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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![•press down the edges. I told him I would have the box done for him to morrow uijjht (Saturday). He said he wanted it sooner, and I then told li;m I would liave it done at 12 o'clock at noon. He spoke as though lie had no kind of doubt of Dr. Parkman having jjoiie to Cam- bridge. ? S.^.MOEL N. Brown, called and sworn. I am one of the toll-gatherers on Cambridu;e Bridge—West Boston Bridge. I knew Dr. Georjre Parkman. I knew Doctor Webster. On the 30t!i of November I was at a grocery store corner of Cambridge and Grove street, at a little be- fore 4 o'clock. I saw Dr. Webster pass by the window. I went out and walked down to the toll-house with him I a.sked him if he could I'ecognize that .S20 bill—a S2U bill I took in the morning. I did not show the bill to Dr. Web.ster. In the morning of the 30th of November, I was on the Cambridge side. An Irishman came aloiiK and gave me a $20 bill to take from it cue cent for his toll I asked him if he had anything smaller, and he said he had not. I changed the 5ill for the Irishman, and took it to the Boston side and showed it to Mr. Hadley, the old toll- man, who thought it advisable to keep the bill. I went home and changed if, and showed it to the Marshal. It was on the Freeraans' Bank. 1 felt interested, and asked Dr. VYebster ii he could recugnise the bill; lie said he could not I had not heard that an Irishman had said he had received such a bill from Dr. Websier. Dr Wi^b- ster said that the money he had paid Dr. Parkman he had received from the students, some in larjje and some in small denominations We then parted at the toll- house I saw Dr. Parkman on the Wednesday or Thurs- day before he disappeared. Dr. Parkman came down lo the toll-house and aski^d me if I had seen D;-. Webster that morning I told him I had not. and lie turned and went back to the city It was between 11 and 1 o'clock In fifteen or twenty miuutes Dr. Parkman came along with an old chaise and white horse, and passed over the bridge. He had been down twice within four or six days to in- qnUra for Dr. Webster. Oo.M Examined. 1 mentioned this conversation with Dr. Webster as soon as I got to the toll-house, to Mr. Hadley. I did not make any memorandum of it. Betsey Bent Colman, called and sworn. I know Dr. Webster. I reside at Cambridgeport. Have known Dr. Webster a number of years. I remember thetime of his arrest. I saw him on Friday, the day of his arrest. I think it was about 4 o'clock, at my house. He called, and a ser vant showed him into a room. He said hecalled respecting Dr. Parkman. -I knew him a^ soon as I saw Itim. He asked me what day I thought I saw Dr. Parkman. I told him I thought I saw liim on Thursday afteinoon, the day before his disappearance Dr. Webster then said, '■ was it not Fridav you saw him? I said '-No. I was very busy on Friday down in the lower part of the house. He asked how he was dressed. I told him he was dressed in dark cJotlies I a-ked Dr. Webster if he liad heard anything from Dr. Parkman. He said that a cloak or coat had been fished up which was thought to be his, which had spots of blood on it. There was a hat found likewise. I said -'Oh dear, tlieii I am afraid he is murdered.' Then lie sa\ s we are afraid he is. He saidthatthere wasa $20 bill left at the toll-house by ; n frishman. That was all lie said to me about Dr. Parkman. He asked me twice or three times if I was sure it was on Tliur.-day. It was in the af teriioou that I thought I saw him. I accompanied Dr. Webster to the door, and he repeated it again and asked ''wasn't it Friday you saw Di-. Parkman. I told him no, and this was the last I saw of him. S. D. Pakker, called and sworn. I was at home in my parlor at 8 o'clock the 30th of November, and some ten or fifteen gentlemen came in. They made certain statements to me of the discoveries which had been made, and that Dr. Webster had been left at the jail. They asked for di- rections, and I to d them a comiilaint inu'-^t be made.— Some one immediately went for Coroner Pratt, and for Justice Merrill of the Police Court. Ihe Justice at tirst refused to act, on account of a distant relationship to the family of Dr. Webster, but he finally consented to, and Mv. Iviiij»sley made the complaint, which was duly made out and si;;iied. [.Most of the details have already appeared in the evi- dence, and if they had not, it would be difficult to give them, as Mr. Parker spoke so Inw as scarcely to be heard.] When we got to the Jail oflice and Dr. Webster was brouylif up, he was very much excited He was not able to hold a glass ni his hand. I beg^jed him to be caini; that we h;id not cmne to harm him; that certain discov- eries had been made which required an explanation.— I said 1 had understood that some of his private apart- ments had not been opened, and wished him to go to the Colleije. He said he would if he could. He asked for Mr. Franklin Dexter, and I told him that he was out of town. He spoke two 6r thiee times of the distress of his Jamily, which induced me to remark that there was an- other family in great distress, to whom the public owed Bome duties,' I enjoined him nut to make any explana- tions, and I hoped in Uod he wouhi be able to oxp ain it all. VVIien I lell home, I wa-^ incredulous as to his }>uilt. I said to the oHicers that Dr. Webster was not to be inter rogated. I did not ride in the coach with Dr. Webiter to 8 the College. I did not speak to Dr. Webster while he was in the College. While Dr. Webster was in the laboratory he was un- able to drink. [So far as we could hear, the witness detail- ed the conversations of the visit to the College as other witnesses had done.] When the remains were brought up Dr. VVebster was about 9 or 10 feet from them. He was not tiearer than that at any one time that I know of Crosi-Examined. I did'not send to Mr. Dexter that night. Re.