Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1850-07-19
CONFESSIONOFP PROF. WEBSTER.
From the n y Courier and Enquirer.

comm Ittee. Before this cnmmiuee at ID
O'Clock, appeared the Rev. DIR. Putnam, the
spiritual adviser of the condemned, with
petition from him for n commutatiOH Of pun
Ishment, together with confession that he
killed DR.. Pdrhman. The Rev. Gentleman
preiaced this statement with a few remarks
relative to the manner IN which the confes-
sion was made to him. He stated that he had
no previous acquaintance with Prof. Webster
before being called upon 10 act in the capacity
Of his spiritual adviser. In the first few
weeks Of his visits, he sought 30 acknowledge
mert from the prisoner AT length on the
23d Of May, he visited him in his cell aud
demanded Of him. for his own wel-bcng, that
he should tell the truth in regard to the mat
ter, and he accccdcd to the request by making
"A statement which was now submitted 10 the
consideration of the Council. 1t was rs fol-
lows
g" On Tuesday, Goth Now I sent the note
to DR.. Parkman, which, 1t appears. WAS car
rcd by the boy Maxwell; handed it. TO Lit
tleheid- unscalcd; 1t was II ask DIR. Parkman
to call al my rooms on Tuesday the 23d, af-
ter my Lecture lie had become of late
very mportuaate for his pay he had threat
cned me with SUIT TO put an officer into
my house aud to drive me from the profess
sorship, If did not pay him.
The purPort of my note was simply to ask
the conferences I did not tell him IA it what
| could do, or what | had to say about the
payment | wished TO gain for those few days
release from his solicitations TO which was
liable every day, on occasions and In n man
ner very dlsagreeable aud aiarming--and a
so to arrest for SO long a time, at least, the
futilmCut Of recent threats of severe meas
ures; | did not expect TO be able TO pay him
when Friday should arrive my purpose was,
if lac should acccdc to the proposed interview,
IA state a hin, ,gtfaY-
inability TO pay him at present; apologize for
those things in my conduct which had often
ded him-to throw myself upon his mercy
to beg for further time and indulgence for
the sake Of my family, e not for myself and
to make as good promises TO hIm as | could
have any hops Of keeping.
did not hear from him on that day, nor
the next, "Wednesday but found on Thurs
day he had been abroad IN pursuit of me with
out finding me; | imagined lac had forgotten
the appointment, or else did not mean to wait
for it feared nc would come in upon me at
my lecture hour, or while | was preparing
my experiments for it., therefore | called at
his house on that morning (Fr.day) between
8 and 9 70 remind him Of my wish Ia see him
at the college at ba!l-past onc-my lecture
clOsing al one-I did not stop to talk with
him, for | expected the conversation TO be
long one, and had my lecture to prepare. for
also to kccp my mind free from other exciting
matters.
DIR. p. agreed to call as ! proposed he
came accordingly between - and : o'clock,
entering al the iccturc-room door; J was en-
gagged IN renewing some glasses from my lee
turc-room table into the room IL The rear cali
ed the upper laboratory he came rapidly
down the step and followed me into the lab
oratory. " Are you ready for me, sir Have
- ] I,.,y
Parkmau.' and was then beginning to state
my condition aud my appeal to HIM, but he
won d not listen TO me, aud interrupted me
with much vehcmencc he called me scUun
drcl AMI liar, aud went on hcaping Oh me the
most bitter taunls and opprabrious cpithets;
while he was speaking, he drew a handful of
papers from his pocket, and took from amouE
them my two notes aud also an old letter
from DIR. Hosack, written many years ago,
aud congratulating hm on his success in get
ting me appointed Professor Of Chemistry
y on see ne said. | cot you into your office
aud now III get y6u out Of it,
He put back into his pocket all the papers
except the letter and tie notes. | cannot tell
how long the torrent OF threats and nvectives
continued and ! cauuot recall 10 memory bat
small portion Of what he said. At first !
kept interpos!ug, trying to pacify him, so that
| might obtain the object for which | sought
the interview but ] could not stop him, aod
soon my own temper was up ] forgot every
thing, and felt nothing but the sting Of his
words. | was excited to the highest degree
of passion, and while he was speaking and
gesticu 'atiug IN the most violent and mCnacng
manner, thrusting his letter and his fist into
my face IN my fury, | seized whatever was
handIest, IL was a stick of woody and dealt
him an instantaneous blow with all the force
that pausiOu could give.
| did not know, or think, or care, where |
should hit him, nor how hard, nor what the
effect would be it was on the side OF his
head and there was nothing to break the force
Of the blow he fell instantly upon the pave
ment there was no second blow | stopped
down over him, and he seemed 10 be hieess;
blood flowed from his mouth, and | got
sponge and wiped it away ; | got some am
monia and applied it TO his nose, but without
effect; perhaps spent 0 minutes IN attempts
to resuscitate him, but | found he was abso
luteIy dead. In my horror and CONSERVATION
| ran instnCtiyely to the doors and bolted
them-thc doors of the lecture room and of
he laboratory beIow-and then what was ]
10 do =! 1t never occurred TO 90 out ard de-
clare what had been done, and obtain assist
ance.
| saw nothing but the alternative of sue
cessful movement, and conceaiment Of the
body, OF the one hand, and OF niumy aud
perdtion on the other. The first thing did
as soon as | could do anything, was TO draw
the body into the private room adjoining
there ! took off the clothes and began putting
them into the fire, which was burning in the
upper laboratory they were all consumed
there that afternoon. with papers, pocket
book, and whatever they contained; l did
not examine the pockets, nor remove any
thing except the watch; / saw that, or the
chain Of it hanging out; | took 1t and threw
it over the bridge, as | went TO Cambridge;
my next move was to get the body into tile
sink, which stands in the small private room
by setting the body partially erect againstthe
corner, and by getting up into the sink my
self, | succeeded in drawing 1t up there 1t
was entirely dismembered it was quickly done
as a work of terrible and desperate recessi-
ty-;he only instrument was the knife found
by The officers, in the tea-chest, which was
L.a.,t ..n,.L Ina1a use of the