Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-12-17
From theBPston Post of Dec. Sd.
DR.. Parkman's B1dF Supposed to be
u ifound-ArreSt III DR., Webster.

1 From theBPston Post of Dec 3d.
DR.. Parkman's ksq Supposed to be
found-Arrea bfDr. Webster.
| Tie announcemen4 on Saturday. that
| thebody Of DR.. George Parkman had been
found in a vault unda1the chemical la aobra.
tory in The MedicaIC Cpllege, North Grove
street, and that DEaM hi,e Webster, pro-
lessor Of chemistfv 3hd been arrested at
Cambridge for thetaefder Of DR.. Parkman,
created q tremendoI sensation throughout
I scity and Ih he unqueslionable
! iitaSss rsssse las, degree, and
Is ~ fSbf unfounded rumors
Itand 10 mi % horrors of the reality
Terrible as the hnak discovery was, seve-
raj personss who had carefully considered
the Circumstances Of Dr.. Pafkman's di sap
pearance, wete not s1rprlsed al the result
Of The persevering search under the COL
'ege building. Ailsthe inquiries in every
direction. beyond ass we'll as within the
Estate, left but three Nadoubied lac,s to act
upon, viz: that on riday. Nov. 23d.
he made some small Purchases at Mr.. HoI-
lands grocery, corner Of Vine street,
and tina. he wen8o out saying that he
would return In q few minutes and lake the
articles. Next he was seen by many wit
nesses going into oihs Medical College,
There Dr.. Webster laid he saw him, and
paid him S4ss on mortgage. The pay.
ment was made at .ths desk in the lecture
room of the chemical department of the
institution. Dr.. Webster said that, upon
receiving the money, DR.. Parkman left the
lecture room by the upper door, the com.
mon entrance. Here all clue to his move.
men,s ceased. All its statements about
FDr. Parkman's being iseen at the south
end, and on Craigies bridge, and at East
Cambridg &c. on that afternoon. were ascer-
lained to be incorrect. The narrators hay
ing mistaken Thursdaytfor Friday.
By. Monday last, people, according to
their turns of mind and means OF informa-
ZION, respectively settled down upon the
following supposilions. lst, that DR.. Park
man had committed suicide by jumping
overheard; I'd. that he had been inveigled
into some house, robbeds murdered and his
body secreted; and Sd. Aaat he had been
killed within the walls OF the Medical Col.
Iege, and his remains disposed of there.-
Therefore while large rewards were being
Offered to any person wap should find the
doctor. dead or alive, elsewhere. the collegx
building was kept under sths strietest sdr-
veiliance. The cellars. ascoal binns and
other recesses in Whiea body misht ha..
easily concealed, were ssSfched in vain
Then the large vault, or subterranean en-
closed recess, under. but connected with
the dissecIing room. was searched with no
better success. But DR.. Webster's pecu-
liar premises remained unexamined, and
also the space between the interior founda-
ton walls under his laboratory, forming in
fact very large vault, with no opening
into it except through DR.. Websler's water
closet in the laboratory.
Mr.. Ephraim Litlefeld. steward and
general superintendent Of the building, re.
ported to one Of the principal persons con-
nected with the college two unusual circum-
stances 10 Eeation TO Dr.. Websler's move
ments in the laboratory. viz: tha. he had
been keeping up great fires in the furnace,
and had locked up the laboratory of nights,
instead Of leaving it open to be set to rights
and to have the fires Kiudled in the morn
ings. With the exception Of Wednesday
evening. DR.. Webster did not work in his
laboratory after his usual hours, but on that
evening he sent Little6eld up to Mr.. Fos-
ter's siore, in Howard street, with an Or
der foI turkey for his Thanksgiving din
ner. Littlefield started for his turkey be.
tween and 9, and when he got back, DR..
Webster had locked up and gone.
The question Of searching the premises
under the special control of DR.. Webster,
was submitted to DR.. Bigelow, who decided
that an attempt to get into the vault under
them should be made first. On Friday af.
ternoon, Mr.. Lttle6eld descended through
Il trap among the foundation walls, aid wen.
10 work upon one which he calculated must
be nearly under the laboratory. He dug
away several hours and at last made an
opening through. and saw limbs directly
under the spot occupied by the water.closet
above. Shocked at the sight, Littlefield
hurried up stairs to inform DR.. BigeIow,
but was so wild with amazement that he
could not explain himself for some seconds.
AS soon us the doctor coasd make out from
his statements what he had seen, he sent
one Of the police officers in attendance for
the city marshal. The hole in the wall
was then enlarged so as to admit the ingress
Of Llttlefeld and two officers. who brought
the parts of the body out. They consist
ed Of the lower part of tine body and hips
in one piece, and the right thigh and right
leg. without the foot, in separate pieces,
and were delivered over to officer Clapp.
The next step was to break open the
door Of the laboratory, where another ex-
traordinary discovery was made. In the
furnace were found calcined fragments OF
a skull, mineral teeth fused into a lump,
half melted fragments Of coat button frames.
and small portions Of melted gold and sill.
yer.
After a short consultation. officers Clapp,
and Spur we're dispatched to
Dr.. Websrer's residence in Cambridge,
with instructions to arrest him. They ar
rived at the house about nine o'clock, just
as DR.. Webster was showing visitor out.
The officers met him at the gate, and told
him that the college eficers were met in
on the subject Of Dr. Park
mans disappearance, and had sent for him
to attend it. He made no objection, and
while on the way 10 Boston he conversed
cheerfully and freely, and. referring to Dr..
having been at the college. said
Il n. J. ~: