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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![structioiis were to watch every step of Jlr. Little- field. [This last remark was objected to by Mr. Sohier.] The hole of the privy was 9 3-4 inches in diameter —we tried the thorax in the tea chest and found that it would not go through the hole. The pelvis would go through by turning it up edgwise. While in the charge of the laboratory, experiments were made as to whether noises could be heard in Prof. Webster's room from Dr. Holmes', and viue versa. Nothing could be heard. These experiments were authorised by the Marshal or Mayor. A little plate shown to me was found on the floor under a bench in the upper laboratory, back of the lecture room. Cross examined. I measured the privy hole; the experiments were tried after the sent was taken up; Mr. Littlefield held the thor.ax and the pelvis when we tried to get them through. We searched the rooms thoroughly; found a box of tan, and half a bushel in a barrel. The box was eight or ten feet from Mr. Littlefield's store-room. The box was nearly full. I did not notice the tea chest on Tues- day. The knife was shut when I took it from the chest; I put it in my pocket and have kept it in my possession. When the thorax was thrown out, Messrs Butman, Starkweather, Rice and I think, Littlefield, were present. We were sent there by Jhe orders of the Marshal. These officers were there that day specially; I remained there, .is I have before staled. We looked at the thorax fom- or five minutes when I turned it over, and s.aw the hole in the side; I turned the thigh partly over, when we left the remains for the Coroner. The twine was round the bone of the thigh. The Coroner's .Jury met about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. •Officer Butman said he was going to scrajie the tan off, when I told him not to. It was not scraped off until the next day. I brushed off a little with my hand. I put my hand into the tan up to the wrist. 1 never saw Mr Thompson until I went to the Re- gister's office. After leaving Dr Webster's house, I remarked to Mr Thompson that I thought Dr W. appeared very singular—told him that the doctor trembled. I had no suspicion of the doctor at the time—thought lie had a quick, nervous way. We arrived at Dr Webster's just after dark; were there not more than fifteen or twenty minutes. Our ob- ject in going there was to ascertain the date of the mortgage. The first time I was at the College was on Tues- day. Dr Webster then said that Dr Farkman was at his room between half past 1 and 2 o'clock. If I said before the Coroner's jury that he said half past 1, it was not correct. On the night after the search, I made memorandums in relation to the conversations held at the College. On theday after the interview at Cambridge, I made some memor- anda; stated in it that Dr W. looked excited. I went down into the cellar three times; first on Sat- lurday morniiig; noticed the ground there; the-re is a trench round the wall; the tide, in coming in, flows into the trench, and is confined to it; in one corner of the wall the water is about three feet dee]); in the privy two fvet ; from the privy the ground slants towards the trench. A man cannot stand up under there, except in the trench; did not see the remains there; found the towels directly un- dei the privy. The labels on the minerals did not look as though they had been written more than five or six mouths; appeared fresh. By the Government. Mr Eaton was present when the tea chest was carried out by the win- dow. SAMUEL PARKMAN BLAKE, called and sworn. I am a relative of the late Dr Parkman. I took an active ])art in the search for Dr Parkman; in the course of which I called on Dr Webster, on Monday morning subsequent to the disappearance, between 10 and 11 o'clock. As I approached the steps I saw a student, as I supposed, of whom I asked if Dr W.« lectured thai day. He could not tell, but 1 believe rutiir Ihe I.ell, when Mr LlttlefieM ainifarwl. lie said Dr W. did not lecture; but tho't I could see him. He tried the door of the lecture room, and asked my nanie, that he might mention it to Dr Webster.— He passed through the entry, and 1 thought 1 wait- ed an unreasonable time. He then appeared by un- bolting the lecture room door, when he passed out and I passed in. I saw Dr Webster coming out of his laboratory door, or back room. He laid something on the ta- ble, had on a smoking cap and a working dress. He stood at the place until I approached him. I told him I called to get the particulars of the inter- view I learned he had with Dr I'arkmau. He then went on to state that on Tuesday the 2Cth, lecture day, before he had finished his lecture, Dr Parkman came in and sat down [poinfing to the place] and waited very patiently for the close of the lecture. After its close Dr Parkman came up to him at the table, and said, Doctor, I want some money; he was very much excited, and was very angry; he said, you have $500 hi your wallet, and I want it. The countenance of Dr W. lighted up as he related this interview. He told Dr Parkman he could not pay him on that day; he had not collected all the pay for his tickets; Dr Parkman then asked him when he could pay; he replied, on Friday. The Doctor then went out. On Friday, Nov. 23d, on coming into the city, he (Dr W.) called at he house of Dr P., saw him at the door, and told him if he would call on him after his lecture he would settle with him. He did come about 1 1-2 o'clock. T asked Dr W. how he knew about the time. Pie said his lecture had been finished, and several of the students stop- ped on and asked him questions, as was somewhat customary. After they got through he went to look at some pictures he had recently purchased, and then went out. Very soon Dr Parkman ajipeared, in a great hurry, came up to iiis table, and asked him if he was ready for him. He said he was. Dr P. then took out of his pocket a bundle of papers, done up in a piece of newspaper or brown paper, and took out a note. He (Dr W.) then paid him $483, or perhaps $484, and some cents. Dr P. seized the money and was going off, when he (Dr W.) said—there is one thing you have forgotten, Dr, that mortgage. He replied, I have it not with me, Dr Webster, but I will see that it is attended to. Dr P. then rushed out of the room, with the bills in his hand exposed to view. I then asked Dr W. if he could inform me what some of those bills were, as they might possibly lead to a discovery.— He said he could recollect but one bill, of !$10U on the New England Bank; the others he could not re- member. I pressed him rather close, as to vv-hether they were Boston or out of town bills, of what de- nomination they were, and the like. But he replied that he could not tell. I asked him if he had the notes of Dr Parkman; he aiiswered in the aflirma- tive, but in a way that made a strong impression on my mind. He said no one was present during the transaction. I had been acquainted with the Doctor for many years. When I entered the room of Dr W., he seemed peculiar—appeared to want that cordiality usual to him. As I came down the steps I thought I noticed that he looked very pale. He received me in a stiff, formal manner; think he did not put out his hand. His manner of speaking of Dr Parkman was devoid of sympathy for the family, or for the disappearance. His stiffness of manner seemed as though he did not anticipate a visit from me. He said very little about the search, and made no inqui- ries about the family. The interview lasted about fifteen minutes. During the interview, there was a change of position, but not while talking of Doctor Parkman. I heard the door bolt after I went out; he must have done it, as there was no one else ia the room. Cross examined. The doctor waited upon me to the door, when I heard the bolt. I heard of Dr Parkman's disappearance on Saturday afternoon; I was under much alarm on hearing of it. On going in to Dr W.'s room, he told me he was preparing for his ne.xt day's lecture; he was putting a jar up](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083617_0039.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