-Examined. I was present at the Police Court when Dr. Webster was arraigned There was no examination. JouN M. CuMMiNGS, Called and sworn. I am watchman and turnkey at the jail. I was at the jail when Dr. Web- ster was tirst brought in. Mr. Clapp went away for a short time, then came back, aud told me to commit Dr. Webster Di- Webster sat upon the settee. I spoke to him two or three times, but he. did not take any noiice.— Mr Starkweather went to him. and then we ussi^ted him down tu the lookup, where we hoisted him up into a berth and left him. He was in a very bad state. Spok» of his family seve;al times. llr. Parker came to the jail and said that he wanted to see Prof Webster. I went down and spoke vo him, and told him that I wanted him—tliat Mr. Parker wanted to see him. He did not take any noiice. I took hold of him; he appeared to be very much agitated, and made the remark, ' I expected this 1' I cuuld not handle him, and went up stairs and told Mr. Parker he could not come up. Then Dr Gay, Mr. Leighton and Mr. Parker went down. Dr. Gay asked him if he could not get up aud go upstairs. He made no answer. We then took hold of hiru in his berth, and he made a spring and grabbed his arm about Mr. Jones's neck as if frightened. We then brought him lip into the back niUce. and sat him up in an armed chair. Mr. Leighton and I lielped Dr. Webster into the carriage to no to the College. I rode outside. We helped Dr. Webster out of the'c.irriage and up the steps, aud I don't know that I gave up my hold of uim until we returned IVom our visit to the College, fhe Dr. trembled and had a cold sweat ou, him all the time. His face was wet.— The weather was cold. We were detained on the steps for some time before v.e gained admission to tlie College. VVhen the party were searching the little back room, the Dr. .etood where he could look in. A coat was found, and the Doctor said that is the coat I lecture in. They were searching some drawers, aud the Doctor said, I don't know what they want there, they will not hnd any- thing there. When the Doctor was in the lower labora- tory, he felt very badly tliere. We lifted Di-. Webster in- to the coach, lie could not hel^) himself at all. We sat him upim the seat. He spoke ot his family again. We rode back again to the jail. Hiding back to the jail, I noticed his pantaloons were wet. I put my hand upon his legs. I noticed that his under coat was quite wet when we took off his outer coat to hoist him up into his berth.— We had to carry him down to his celj. He laid on his. back with his head up, and we fixed him as weh as we Could. I f\ent down at 1 o'clock, and at 2} o'clock, and found liim both times as he was when we put him into the cell. A lantern was left in the cell. I recollect of the question for a hatchet while we were in the College, but 1 don't know who asked for it. GusTAVus Andrews, called and sworn. I am keeper of the jail. I remember the night of Dr. Webster's arrest, the 30th of November. I was not there when he anived. I first saw him at the College. He had been gone but a lew moments when I returned home. I went to the College througti the shed door to the lower laboratory, Some iientlemen came down there and one of them, Mr. I'arker I think, called my attention to the lunuice. 1 did not ob- >^nr.ii whether Dr. VVebster was in the room at the time 1 went to the furnace and saw fragments of bones, and when I turned back 1 saw Dr Webster standing by the privy door. Be was much agitated. When he got out of the room, Dr. Webster placed his foot down fiim and braced hiin'- selfup; but when the remains were brought up he com- menced trembling again. After a moment 1 oidered the men to take Dr. Webster to the carriage. He was placed in it, and 1 got in. The first words when he got in were, Why don't they ask Littlefield ? He can explain all this; iie has the care of fhe dissecting room. They want- ed me to explain, but they didn't ask me anything;. He then said, What will my family think of my absence ? I then said. '-I pity you, and I am sorry for you, my dear sir. He replied, JDo you pity me? are you sorry for me? What for? I said,'• To see you so excited; I hope you will be calmer. He said, Oh! that's it. I don't recollect anything more being said. We placed him in his cell and on his bed. I don't think that he moved during the night. In the morning he was where I left hiiii at ni,sht, and wanted to be iai,~ed up. In the course ot the forenoon he was able to sit in a chair.— On Saturday morning the remarks Dr. Websier made were sratuitous on his part. He said, Tnat is no more Dr I'arkinan's body than it is my body, and how in the world they came there I don't know. He Hien saiU, I never liked the looks of Littlefield, the Janiloi-. I oppos- ed his comins there all I could. 1 think there wa.s no- thing more said. He was in great perspiration the night](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083629_0039.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
