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.
37/68 (page 31)
![was busily engaged in conversation with his counsel.] Charles B. Starkweather, called and sworn. I have been connected with the police four years. I took part in the search after Dr. Parkrnan, on Saturday after his dis- appearance, and up to the time the remains were found. I went to the Medical College on Monday with Mr. Kings- ley about 12 o'clock. Went up the front steps. I saw Mr. Littlefleld. Saw Dr. Ainsworth and Dr. Bigelow. I think I told them that we had come to look over the Col- lege. Mr. Littlefleld tried Dr. Webster's lecture room door, and it was fa.^tened. He knocked on it quite hard, and then Dr. Webster came and opened the door. We told him what we came for. He opened the door; we went in—down the steps to the back laboratory, and to the lower laboratory. When we got to the steps of the lower laboratory Dr. Webster said this is all my apart- ments. Mr. Littlefleld opened the door into his apartments, and we went out by the laboratory stairs door. We merely looked round the rooms. Was there only a few minutes. I was one of the party who went out to ar- rest Prof. Webster on Friday night, the 80th of No- vember. Mr. Clapp and Mr. Spurr were with me. The i)octor talked very freely while coming in, about the Railroad, and a Mrs. Bent who had seen Dr. Parkman on Friday, and he wanted us to drive round over to the Port to see her. We came over Cragie's Bridge into Boston. Mr. Clapp talked with the Doctor. When we got to the corner of Second street, Dr. Webster remark- ed you ought to have turned that corner, if you are going to the College. Something was said about the driver being green—also about the water that had been •ounded. Mr. Clapp sat beside Dr. Webster. When we got to the jail we got out and went into the back olBce. When we got in Dr. Webster said Mr. Clapp what does this mean?'' Mr. Clapp said we have done looking for Dr. Parkman, and you are in custody for the murder of the Dr. What! me? says Dr. Webster. Yes, you, sir, and you are in custody for the murder of Dr. Parkman. Mr. Clapp and Mr. Spurr tlien left us and said they would go and see if they couldflnd Mr. Parker and the Marshal. Mr. Clapp made out a mittimus, handed it to me, and said don't com- mit the Dr. until I get back. He told me he would and find Mr. S. D. I'arker. Immediately after they went out, Dr Webster called for a pitcher of water and he drank several times. He asked me if they had found Dr. Parkman. I told him I wished^he would not ask me any questions, as it was not proper for me to answer them. He said, you might tell me something about it; where did they flnd him? Did they flnd the whole of the body? How came they to suspect me? Oh! my children, what will they do? Oh! what will they think of me? When did they get the information? I asked the Dr. if anybody had access to his private apartments but him- self. Nobody has access to my private apartments but the porter who makes the flre. There was a pause of a minute and a half, when the Dr. added, that villain, I am a ruined man. There was no further conversation. The Dr. walked the floor wringing his hands, after which he sat down. I saw the Doctor put his hand to his vest pocket, and put it up tti his mouth; and in a moment he stretched out n a spasm, asifinafit. I went to him and said, Doc- tor, haven't you been taking anything? and he said he had not. I then helped him up from the settee, and he walked the floor. I was with him about an hour, and Mr. Clapp came back and told me to commit the Doctor. I went to him and told him I must commit him. I took hold of his right arm, and he could not stand. I asked Mr. Cummings, one of the attendants, to take hold of him. He did, and we led him to the look-up. I told Mr. Cummings that I thought he had been taking something, and I thought that he had better send for a physician. I laid this to Mr. Cummings in the presence of the Doctor, when we got to the lock-up underneath the oflSce.— Mr. Clapp thought that we had better not send for a Ehysician, but go down every few minutes and look to im. We had to lay the Doctor in his berth; we laid him upon his side, and he turned over upon his face. He ap- peared like a man in a flt. I never saw a man in such a Btate in my life. I have seen a great many men in a fit, but never one like him I left the Doctor, and saw him about three-quarters of an hour afterwards at the Medical College. Dr. Webster, Mr. Parker, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Pratt, and several others, were up in the upper laboratory when I came there. I only was present when the privy door and private room door were broken open. While in the laboratory the Doctor appeared very much agitated, but not so much so up stairs as he did down stairs. I assisted in the removal of the remains. I handed the remains to Mr. Hopkins from the scuttle. I don't recol- lect that the Dr. said anything but asked for some water. After the Dr. had been in the laboratory the remains were ehown to the Dr. I was at the College, day times, until they were carried away. I have some fish hooks and twine. These were found just as they are in Dr. Web- •ter's private room in his upper laboratory. [Witness ex- hibited the articles to the jury. The hooks were arrang- ed as in the form of a grapple. There were three of these grapples—of one hook, of two hooks, and