Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-04-29

.AU
- 49,. -. :. -
searcher would look, or Intentionally buriec
in preservatives, in spots. where they could
not fail to be found.
T : Rather an extraordinary collection of i'm.
probabilities, these.sS Indeed, consider thai
webster is onlg rat the college after the al
lleged murder, in business hours, that people
have constant access to his room, that his
doors are never( save as usual Dlocked, that on
knocking they were invariably, and as soon
as he eeuh get to them, opened; and that
meanwhiles no drop of blood, or i'll conceal
ed knife, or shred of clething, is seen Or
hunted out, and then say aaclsen he could
have done that work, upon the body, and
made that disposition ofits blood and clothes
which he is charged with. ss
Now upon what evidence are we asked
to believe an hypothesis that assumes as
having occurred, every one of these most
unlikely, almost impossible occurrences!
Strong circumstances, to be sure; circum-
stances that point to, but do not absol lutely
fix the act upon the accused. ..--
| Parts of and ashes of teeth are found; a
dentist swears that he believes them part of
set he made three years before, and some
experts swear they think he could tell his
work under the circumstances, and some
swear he couldn't.
A body is found which no one pretends
to recognize, of its, as Parkman's, and
which has on it this most remarkable ap-
pearance, to wit: More hair between the
| shoulders than any other body the witnesses
ever saw; and yet, not one word of evi-
dence do the prosecution produce to show
that Parkman alive had such peculiarity-
a thing provable enough, if fact The fair
presumption then is, he had no such mark
that is, that the body found, is not Park
mans. .s.-. 49,.
1t is unlikely, but not impossible, that
Parkman could have left the Medical Col
lege without being seen. Six most reputa-
Bile creditable witnesses swear they cannot
be mistaken; all saw, one spoke with DR.
Parkman, and any body who ever saw him
knows how unmistakable looking he was
1t is unlikely, but not impossible, then, that
he did leave the college as alleged.
1t is not even improbable that remains
might have come into Webster's privy vault
without his kno Wedge. rs.-
1t is very probable (as we think) that the
parts in the tea chest were put there to be
found. - .-,...
: Though improbable that Webster had the
money, paid the debt, and received the notes
as he alleges, it is by no means more Sc
than others of his acts seem in case ehe is
guilty. --. a.. .-.. .-z .-. ..s
Are many things difficult to account for
supposing him innocent? So are there as
many, if we assume him to be guilty (as
charged Does the hypothesis Of the pros
ecution account any better for the facts than
the hypothesis that another man, striking
/ Parkman on the head as he passes out from
his interview with Webster, kills him, drags
him into the blood-stained dissecting room
near the door, waits till Webster leaves
cuts up the remains, mot like an educated
anatomist and surgeon, like Webster was,
but Ikea bungler with some little knowl.
edge of anatomy, carries off or destroys
the head, the hands, and the feet, puts parts
of the body into the privy to be looked af:
ter, and part with Webster's peculiar knife
into the tea chest, to be found, and the teeth
into the CRATE to be burned! Unlikely this
To be sure it is: but not half so unlikely as
the acts sought to be established by the pros
ecution. =s@ # -r,u -.sE
No. Webster was convicted irst, and
then tried. Everything was sought to bt
squared with foregone conclusion. 1
was feared that it might be said people in
high places escaped punishment, and fear
ing to favor Webster, they leaned hare
against him. Two lawyers managed, by
their timorous, apologetic, don't-believe-i
myself bearing, to satisfy the jury beyond a
doubt of what the proof left a great many
doubts, and the result we know. "z.
Over the whole case rests cloud. Fact
there are which even the hypothesis of gull
fails to account for. In every mans mine
does there not lurk doubt-a reasonable
doubt? Should it prove well grounded, ant
this conviction unjust, there is an end fo
quarter of century to conviction upon
the best of all evidence conclusive, (wha
this case had not, well connected circum
stantial evidence. In any event, whethe
it may prove we'll founded or not there il
a reasonable doubt Admit that the testi
meny esta tabIished the facts set up, and ther
is still doubt as to whether, even then
guilt as charged is the necessary and onl,
inference to be deduced therefrom. Tha
doubt was the prisoners; fail to give it
and, if not in this, in some other case, mai
will be unjustly hung. That doubt wa
the prisoners; every law of God and mai
requires that he should have its fullest ben
eft. F- E--. .
LABoR!-Labor is honorable; it is III
strong arm of the nation, and the hand
maid of virtue. Not an officer is sustained
!, whose salary is not produced by the labo
of the toiling masses; not wheel is set il
motion, but must be started and impefle
; by labor. Every benevolent design tina
is carried into execution, every charitable
, act that is done, are each the result of la
, bor-all the honor is due to labor; every
| institution that adds to the physical, menta
or moral welfare of mankind, depends 70
go yorv ayistence uDon the products of la