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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![of January, 1850, from 7 o'clock in the morning until 8 at night. Ko one was allowed to euter the rooms without a permit from the Mayor or Marshal. The privy hole was ij inches across each way. We tried to get the thorax through the privy hole, and could not; the hole was not large enough. The pelvis would go through by turning it up, as I called, edgeways. There were some experiments made in regard to hearing noises in Dr. Holmes's room—noises that were made in the laboratory, and vice versa. We made the experiment by hollering. Nothing could be heard. Both doors were shut. To the Court.—I was both above and below. I was be- low and another person was up stairs; then I went up and he went below. I could hear nothing, and he said that he could not. Resumed.—A small white plate was found in the back lecture room with coloring upon it. A stick, apparently to answer the purpose of a brush, was found upon the floor, partly under the table. Cross Examined.—I measured the privy seat, after it ■was taken up. The seat was up when we tried the exper- iment with the thorax. The seat was taken up from the floor. Littlefield, Buckman and myself tried the experi- ment. Littlefield held the thorax—Littlefield held the pelvis. The latter went through very easily. We found tan in barrels, about half a bushel. We found a bag of tan, about eight or ten feet from the door which led into Littlefield's store-room. The bag was very nearly full.— I did not see the tea chest on Tuesday, that is to take any notice of it. The knife was shut when I took it from the tea chest. I can'f say whether I put it upon a shelt, at any rate it was in my pocket a few moments alterwards. I have kept it ever since. Mr. Buckman, Mr. Starkweath- er, Mr. Rice and Mr. Littlefield, I believe were there when the tea chest was emptied. The officers were there who were put on duty by the Marshal. The tea chest was found on Saturday atternoou about 4 o'clock. When the thorax fell out it fell out back up, precisely as it laid in the chest. I had looked at the thorax four or live minutes when I discovered the hole in the breast. I turned the thorax over myself I drawed the thigh part way out myself and let it lay in the tan until the Coroner came.— The string was tied round the bones, but not round the thorax. No one was allowed to meddle with the thorax until the Coroner's Jury came in the afternoon a little past 4 o'clock. They had not met when we found the tea chest. Buckman said he was going to scrape the tan off and see how the body looked. I told him not to. I did not see officer Tarlton there with a stick. The tan was not taken off until the next afternoon. I scraped off what little tan was scraped off. The neck end of the thorax was up in the tea chest, and I felt it cold when I put my arm in, as I have previously stated,—nearly up to the wrist. I told Mr. Thompson, the clerk who went with me to Dr. Webster's house, that I thought he appeared very sin- fular. I further told him, that I did not know but it was is natural way. I had no suspicion of him at that time. His manner was rather singular, quick and nervous. It was just after dark when we arrived in Cambridge on Sunday afternoon. Our object was to ascertain the date of the mortgage. On Tuesday was the first time I was at the College. Dr. Webster's words were that Dr. Park- man was at the College between 1^ and 2 P. M. I did not state before the Coroner's Jury that Dr. Webster said that Dr. Parkman was at the College at half past 1 P. M.; if I did so, I did not state what was correct. I made a memorandum of the conversation which took place on Tuesday, at 'the time of the first search. I either made it the same night or the next day. I made a memo- randum of the Sunday's conversation with Dr. Webster on the next Monday forenoon. I believe I said on the memorandum that Dr. Webster was excited. I think that Mr. Clapp was by the privy door when the answer was made by Littlefield as to what the privy was. I did not notice a fire in the furnace of the lower laboratory. There is a trench round the wall. The tide flows in the trench under the laboratory, and not over the whole ground, to judge from the appearances of the ground. The trench, I should think, is three feet deep. The ground Klauts towards the north and west side. A man cannot stand upright except in the trench. The slope is not very steep by the privy; when you get about eix feet from the hole it is much steeper. I can't state what the angle is. I found towels directly under the pri- vy hole. The labels of the minerals did not look as if they had been written a long time—might have been written five or six months; did not look like fresh ink. Re-examined.—Mr. Eaton was there after I had taken the tea chest out by the window. S. Parkwan Blake called and sworn. Am a relative of the late Dr. Parkman. I took a very active part in the search after Dr. Parkman. I had occasion to call en Dr. Webster, on Monday morning, at the College, between the hours of 10 and 11 o'clock. The Monday after the disappearance. As I a'-cended the steps I met a student, as I supposed, and he rang the bell. Mr. Littlefield ap- peared at the door of the front entry. I asked him if Dr. Webster lectured that day. He said he did not, and said he believed that he was in the lecture room. He tried ' the door of the lecture room, and it was fastened. Mr. Littlefield asked my name, and said that he would go round the back way and give my name to Dr. Webster. He did go. I waited what I thought was an unreasonable time.