one of three hooks.] I saw them on Friday night. I took the hooks and twine on Saturday. They were rolled up in a paper on the shelf. The bundle of twine and hooks to- gether. I mean the closet where the valuables are kept. There is another ball of twine there yet. On Saturday there was a general search. I was in the upper laboratory, and heard my name called in the lower laboratory. I went into the lower laboratory. It was Saturday afternoon. I went down, and saw Mr. Fuller bringing a tea chest. He turned a tea chest over. It con- tained part of a human body, together with a quantity of : tan. Upon the thigh there was a quantity of twine wound round. I cut a piece of it off. [Witness exhibited the piece cut off.] All this came from the thigh. [The coun- sel for the government proposed to ask, in relation to the bunch of skeleton keys found at the College, and this wa» allowed.] 1 found all but one in Dr. Webster's private room on a shelf, in a little drawer. The one I found in his wardrobe. I have tried the keys, and—[answer ar- rested.] [The answer was arrested at the suggestion of the coun- sel for the defence. The government contended that the evidence to be elicited had a bearing upon ilie case, espe- cially touching such explanations as Dr. Web.'^ter might have to make of the mauuer in which the ke,s came into his possession. If the Dr. should advance tiiat he found the keys, and placed them in his drawers, and it should be shown that among them were some which would fit the locks of other apartments than his own, the Attorney General thought that this would have an important bear- ing upon the truth of the statement which the Dr. might have made. The question was admitted by the Court.] I have tried the keys. One of them fits the dissecting room door. A second fits the door of Dr. Webster's leo- ture room, and the store room below. There are two locks on the lecture room door leading out into the front entry. This tits one lock. This bears the marks of being tiled. This, a third, fits the front door of the upper steps, and the one below the stairs. These are all the keys t know anything about. There was a cupboard where there had been three drawers, which had been removed.. When Dr. Webster was brought to the Police Court, im the judge's room, and Mr Andrews was there, I said, Dr. Webster, I have found some keys in your room. What, says he those that are filed? I picked th^asi up in Fruit street and threw them in. These were his words. Cross-examined.—I testified before the Coroner's Jury; I took minutes of my evidence as I found things. I com« menced the search on Saturday. At the time of this con- versation with Dr. Webster, at the jail, I wrote it right down, and have the paper with me. I made this wriimg before I testified before the Coroner's Jury. I don't think that I said anything then aoout Dr. Webster putting his hand in his pocket and then putting it up to his mouth. I was at the College on P'riday, the 30th, at 4^ o'clock, and saw Littlefleld. I asked him if there was any place that; had been unsearched. He said all had been searched but the privy. I said, Can we not get in there? Mr, Littlefleld said, No, Dr. Webster has locked it and got the keys. I spoke about coming the next morning. Mr- Kingsley was with me. Examined some old buildings in the neighborhood, and then went to the Marshal's otfice. I ibund the keys all tied up in the back private room. I did not say to Dr. Webster that I had found skeleton keys, but as I have testified on my direct examination. -When we were in the carriage we did not mention about searching over the College. This was before we entered the carriage. I rec- ollect about the Doctor's going back for his keys, and Mr. Clapp telling him that we had keys enough to gain admis- sion. I mean to say that I give the exact words of Dr. Webster's conversation, when I talked to him. I wrote them down at the moment, while the Doctor was talking. I did not write down my own words. Charles B. Kice, called and sworn. Am one of the Police, one of the party which went to search Dr. Web- ster's apartments on Tuesday after Dr. Parkman's disap- pearance. When we got into the lower laboratory there was a conversation about the privy—the question was asked if we had been everywhere, and the answer was that we had except the Dr's. private privy. The answer came from Littlefleld I think. Nothing more was done. Dr. Webster was present. Tliis was the last room we went into—Dr. Webster showed the way out. I was there the night of Dr. Webster's arrest when he was brought to the College. I can't say whether any inquiry was made about the furnace while Dr. Webster was in the room. Cross Examined.—I was present when the tea chest waa turned over on the floor. Mr. Fuller, Mr. Starkweather and Mr. Eaton, and I think two or three others, were present. I saw the tea chest turned over, some tan brush- ed off. I don't think that it was moved until the Coroner came. I saw some one stoop down and brush off the tan, but who it was I can't say; I can't say whether any one had a stick in his hand or not; I don't recollect. It was found before the Coroner's Inquest came. I think the question was put in this way about the privy— whether we had seen the whole, and the reply was, we had ex-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083629_0037.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
