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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![asked the Doctor if anybody had access to his private apartments except himself! He said, no one but the porter who makes the fires. There was then a pause of a minute or so, and then he exclaimed that villian, I am a ruined man! He then walked the floor, would wring his hands, and then sit down. He put his hand to his vest pocket and put it to his mouth. He then stretched out like a man in a spasm. I then said, Doctor, haven't you been taken anything? He said he had not. I then helped him up, and he walked the floor. I was v/ith him about an hour. Mr. Clapp then came back and told me, '* commit the Doctor. I went to Dr. Webster and told him that I should commit him. I took hold of his right arm, but he couldn't stand. I asked Mr. Cummings, one of the attendants, to assist me. We then carried him to the lock-up. I told Mr. Clapp I thought the Doctor had been taking- something, and that we had better send for a doctor. Mr. Clapp thought not, unless he was worse. We laid Dr. Webster in his berth, on his side, and he turned over on his face. I was at the college when the back private door and the privy door were broken open. When we were in the lower laboratory, some one asked where the furnace Avas, Mr. Littlefield walked towards it. Dr. Webster was much agitated, especially while down stairs. I assisted in lifting up the remains, and handed them to Mr. Hopkins. Dr. Webster asked for water, but could not drink it. Dr. Webster saw the remains, and stood looking at them. I was at the Medical College, from the time the remains were found to the time they were carried away,—during the day-time. [Two grapples, consisting of large fish-hooks attached to heavy sinkers and twine, were exhibited to th- court and jury.] One of these has three hooks, the other two„ they were found in Dr. Webster's small private room. I saw them on Friday night, and took them away on Saturday ; they were done up in a paper, lying on a shel£ The ball of twine was also found there. On Saturday there was a general search ; 1 was in the upper room, in the afternoon, and I was called to the lower laboratory; I went down and saw Mr. Fuller bringing a tea-chest from the back part of the room f the tea-chest was turned over; we saw the thigh, the thorax, and a quantity of tan. There was some twine tied about the thigh ; I cut off a piece, which is the same I now hold in my hand. [A bunch of skeleton keys was here exhibited as articles found in Dr. Webster's apartment,] I found all these keys, except one, in Dr. Webster's private room, on a shelf, tied together. [Counsel for defence objected to anything concerning the keys, as being irrelevant to the issue of this trial. If Dr. Webster were on trial for burglary, it would be proper to investigate them. The court overruled the objection.] This key fits the dissecting-room door ; this fits both the lecture-room and the store-rocm door, and is marked 5; and this fits the front door as well as the door underneath the steps. Where the drawers had been, a little door was found in the closet. [By the Court.—That is immaterial.] When the Doctor was brought to the Police Court to be examined, I said, Doctor, I found some keys in the college, What, said he, those that are filed ? I picked them up in Fruit Street, and threw them in there. Cross-examined, — I testified before the Coroner's Inquest. I wrote off my evidence at the college, as I found things. I commenced this on Saturday after the disappearance. 1 wrote off this evidence before I testified at the Coroner's Inquest; but I think I said nothing there about Dr. Webster's putting soinetiiing into his mouth at the jail. On the day of the discovery I went to the Medical College, and asked Mr. Littlefield if we had seen every place in the building ! He said all but Dr. AVebster's j)rivate privy, and that he had taken the keys and had gone. I told him that he would come in the morning and see him. Mr. Kingsley was with me at this time. We came from the Marshal's oflftce. I saw the fish-hooks, on Friday](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083630_0047.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
