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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![night, on the shelf, in the private room. The keys were in the same room. When I spoke of the keys to Dr Webster, I did not say skeleton keys. He said, What those that are filed, &c. I found the keys that fitted the outer doors in the same place. I give the exact words Dr. Webster used at the jail. I wrote them down as the Doctor was talking. Charles G. Rice (48th witness).—I am one of the police. I went to search Dr. Webster's apartments on Tuesday. After the party had gone down to the labo- ratory, it was asked if we had seen everything about the premises. The answer was that we had seen all, except Dr. Webster's private privy. Dr. Webster led the way to another room. I was at the college the night of the arrest. The coroner gave directions not to meddle with the furnace. Cross-examined.—I was present when the tea-chest was turned over. I cannot say who brushed off the tan from the thorax; nor whether any one had a stick in his hand. I think some of the tan was brushed off, though not very clean. Samuel Lane, Jun. (49th witness).—Hardware merchant, No. 9 Dock Square. I have known Dr. Webster since 1835. I saw Dr. Webster at my store after I heard of Dr. Parkman's disappearance ; I think in the after part of the day. I think the day was Monday or Tuesday, because I was out of town on Wednesday. Dr. Webster came in and inquired for fish-hooks. Some one said we had none. I had seen Dr. Webster frequently before, and knew him well. Stephan B. Kimball (50th Witness). — I was the clerk of Mr. Lane last autumn, and knew Dr. Webster. I saw him last Thanksgiving week, Monday and Tuesday. He came and inquired for large size fish-hooks. James W. Edgerly (51st witness).—I am a hardware merchant in Union Street. Tuesday of last Thanksgiving week, a person came into my store and inquired for the largest sized fish-hooks. He purchased six of them and went away. I have since seen the same hooks. There is a peculiar mark on them. They are of an un- usual size, and I had them on hand a long time. I did not then know Dr. Webster, but have since seen him, and think he was the person I sold the hooks to. [The witness then identified the fish-hooks he had sold to be the same as those which formed one of the grapples ] William W. Mead (52nd witness).—I am in the hardware business in Union Street. A person came to my store Friday after Thanksgiving, and inquired for hooks to form a grapple with. I showed him some and sold Juim three of them. They were considerably smaller than those (the same purchased of the last witness). I think the person was Dr. Webster. I was called upon to go to the jail to see Dr. Webster. I saw him in his cell. I could not so well tell him in the clothes he then had on. Dr. Webster changed his clothes, I then thought he was the same person to whom I sold fish-hooks. Wm. M. Tyler (53rd witness) I manufacture ropes, lines, and twine. I have been in the business for forty-five years. I think I am able to judge of the similarity of diflPerent pieces of twine, and have once or twice been called upon to testify on the subject. [The twine which was taken from the thigh was shown to the witness ; also that which was attached to the grapple, and the ball which had been found in Dr. Webster's apartment.] All these pieces of twine are from the same ball. I have no doubt on the subject. They are manufactured of Russian hemp ; which is unusual at the present time Both in respect to the material and the mode of manufacture this twine is peculiar. Cross-examined.—I judge of the twine both by the stock and the manufacture. I am of the opinion both pieces are of the same kind, but I don't say that both came from the same piece. There is a slight apparent diiFerence which is not unusual in the same ball of twine, owing to carelessness of manufacture. Nathaniel Waterman (54th witness),—I manufacture tin plate, in Cornhill. I have known Dr. Webster for twelve years. About 30th Nov., 1849, he was in my](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083630_0048.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
