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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![CHARLES G MCE, called ami sworn. I am a Police officer; was one of tlie party who went to search the College on Thursday. After getting into the laboratory, some one asked if we had seen every thing. It was replied, everything except the privy. This was said, I believe, by Littlefield. No reply was made to this, and we immediately passed out of the room. I was at the College on the night on which Dr V/ebster was brought down; recollect hearing some inquiry about the furnace, but do not know whether Dr Webster was present at the time. Cross-examined. Was present when the tea- oliest was turned over. Fuller, Tarlton, Stark- weather, Eaton and others, were there. The tea- chest was ten feet from me when first turned over. Do not know whether Fuller or Eaton brushed the tan off; cannot say that any one had a stick in his hand. I do not recollect who asked the question mentioned when we made the search on Tuesday. The question, I think, was whether we had seen every thing. The reply was, either that we had seen all but the privy or the private privy. At the time Dr W ebster was near the furnace, I believe, speaking with Mr Clapp. SAMUEL LANE, Jr., called and sworn. In am in the hard ware business at No. 9 Dock square. I should think I had known Dr Webster since IS.S-S. I recollect seeing him about the time of Dr Park- man's disappearance. After I heard that DrP. was missing, I saw Dr Webster at my place of business; I should think in the after part of the day. I think it must have been Monday or Tuesday after; I was not in the city on Wednesday. Dr Webster came in and inquired for fish hocks. I told Him we had none in the store. Stephen B. Kinibi;ll was clerk also in the store at the time. I have been in Dock square a year and a half, in the store of N. C. War- ren. I had seen Dr Webster in that store before; had done business with Dr Webster previously. SEPHEN B. KIMBALL called and sworn. I was clerk for Mr. Warren last fall; I knew Dr Web ster by sight; about Thanksgiving time, on Monday or Tuesday, he came into the store for fish-hooks; he inquired for large size fish-hooks; it was in the afternoon. JAMES W. EDGERLY called and sworn. My place of business is in Union street; I am in the hardware business; I recollect the time of the dis- appearance of Dr. Parkman. A person came to the store for the largest kind of fish-hooks we had; he purchased half a dozen, paid for them and went away; this was in the afternoon. The hooks shown to me, I should think, were the same; I identify them by a peculiar mark, and the large size of the hook, having had them on hand a great while, and seen them often. The person was Prof. Webster; I did not then know him; have seen him at the jail and in Court. Nothing was stated of the object for which the hooks were wanted. WM. W. MEAD called and sworn. I am in the hardware business in Union street. I have known Dr. Webster but recently. About Thanksgiving time, the Friday after, some one came in and in- quired for fish-hooks. He wished some hooks to make a grapple v/ith; he purchased three of those I offered him; I showed him how they might be fixed together to form a grapple. They were con- siderably smaller than those in Court. I think the person was Dr. Webster; he came to my store about twenty minutes or a quarter to one o'clock on Friday. WM. M. TYLER called and sworn. I am a rope and twine manufacturer; have been engaged in the business forty-five years. I think I am able to = udge of particular kinds of twine. [Pieces of twine were now submitted to the witness.] This twine is called small marlin—two threaded raarlin. I have not the least doubt that all of the pieces on the fish- hooks, the balls and the other pieces are the same— made of good Russian clean hernp; unusual in the manufacture of such marlin at the present day. American hemp is generally used for this purpose; the Russian hemp is generally used on ship-board. In the kind of material and mode of manufacture this kind of marlin is unusual for common use. Cross examined. I think these pieces of twine were from the same piffce; this kind of twine is sold by the pound; I used to work the length of this twine fifty fathoms. This twine is 25 cents and the other kind is 20 cents a pound; the twiiie before me is of the best of stock, but poorly nmde. I do not ]iretend to say one piece came from the other; but they are of the same make. By the Government. A considerable quantity of this twine is manuiactured for navigation, sailmak- er's use, &c. Most of this kind of twine is not put up in balls. NATHANIEL WATERMAN called and sworn. My place of business is 83 & 85 Cornhill. I am a tin plate worker. I have known Dr Webster for some time. Dr W. was in my store on the 30th of November at about 10 o'clock. Ke was talking with my foreman when I first saw him. I walked , up and asked him how Dr Parkman ajipcHred when he paid him the money. He said he took the papers in his hand and darted out in his usual manner. I said in that case he could not have got a great waya before some one might, seeing the money and pa- pers, have enticed him into one of his ov^n buildings. I believed that when he was found he would be found in one of his own buildings; for I did not be- lieve the story of his going over Cragie's bridge; Dr W. then said energetically, he did go to Cam- bridge; only think, Mr Waterman, «b mesmerizer has told the number of the cab in which he went 0If, or V,'as carried away; Fitz Henry Homer has found the cab, which proved to be all bloody. Dr W. then being engaged in talking about making a box, I went away. AFTERNOON SESSION. Mr WATERMAN on the stand. 1 was speaking of the manufacture of a tin box; [the tin box was here brought in;] I told Dr Webster that if he wish- ed a large thing to be put in the box, he must have the side come up straight, and not turned in. If small things were to be put in it might be made dif- ferent. He replied, small things, say books, &c. He then spoke of having handles upon it—he decid- ed to have a handle on the cover. He said he wan- ted to solder it up himselt^—you know I can do such things. I left him then, and bid him good morning. I did not hear any thing said about the time the box was to be done. I have done business with Doctor Webster for several years. The abstract shown to me was drawn from my books. I have never before made such a box for Dr Webster, or any one else. This account runs back as far as 1843. The Doctor wanted the handle made very strong. The box was completed on Saturday morning about 9 o'clock.— At that time I went into my store and saw it there. It has not since been called for. Cross examined. My store is near the Cam.bridge omnibusses. I The witness further explained the manner of making the box.] I introduced the con- versation spoken of of my own accord. CHARLES G. LATHROP called and sworn. I am Mr Waterman's foreman; I remember the occa- sion of Dr Webster's ordering a tin box; it was on Friday, Nov. 30, at 10 o'clock. He wanted a square tin box to pack things in; I showed him some boxes we had on hand, which he said would not answer. I a.iked him what he wished to pack in it. He said, b ks, &c. He then gave me a piece of paper to show the size of the box which he wanted; eighteen inche square and ten deep. I told him how such boxes were usually made. He wished it to be made strong, and the handle put on so tliat it would not pull out. Mr Waterman came along about this time and apologized to the Dr for asking him a ques- tion about Dr Parkman. [The testimony of the witness in relation to this conversation did not differ materially from that of Mr Waterman. | I told him if after he put his things in he would send the box in, I would solder it up for him. He replied that it was to be sent out of town, and he could solder it](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083617_0041.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
