The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-17 00:00:00

MURDER OF DR. PARKMAN.

CONFESSION OF PROFESSOR WEBST ER.
The following extraordinary document is that
which is referred to in our summary of American
news :
BOSTON, JULY 2, 1850.—At the meeting of the
Council this morning the case of Professor Webster
was referred to a committee.
Before the committee, at twelve o'clock, appeared
the Rev. Dr. Putnam, the spiritual adviser of the con-
demned, with a petition for a commutation of punish-
ment, together with a confession that he killed Dr.
Parkman.

The Reverend Gentleman prefaced the statement
by a few remarks relative to the manner in which the
confession was made to him. He stated that he had fixed upon the sum by taking the small
Accordingly I . -
note and adding interest, which, it appears, I cast
no previous acquaintanceship with Professor Web- erroneously. If I had thought of this course earlier,
ater, before being called to act in the capacity, of his I should not have deposited Pettee's cheque for 90
spiritual adviser. In the first few weeks of his visits dollars in the Charles River Bank on Saturday, but
he sought no acknowledgment of the prisoner. At should have suppressed it, as going so far to make up
the sum which I was to have professed to have paid
length, on the 23d of May, he visited him in his cell, the day
and at the
demanded of him, for his own well-being, that hebefore, and which Pettee knew I had by me
should tell the truth in regard to the matter, and be hour of interview. It had not occurred to me
that I should ever show the notes cancelled in proof
acceded to the request, by making a statement, which of it, or I should have destroyed the large note,
was now submitted for the consideration of the and let it be inferred that it was gone with
Council. the missing man, and I should only have kept
It was in substance as follows : the small one, which was all that I could pretend to
TkIE CONFESSION. have paid. My single thought was concealment
On Tuesday, 20th November, I sent the note to
Dr. Parlcman, which, it appears, was carried by the and sa'etv ; ev-, ything else was incidental to that. I
was in no state to consider my ulterior pecuniary in-
boy Maxwell. I handed it to Littlefield unsealed.
terest. Money, though I needed it so much, was of
It was to a.k Dr. Parkman to call at my rooms on no account with me in that condition of mind. If I
Friday, the 23d, after my lecture. He had become,
had designed and premeditated the homicide of Dr.
of late, very importunate for his pay. He had threat- Parktii4ll, in order to get possession of the notes and
ened me with a suit, to put an officer in my 'nape, cancel my debt, I not only should not have deposited
and to drive me from my professorship, if I did not Pettee's cheque the nest day, but should have made
pay him. The purport of my note was simply to some show of getting and having the money the
ask the conference. I did not tell him in it what I
morning before. I should have drawn my money
could do, or what I had to say about the payment. from the bank, and and taken occasion to mention to
I wished' to gain, for those few days, a release from
the cashier that I had a sum to make up on that day
his solicitations to which I was liable every day, on
occasions and in a manner very disagreeable and for Dr. Parkman, and the same to Dr. Henchman,
when I borrowed the ten dollars. I should have re•
alarming., and also to avert for so long a time at least
the fulfilment of recent threats of severe measures. marked that I was so much short of a sum that I was
to pay Parkman. I borr.med the mon, yof Hench-
I did not expect to be able to pay him when Friday man as mere pocket-money for the day. Had I in-
should arrive. My purpose was, if he should accede
tended the homicide of Dr. Parkman, I should not
to the proposed interview, to state to him my em- have made the appointment with him twice, aud each
brirrouPellta_ pod attex iuitbility t 9 Pay him .0.