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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![him at 1 1-4 o'clock at some distance from the Col- lege. He said he was quite certain for it was nfter his lecture. I asked Dr W. if lie had any papers in his hands; he replied he had, and he took out one and dashed his pen through it. This Dr W. repre- sented as having been done with violence. Speak- ing of the mortgage, my brother said he would see that it was canceled. I asked Dr W. whether he knew that my brother had gone to cancel the mort- gage. He said he did not know, but meant to go and see for liiniself. Dr Webster then departed and I followed him to the door. 1 think I have a distinct recollection of the conversation at that time. I am sure he said that my brother took out one paper and dashed his pen through it. Dr. W. appeared very earnest in his manner at the time; he commenced speaking in a business tone, and exhibited no e.xpression of sur prise at the disappearance, and no sympathy in my grief. I should describe it as a business visit. I have noticed in Dr Webster, before, a quickness and rapidity of motion—it belongs to his character—but there was a certain flurry of manner I had not ob- served before. What particularly struck me was the absence of tenderness with which persons should approach those so afflicted as we were. He was in ray house from ten to twelve minutes. I have an impression he had no overcoat on at the time. I think after leaving my house he went down Green street. My brother, in his habits, was marked; he was among the most punctual of mankind; he was regu- lar in his meals; seldom went out of the city; left a wife, son, and daughter. His son was in Europe at the time, and has but lately returned. I may say with confidence I never heard him use profane lan- guage ; he could express himself strongly when moved, but I never have heard him use a profane word. Cross examined. The names of the men who called at my house and said they saw my brother on Friday, were Fessenden and Oliver. I passed the morning of Sunday with my brother's family, then remained at home during the rest of the day. SEVENTH DAY. Tuesday, March 26. RALPH SMITH called and sworn. My place of business is in Exchange street; I am a dealer in liquors. Have had business with Dr Webster. The note shown to me was a reply to a request of mine to Prof W to pay a debt due me. [The note was read by Mr Bemis. It was dated Cambridge, Oct. 15, 1849. The note is to the effect that tlie writer will pay the bill when he receives his fees from the medical students, and until then he asks indulgence.] SAMUEL D. FULLER called and sworn. I am a Police officer; have been an officer for nine years; I have seen Prof. Webster; never had any acquain- tance with him. On Sunday night, Nov. 25th, I went to East Cambridge to ascertain whether Dr Parkman had been there to cancel the mortgage spoken of Mr Thompson, the clerk in the Regis- ter's oiFice, said he could best tell aftor seeing Dr Webster. I took him in a chaise and called on Dr Webster. The Dr came to the door, when the clerk made known the business we came for. We went into the house, when Dr W. turned over the leaves of a long account book, and then left the room.— This was a little after dark. In turning over the leaves of the book, he seemed to tremble badly. He returned in a few minutes and said—it is strange that I cannot find those papers. He sat down, and then got up and went to a trunk under a table; then returned to the account book, and after again look- ing at it conversed with the clerk about the matter. He said to him—my ticket man said to me that Dr Parkman came to him the other day, and demanded what money he had of mine in his i)ossession. The ticket man said he had none, when Br Parkman told him to tell me that I was a d—d rascal and a scoun- drel. I thought hard of it at .the time, said he, but I don't care any thing about it now, for I have set- tled with Dr Parkman, and it is all over. He also told the clerk that the mortgage was on personal property, and not on real estate. I made the re mark that we would go to the city clerk and see if Dr Parkman had been there. We left, and I saw nothing more of Dr W. that night. I took part in the search for Dr Parkman on Tues- day; went to the College wtth Mr Clapp, Rice, and C. M. Kingsley. This was about 11 1-2 o'clock. We went to the lower laboratory door next to Mr Littlelield's, which we found fast. We next went to another door by the store room, wliich was also fast; we then went to the front door to the lecture room. After knocking the second time, Dr Web- ster came to the door. After getting into the room, I asked Dr Webster who was with him when DrP. paid him the money. What time was it.'' said I. Between IJ- and 2 o'clock, he replied. We passed through the lecture room, and when near the table I asked where they were when the money was paid. He replied, here, pointing to the place. We then went to the back private room, of which he said here is where I keep my choice articles. After getting down stairs, Mr Clapp, in passing the privy, asked what place is this? Mr Littlefield answered, Dr Webster's private privy. At this moment Dr W. passed across the laboratory to the store room, saying, this is another room; we passed out 'then without taking much more notice of the laboratory. I know that Dr W. appeared to hurry us through the room. After looking to the main vault, Mr Lit- tlefield and myself went under the buildings, by the scuttle. [This place was pointed out on the dia- gram by the witness.] There w-as no hole in the wall at the time. There was a conversation as to the position of the privy while we were there. Since then I have been through the hole cut in the wall several times, and have made two examina- tions of the walls. There is no access by the tide, under Prof Webster's apartments, of sufficient qjantity to carry off any thing by it. J. ^:m the person who found the remains in the tea ci. St. 1 had been searching on Saturday, Nov. 30, from S 1-2 o'clock in the morning to 4 in the af- ternoon. I had seen the chest before it was turned over, but did ;iOt see any one put any minerals in it. There were six it eight of us engaged in the search. I proposed to take one side of the building and search it thoroughly. I do not know that any one had searched there before Seeing these minerals in the chest, I thought it was tnc place where he kept the minerals. But as we were examining every thing, I thought I would take them out and lay them on the shelf After taking out a few I found some tan in the chest, when I thrust my hand in and toojc some minerals from it. I put my hand in again, when I took out a knife which I looked at and put in my pocket. On putting my hand in again, I felt something cold, when I said I thought there was something more in it than mhierals. I then took the chest to another part of the room, and turned it over, when I discovered parts of the body of a man. When I first saw the trunk, it was back up; in turn- ing it over I saw a hole in the left breast about here, [pointing to the place.] The tan was scraped off by the hand. OlFicer Butman was about to scrape off some of it with a stick, when I told him not to do so. I remarked, on seeing the hole, I should think the knife in my pocket might fit the hole very well. [The tea chest in questiom was brought in while Mr Fuller was giving his testimony.] I found the kidneys in the ash hole in another part of the furnace range; in the lower laboratory on a table was a comforter next to a window on the back side, and two blanke 'i -the articles appeared to be all new—never used 1 remained in charge of the College several week,<, until the 3d of January; we did not allow any one in without a permit; my in-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083617_0038.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
