Report of the trial of Prof. John W. Webster : indicted for the murder of Dr. George Parkman, before the Supreme judicial court of Massachusetts, holden at Boston, on Tuesday, March 19, 1850 / Phonographic report, by Dr. James W. Stone.

  • Webster, John White, 1793-1850, defendant.
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the trial of Prof. John W. Webster : indicted for the murder of Dr. George Parkman, before the Supreme judicial court of Massachusetts, holden at Boston, on Tuesday, March 19, 1850 / Phonographic report, by Dr. James W. Stone. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    how much he required immediately. He said, $600. I told him that [ had not the money, but that if he could get my note discounted at any of the banks, I would purchase his minerals. In the course of the afternoon, he came into my counting-room, and said he had succeeded with a bank—the Charles River Bank, I believe. There is the receipt I received from him. [Here the Court examined the receipt.| Afterwards he brought me a catalogue and a bill of sale of his minerals. Idid not examine them particularly. On the 6th of January, I gave him $200 in check, and on the 3lst August my note for the balance. He then said that there were some of the minerals in the Medical College that he should like to keep. I told him that if he would pay the interest on the money I had advanced, he was at liberty to keep them, and there the matter rested ; he has paid me no interest since, and I have not called upon him for any. Subse- quently, I was walking with Dr. P., and we met Dr. W. passing. I asked Dr. P., What salary has Dr. W.at Cambridge? He answered, $1200. I said that was not enough, for he has come to me to sell his minerals. Said Dr. P., They are not his to sell; and he took me to his house, and showed me the mortgage. He then said he would see Dr. W., and give him a piece of his mind. [This evidence was objected to.]| Dr. P. left a wife and three children—two sons and a daughter. Huis daughter had been an invalid for several years— so much so that he did not expect she would recover. He was always in the habit of buying delicacies as a relish for her palate. He was more than punctual,—he was.the most punctual man I ever saw. I do not think anything could induce him to go from home if he could avoid it. The Court here adjourned. SECOND DAY.— Wednesday, March 20. _ The Jury being engaged.in examining the Medical College, ac- cording to the direction of the Court, did not come in till twenty minutes to ten o’clock. The counsel for the Commonwealth produced and exhibited full plans of the various floors of the Medical College, and a wooden model of the whole building, capable of being dissected so as expose all the floors and partitions: These models and plans were shown to the Court and Jury, and used in illustrating the subsequent testimony. (See Appendix A.) Francois Tukey, sworn.—I am City Marshal; was informed of the disappearance of Dr. Parkman.on the forenoon of Saturday, Novem- -ber 24, by Mr. Blake and Mr. R. G. Shaw, about ten o’clock. Com- menced search immediately at the west end of the city. I ordered the West End police, to inspect and make inquiry around the prem- ises of Dr. Parkman in the West End. They could get no informa- tion concerning him, only that he had been seen in the neighborhood on Friday. ‘This information was given to Dr. Parkman’s friends by me, and I also advised them to advertise his disappearance, which they did; the commission to do so having been given to the reporter for the Journal, who was in my office at the time. [The Court thought it unnecessary to go into proof of the fact that Dr. Parkman had disappeared.]