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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![get it several times, but was unable to do so in the laboratory. I can't say whether I went to the door on Sunday. On Monday morning between nine and ten, Dr. Samuel Parkman came and inquired for Mr. Littlefield and also for Dr. Webster. I told him I thought they were in. He then asked the way to the Doctor's room, and I showed him the laboratory stairs, which were then unfastened; we went up. I found it fastened a short time after, when I went to get some water. I never tried the store-room door. That same forenoon, the Cambridge Expressman brought a bundle of grape vines, a box, and a bag, and left them on my cellar-floor, which he never did before, but always carried them up. If the Doctor happened to be out, the Expressman would go up with the key ; but that morning he did leave them. I tried them a number of times, but can only fix on Thursday, when I asked Mr. Little- field why he did not put the things in the laboratory where they belonged. He tried the door and said you see I can't get in. I can't say whether the bag was there or not; but the box and grape vines were there, because my little boy scattered the latter all about. Mr. Bemis.—Did you see Mr, Littlefield trying to find out what Dr. Webster was doing in his room ? Mr. Merrick.—We object to the question proposed to the witness. She may show that the doors were tried; but as to his lying down to look under the door, we think that incompetent. By the Court.—Any fact in this connection, material to the issue, and not too general, may be put, I saw Mr. Littlefield listening at the key-hole of Dr. Webster's door; when he saw me he came away. I don't know that my husband built any fires in Dr. Webster's apartment that week. I saw Dr. Webster pass through the entry, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Wednesday morning he came as early as eight, and I think I saw him pass through the entry ; he turned to the door which leads through to the front entry above. I don't know that there were any lectures on Thanksgiving week. On Friday morning, Dr. Webster came to the collegCy when we were at breakfast, as late as nine. That was unusually late, as Mr. Littlefield had been out the night before at a late hour. Dr. Webster came into our apartment, and took up a paper^ and asked Mr. Littlefield whether he had heard anything of Dr. Parkman. He replied that he had not. Dr. Webster then said that a woman said she had seen a large bundle put into a cab, that they had taken the number of the cab, and found the bottom all covered with blood. Mr, Littlefield replied that there were many flying reports about Dr. Parkman. My husband commenced digging through the wall. He was there about an hour. On Friday I had to watch lest Dr. Webster should come. About three o'clock the doors were all locked, and my husband resumed his labour; when he had been there about three-quarters of an hour, I thought I saw Dr. Webster coming. [The witness corroborated the evidence of her husband respecting digging through the wall.] Dr. Webster came and passed to the laboratory. He then came down and carried up the grape-vines, leaving the door unlocked and a little open. After Dr. Webster had left, which was in a short time, Mr. Littlefield resumed his work. (While Dr. Web- ster was in the college Mr. Littlfefield had been out talking with a police officer.) After he had been at his work, about ten minutes, he came up and seemed very much afilicted ; I asked him what was the matter. He said [objected to.] The Attorney-General seemed to think the conversation of Mr. Littlefield, as well as his appearance, were material facts. These things were material, inasmuch as would be made a part of the case, that either Mr. Littlefield or Dr. Webster must have known that Dr, Parkman's remains were in the building, and it would be argued that the former had placed the remains in the position in which they were found. By the Court.—The conversation of Mr. Littlefield is incompetent. Mr. Littlefield burst out a crying. He locked the doors and then went out](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083630_0034.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
