms. I am not acquainted with the College, and can't say what room. He also asked what time it was when he saw Dr. Parkman ? Mr. Littlefield answered, It was about 1^ o'clock. The Doctor said he paid him $483 on his lecture room table, and the Dr. grab- bed it up, or wrapped it up, and ran away, or went ofi' as fiast as he could, or something like that, and that he must go go Cambridge, and see if the mortgage was discharged, and everything done up in good shape: and that was the last I saw of him, and that is all I have got to say. He, W. did not say whether Dr. Parkman made any answer or not, he said that it was the last he ever saw Dr. Park- man, and this I recollect well euouxh. I can't say about the Dr.'s manners for I was never acquainted with the gentleman—never spoke with the gentleman before. He had a cane—put it down on the ground several times—that is, let it drop. While Dr. Web.-ter was talking he had his face to the College. Mr. Littlefield was sidewise, Mr. Webster and I fronted the College. I did not take partic- ular attention, as I never thought of giving evidence about it. Dr. J. B. S. Jackson, called and sworn. 1 am one ol the Professors of the Medical College—of Pathological Anatomy; known Mr. Littletield since I was a Professor, perhaps longer, may be seven years. It was about 1 o'clock of the day of Dr. Webster's arrest, Littlefield applied to me for some purpose. I was at the Medical College that forenoon about that hour, when Mr. Littlefield came to my room, and began to speak about Dr. Parkman. He did not make any direct application to me to do anything or for leave to do anything. Mr. Littlefield informed me that he had already commenced, and partially dug through the wall. I advised him to go on and finish the opening through the wall. I cannot repeat the very terms in which I gave the ad- and inform Dr. Bigelow, Senior, of the fact, and to call at my rooms in the neighborhood of his house, and leave his name upon my slate, if I was not in. I enjoined strict secresy on him in case he made no discovery. When I came home in the early part of the evening, I found his name upon my slate. I don't know that any considera- ble portion of anatomical subjects has been used in the chemical room, and probably should have not known it if there had been. Georqe W. Trenholm, called and sworn. Last Novem- ber my beat was in the district near the Medical College. Knew Mr. Littlefield, the janitor. Have known him for two or three years. Knew Professor Webster. The first time I saw Professor Webster after Dr. Parkman's disap- pearance was on Tuesday night, about ^ before 4 o'clock. I was conversing with Mr. Littlefield. He came up and asked me what about this $20 bill ? I told him 1 had not heard any thing about it. He then said that an Irish- man had offered a S20 bill on the Cambridge side, and they had taken it from him. This was not in the presence of Mr. Blake. I am mistaken. [A wrong day was assigned by the witness for this con- versation ; and he corrected himself and said something about an interview between Mr. Blake ind himself, in which Dr. Webster spoke of $283 being paid by him to Dr. Parkman, and Dr Parkman saying he would go and discharge the mortgage. If the junior counsel for the Government had put his questi ns in a more comprehensivt manner, the difficulty would have been avoided in a great measure.1 Ss^^fiB On the day of the arrest I was passing by the Medical College about 3^ o'clock; met Mr. Littlefield and he told me he was digging through the \vall and had his suspi- cions about Dr. Webster. He said that he had told tne officers that every place had been searched but that one; that he was digging through the wall to satisfy himself. He took me into the entry of the dissecting room and told me that the wall had been very hot the week before. I put my hand to it but could feel no heat then. '--i^ I went out of the building and was talking, and it was then that Dr. Webster said, what about that $20 bill? The toll man said it was strange that an Irishman should have a $20 bill, and he asked him where he got it, and he said from Dr. Webster. Dr. Webster said that the Marshal sent for him to identify the bill, but he said he could not swear to it. The Doctor then went off, bidding good day. Littlefield told me to come back in twenty minutes, and he would then be through the wall. 1 was gone about twenty minutes; came back, asked Lit- tlefield's wife if he had come up from under the building. She said he had, and had gone to Dr. Bigelow's. I asked if he had found any thing, and she said he had. She asked if I was afraid to go down, and I said not. She showed me the way to the trap-door. I went down with a light and crawled out to where he had dug, put the lamp through and my head up to my shoulders and look- ed through and saw the parts of a body shown afterwards to Coroner Pratt and Professor Webster. I came up and waited there, when Mr. Littlefield returned with the Marshal, Dr. Henry J. Bigelow, and Mr. Clapp. I a.«sisted in taking out tne remains. We all went down to get the remains. Mr. Littletield and I crawled through the hole. I held the lamp, and Mr. Littlefield passed the remains through. They were only pa.'-sed through the wall and laid upon some boards close under the building. After the remains were taken out, and before Dr. VVeb- ster came, I dou't recollect that anything was done to the laboratory. The remains were left at the side of the wall until the party returned in charge of Professor Webster. The Marshal left me in charge of the building, and I did take charge. No one beside me was left. It was nearly 11 o'clock when Prof. Webster and his party came. I was not at the front door when they came. Mr. Little- field came and told me that the party had returned, and Mr. L. and 1 forced the door of the laboratory, so that the party could get in. Some one asked for the key of the privy door, and Mr. Littlefield made answer that the Doc- tor had the key, as he always had it himself. The Doctor then pointed to a hook, or a nail, and said it was up there. I think it was Mr. Starkweather took the key down and handed it to Mr. Littlefield. He and I went down to the laboratory, and the key would not unlock the privy door. I then tried the key and told Mr. Littlefield that it was not the key. We went up stairs, and Littletield told Prof. Webster that that was not the key. I don't know that I recollect what Prof. Webster said. The door was then broken open. Up in the back room I did not take so much notice of Prof. Webster as down in the labora- tory. He appeared diflerent in the two rooms—more agi- tated in the laboratory. Snapped at water given to him. I remember the enquiry made about the bones in the furnace, but by whom I don't know; it was while the Dr. was in the room. Mr. Adams, Mr. Rice and myself, re- mained in charge all night. I remained there Saturday, and until Sunday. I was alone; I left for a few moments only. Until Sunday night the place was under custody ot the Police. The remains were put into a box in the privy and nailed up. No instructions were given in re- gard to Mr. Littleheld's movements, and no oversight was exercised.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083629_0030.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
