Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-04-29
Prof. Webster and DR.. Parkman.

Many, if not most people throughout the
country disapprove of the verdict of the Jury
conyicting Prof. Webster of the murder of
DR.. .Parkman. The following article which
we find in the New York Path-F Finder,
gives some of the reasons upon which this
opinion is founded, and it does seem as if
these circum stances should have tended to
establish a rational doubt as to the guilt Of
the accused, of which he should have had
the benefit: ~. - ..... Il. ,-z.,...
High and unimpeacha BILE testimony shows
that Professor Webster was respectable
citizen-a man, nervous, excitable, in no
wise bold, of kind disposition, and of no
great self control; one who, upon his arrest,
was in the utmost CONSERVATION, alarmed,
and broken down completely. And yet we
are required to believe that this nervous,
timorous, excitable man, commits a wilful
murder at two O'Clock, and then walks out
unconcernedly before five to buy his bottle
of cologne, lounges leisurely home, drinks
his tea, steps out to an evening party, and
retires to rest, with no indicati ton of concern,
not the least manifestation of uneasiness, or
that anything unusual in his life had oc-
CURED. Yea. many would have US believe
that be does this for week, during which
his premises were repeatedly searched, or
about to be, and every place or concealment
accessible to the police!
Well, it may be that such man should
SO bear himself after such deed, but it is
an anomaly in haman nature if he did. It
is possible, but to the last degree unlikely.
Besides this, the prosecution asks US to
believe that an eminent chemist, possessed
of all scientific knowledge, having commit
ted murder, and desiring to dispose of a
body, with a week upon his hands, and Sc
cret laboratories and dissecting rooms, and
chemicals and apparatus at his disposal
in the full possession of every faculty, the
greatest presence of mind, and the cemplet-
est ecalmness, can do, did do, no more than
to destroy its head, hands, feet, and part
of leg. No more! when, in two hours,
with some few additional pounds of the nj
trate of potash standing on his shelves, he
might have made that body jelly, and in
twenty four hours might have carried it in
his waistcoat pocket. Well, and this may
be. 1t is barely possible that a man anx-
ious, collected, informed, capable and. un.
interrupted should fail to do in week a
1.-THE Of what he might have done in a day
but, indeed, it is excessively improbable.
And yet again we are asked to believe
that this murder was accomplished without
spilling one drop of blood; that the head
the hands, the feet, the fluids. the blood, the
ylscera, the lungs, heart, &C., were not re-
duced to mass Of jelly, with the whole
body, as might, without detection, have
beel done, but were cut off, separated anc
burnt up, or otherwise destroyed, and al
without leaving spot, an indication, al
} inkling that they ever were; ;s that every
shred of clothing, every particle of bone
, horn, metal, and leather. from the watcl
! to the boot heels and buttons Of the missin,
> man, were destroyed, and SO destroyed tina
f the incest chemical analysis gives no indica
' tion Of their ever having been. And yet tina
3 half consumed jaw, here-and-there mine
] raj tooth, and three-fourths Of corpse wer
!, wilfuIly left about in places where ever