The Parkman murder : trial of Prof. John W. Webster, for the murder of Dr. George Parkman, November 23, 1849 : before the Supreme Judicial Court, in the City of Boston with numerious accurate illustrations.
- John White Webster
- Date:
- 1850
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The Parkman murder : trial of Prof. John W. Webster, for the murder of Dr. George Parkman, November 23, 1849 : before the Supreme Judicial Court, in the City of Boston with numerious accurate illustrations. 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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![soundings had been had above and below the bridge. We have been making soundings in and about the college; we have done looking for the body ofDr Parkinan any more; adding, you are now in custo- dy, on the charge of the murder of Dr Parkman.— He then said, I wish you would send word to my family. I recommended a postponement of the message to the morning; if sent then it would be a sad night to them. He began to say something which I thought was in relation to the crime charged, when I told'him he had better not say anything to me about it. He then requested that I should send for some of his friends in the city; to this request I said it would not be necessary to send for them that night, for they could not see him; it would do as well in the morning. I told him I wished if he had any arti- cles about him not proper to carrv into the jail, he would give such articles to me. He gave me his gold vi'atch, wallet containing certain papers, $2 40 in money, an omnibus ticket-case, and Ave keys. I took these articles, wrapped them up in a hand- kerchief, took them to the Marshal's office, locked them up in my drawer and did not see them again until Sunday. I left Dr. Webster with Mr. Stark- weather and Spurr in the back room while I made out a mitimus, and left it with a request that the doctor should not be contmitted until Mr. Stark- weather should hear from me. Mr. Spurr then joined me and we went to the Marshal's office, and thence in pursuit of the Marshal. After awhile I went down to the Medical Col- lege, when I found Dr. Webster there in custody of two jail officers. There were other olTicers there. I met them in the laboratory. Mr Littlefield went for keys to unlock the privy door. He got a bunch, but none of them would unlock it. 1 with others got a poker and some other things from the furnace when we pried the door opon. The lock came off as the door opened. On Sun- day after I opened the things in my desk, and found a key which proved to fit the lock on the privy. I have some other keys which I obtained at Doctor Webster's house on a search warrant. Some of these keys fit the doors of rooms in the College. I found in Dr Webster's drawer two keys which fit- ted the outer doors of the College. While in the laboratory, I saw Coroner Pratt present, also Mr Andrews, the jailor. Coroner Pratt spoke of not meddling with the bones in the furnace. I noticed Dr Webster's manner in attempting to drink; he tried several times, but I do not know whether he succeeded. He trembled very much; acted much as persons do under a fit of delirium tremens. On Saturday, Dec. 1st, I obtained a warrant from Justice Livermore, of Cambridge, and with a Cam- bridge officer and Mr Cunningham, a friend of Dr Webster, I went to the Dr's. 1 did not get what I went for; in a drawer in his library I took a bank book. We searclied the library and looked over the same trunk in which we subsequently found the pa- pers produced in Court. I think if these papers had been in the trunk at the time, I should have found them. On the same day, after coming home, we were sent out again te make anothel' search. From the president of the college, we got permis- sion to look over the mineralogical cabinet and then searched Dr Webster's house again, but without finding any thing for which we were sent. AFTERNOON SESSION. The Court came in at twenty minutes to four o'clock. Mr CLAPP cross examined. These three papers were in the wallet. When I went into the College 1 do not recollect seeing Mr Littlefield tiy the dcor of the laboratory. I saw minerals in the laboratory on my visit there, but did not see any fire in the fur- nace there. In coming in from Cambridge the only thing I said to Dr W. about searching the College was the expression I have before used that we were about to make another search there. The keys ex- remember in coming in that Dr W. said any thing about the note, move than I have mentioned, ex- cept Dr Webster, in speaking.-of not being the loser if Dr Parkman was not found, said, Dr P. was an honest man. We arrived at the jail at 8, and at the College a little past 10; I looked at my watch at the jail, but did not on arriving at the College. CHARLES W. LITTLE called and sworn. I am a resident at Cambridge, a student in the senior class. I knew the late Dr Parkman. I recollect meeting him on Thursday, Nov. 22d, between 1 and 2 o'clock, P. M. in Cambridge, on the road leading to tlie Washington elm. He was riding in a chaise, and inquired where Dr Webster lived. I told him where, when he rode on. This was between Mr Saimders' house and the corner of the street, an 8th to 1-4 of a mile from the house of Dr W. I call this to mind from the fact that 1 went to New York the next day. SETH PETTEE called and sworn. I do business in this city; am discount clerk at the New Englantl Bank, and collect funds at the Medical College; I distribute or sell the tickets, and collect the pay for them. I entered upon this duty on the 7th Novem- ber last. I received one hundred of Prof Webster's tickets, and disposed of fifty-five tickets for which 1 received pay, by the 23d of November. The aggre- gate pay for tliese tickets was $825; of the remainder for some I took notes; others were free tickets; still others were third course tickets, which also were free. I disposed of ninety-three tickets in all. Thir- ty-eight were for notes and third course tickets; I had seven left. For these thirty-eighr I received, previous to the 23d November, only $1.5 for Prof. Webster. The whole amount paid to Prof. Web- ster was .$825; the .$15 were paid to Dr Bigelow. I have on my list one hundred and seven students to Prof Webster's lectures. In one instance. I have known of a ticket being sold to a student for Dr. Webster, without my receiving the money. Mr Littlefield sent for me to come to the College on ihe 23d of November. On the first collections I made, Nov. 9th, there was due to Dr. W. $510; the lec- tures began on the 7th. Dr. Bigelow gave me a note against Dr. W. of $225 89. This note was dated April 1, 1849; with interest it amounted to $234 10. This I paid to Dr. Bigelow for Dr. Web- ster's note. The remainder §275 90 was paid in a check to Dr. Webster. The next division of funds was about the 14th. I credited Dr. Webster with 13 tickets sold amounting to $195. This I paid to Dr. Webster. I drew a check for that amount on the 14th. The next date, the 16th, I credited him with $30 ,and paid the amount on an order from Dr. Webster, dated the 20th. On the 23d, I credited him with six tickets, $90, and paid a check to that amount, to Dr. Webster. 1 have collected some since which I have not paid over. The first time I saw Dr. Parkman and knew him, was on the 12th November. He came to me and inquired if I collected funds for the Medical College, and asked if I had any funds for Dr. Web- ster in my hands. I had none at the time, and I so informed him. He made a few remarks, and then left the Bank. In fifteen or twenty minutes he re- turned and took a dividend belonging to his wife.— When I paid the dividend, I inquired if Prof Web- ster owed him. He made some remarks and left.— A few iiys after, he called on me again, and inquir- ed if 1 had any funds of Dr Webster. I told him I had just paid over all I had. He said he thought he gave me a hint to keep some for him. I told him I had no control over Prof. W.'s funds, and all I had to do was to pay them over to him. [Something further was here said by the witness which it was difficult to hear. One remark was something that Dr P. had said about Dr Webster's dishonesty.] On Friday morning, I called at the College for Mr Littlefield. I went up to the hbrary; when I went down I went into Mr Webster's private room, the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083617_0036.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
