The twelve days' trial of Dr. John W. Webster for the murder of Dr. Parkman : comprising the addresses of the counsel engaged, the examination of the 121 witnesses, the prisoner's singular defence, and the chief justice's charge to the jury, and his sentence on the prisoner.
- John White Webster
- Date:
- 1850
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The twelve days' trial of Dr. John W. Webster for the murder of Dr. Parkman : comprising the addresses of the counsel engaged, the examination of the 121 witnesses, the prisoner's singular defence, and the chief justice's charge to the jury, and his sentence on the prisoner. 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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![Autumn of 1846, and continued until July, 1849. I recollect working upon teeth for Dr. Parkman in 1846. The handwriting of the model— Dr. Parkman, October, 1846, is mine. I examined the teeth found in the furnace, and recognised them to be Dr. Parkman's from the general shape and configuration. It struck me at once. In looking them over carefully, I noticed a hole between the second bi-cuspis and the first molar tooth. I also noticed a surface which appeared to have been ground, and recollected that those of Dr. Parkman had been ground in that way—that I saw Dr. Keep grind them. I also noticed a small margin near the plate, unground, which could not be reached without removing the plate. I see good reason to believe these to be the teeth of Dr. Parkman, and none, that they are not. I have not the slightest doubt, but that they are the same I worked upon for Dr. Parkman. [The witness confirmed the evidence of Dr. Keep as to the circumstances of haste in which these were.prepared for Dr. Parkman.] Dr. Noble resumed.—We were employed quite a number of days upon these teeth. I have put blocks of teeth into the fire, and they cracked immediately. But they may be heated gradually, and then will escape injury. I confirm the statement of Dr. Keep, as to the increasing liability of worn mineral teeth to be cracked in the fire. Dro Jeffries Wyman (23rd witness).—I am a professor of anatomy in Har- vard College. I went to the Medical College on Sunday, December 2, and found several gentlemen there. My attention was called more especially to the fragments of bones found in the furnace. I have a catalogue of these bones. These, in this box, are the fragments found at the College. They are registered under 35 heads. My attention was directed to the remains of flesh, though not particularly. These remains showed no indication of having been used for anatomical purposes. On examining the thorax, I was struck with the fact that the sternum was removed in the manner usual in post-mortem examinations; as well its separation from the collar- bone and the first rib. The route which the knife passes is such, that a person unacquainted with the operation, would have great difficulty. There is only one way. The separation of the thigh bone from the hip indicated the same knowledge; I did not observe as to the separation of the head from the trunk. The saw is not usuall}^ employed for purposes of anatomical examination. The quantity of hair on the back was very unusual—on each side of the spine, and half or third of the way down the back. If death were occasioned by a blow, and the stab were immediate, I should look for a considerable flow of blood. Post-!iiortem examinations are not necessarily attended with much flow of blood ; though it is usual to spread cloth by the sides of the body. 1 examined certain spots on the sides of the stairway leading from the upper to the lower laboratory. Some of these were tobacco spittle. But there were others higher up, of which I discovered nothing definite. On Sunday, these were moist. They were said to be nitrate of copper. I have experimented to determine whether nitrate of copper would destroy the globule character of blood. I placed some blood under the microscope, and added some nitrate of copper. In the course of a few hours, the discs of blood had disappeared. There were brought to me a pair of slippers, and a pair of pantaloons. These are the same slippers, and these are the same places where I cut out certain spots. [These slippers were then shown to the jury.] I have satisfied myself that these spots were blood. These are the same pantaloons. Dr. Webster's name is marked U))on them, I cut out the spots from them. I obtained a sign from these spots which satisfied me that tliey were blood. I think the drops of blood did not fall upon the pantaloons from any great height—say, three feet—otherwise, the drop would have assumed the elongated form on the surface upon which it fell. These spots are on the lower part of the outside of the left leg. [A paper was also shown, found by oflEicer Heath in the laboratory, under the table, which the witness said contained two spots of blood.] B](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083630_0021.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