— He unbolted the front door of the lecture room, passed out, and I went in, when I saw Dr. Webster coming out of his back private room. He had on a smoking cap and working dress, apparently. I took particular notice of Dr. Webster's appearance as I descended the steps of the lecture room, tie stood still until I approached him. I told him that I had learned he had an interview with Dr. Parkman, and thati had come to learn all the particulars of that interview. Dr. Webster then went on to state that on Tuesday preceding Dr. Parkinan's disappearance. Dr. Parkman had called there before his lecture was finished. He sat down and waited for the lecture to close. Dr. Webster pointed out the seat he occupied. He sat lean- ing upon his elbows, waiting very patiently for him to close. After the lecture was finished Dr. Parkman came up to the table and said, Doctor, I want some money—he was very much excited and angry—•' you have 8^500 in your pocket, and I want some of it. Dr. Webster's countenance was lighted up ai]«i expressed great anger when he was re- lating the interview. Dr. Webster said he told Dr. Park- man that he could not pay him on that day, as he had not collected all the money for his tickets. Then Dr. Parkman asked him when he would pay him, and he said on Friday. Dr. Parkman then went out. On Fridav, the 23d of November, on coming into the city. Dr. Webster said that he called at Dr. Parkman's house, told him if he would come to the lecture room on that day he would settle. He did come about 1-^ P. M. I asked him how he knew about the time. He said that his lecture had been finished, and several of the students had stopped after the lecture to ask que.stions, as they were requested to do. After the questions, the students went into the back part of the room to look at some pic- tures, one of which had recently been put up there.— The students then went out, and very soon Dr. Park- man ajjpeared. Came in a great hurry up to his table where he was standing. Dr. Parkman asked him if he was ready for him and Dr. Webstersaid he was. Dr. Parkman took out of his pocket a bundle of papers done up loosely and drew out some notes, and he (Dr. Webster) took out his niioney and paid him $483 or $484 or about that sum. The 4 I could not tell whether it belonged to the dollars or cents. He seized the money without counting it and was going off. I said, said Dr. Web- ster, there is one thing you have forgotten, that mort- gage Dr. Parkman replied I haven't it with me, but I will see it properly attended to. He then rushed out of the lecture room, with these bills in his hand, carelessly exposed to view. I then asked him to recollect what money he paid him, as it was very important, and might lead to a discovery. He said that he could recollect but one bill—a 1$100 bill on the New England Bank. I pressed Dr. Webster rather close. I asked him if they were out of town bills or city bills— in large or small bills. He replied that he could recollect only that one flOO bill on the New England Bank. I asked him if he had the notes of Dr. Parkman. He answered in the affirmative, but in away to make a strong impression on my mind. He appeared confused. I asked him if any one was present at the interview, when he said very emphatically—No. Then I left him. 1 had been acquainted with the Doctor for a good many years. I noticed that his manner was singular on my first entering his room. He seemed to want that cordiality and polite- ness that is usual to him. As I came down the lecture room steps I had my eye on him, and thought that he looked pale. He received me in a stiff and formal man- ner, and I am quite confident that he did not put out liis hand to me. His manner when speaking of Dr. Parkman's being an- gry, was, I thought, singular. He made no expression of sympathy; this I thought strange when every person you met in the streets expressed so much sympathy with the family of Dr. Parkman. I made no inquiries as to the search. He said very little about it. He made no inqui- ries at all about the family of Dr. Parkman. I was not more than 15 or 20 minutes with Dr. Webster. There was a change of position and manner after we had commenced talking upon general subjects—but none while we were talking about Dr. Parkman. I went out by the same door I entered, and I heard the door bolt after I left. Cross Examined.—Dr. Wehstei did not go up to the door with me. I only infer that he came up, as I heard the door bolted after I got out. I heard of the disappear- ance of Dr. Parkman about 5 o'clock on Saturday after- noon. I felt very great apprehension my.self at that time. Dr. Webster appeared to be preparing for his lecture of the next day. He told me so. He was mov- ing about a jar upon the table. I did not assist in the preparation of the handbills. I looked into the upper laboratory, after we had finished the conversation about Dr. Parkman. He sat upon the settee in the lectui'e room. He mentioned only the $100 bill. [A recess was granted at this point by the Court to ac- commodate the jury. During the recess the prisoner](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083629_0036.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
