Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-04-06
OLD SERIES VOL. 10. NO. es.


into very entertaining and instructive dis
cusson of the subject of proving personal
identity, and related many anecdotes OF sim
guar mistakes in recognizing individuals. l.
But if this Parkman abb, as it is called, is
admitted, it does not shake the case. Where
was DR.. Webster that day' He was there
in his laboratory, dnnerless and alone, the
whole afternoon. He might have murdered
Dr. p. before two o'clock, or he might again
have enticed him there, and murdered him
before four O'clock [ come 10 the testimony
of the identity Of these remains If the cir.
cumstances which prove the identity are
slight, they are many If they are in each
weak as thread, together they are strong as
a cable. 1t is in the order of Providence,
| that there could not be such striking resem.
blance as we have brought here, without pro-
ducing so perfect conviction as if we had
brought the entire mortal remains of DR.. P.
before you. approach this subject rever.
entialy | refer you 20 the long labors Of
| that conscientious man, DR.. Keep, TO produce
set of teeth for Dr. p. TO wear at the open.
ing Of that college, founded by his munifi:
cence-that this very set Of teeth should re:
main 10 reveal the murder of that founder of
the College; and to rindicae the law, | re:
gard as the finger OF Almighty God. That,
from the smouldering remains in the ashes
of the furnace, the pieces should be fshed
out, from which, that true son Of science, DR..
Wyman, should reconstruct the very jaw
which bears the unmstakeablo pecuarity of
of DR.. Parkman, is a wonderful providence.
Looking At the person in the culprit's dock,
himself deyoteo of science, have beeu
disposed, in sickness Of heart, to ask
HAS s,ar-cycd science then wandered there,
To bring us only darkness and despair ?"
No-scioncc has viudicated what this false
son of science has debased Scientific men
have appeared here, who throwing away all
feelings of class, have given themselves to
the search of truth, as truth. Let the results
strike where they may They have restored
the body, so as to show where each minute
particle of bone fits, and 10 show that these
were parts of the same body, and in no part
dissimaT to DR.. Parkman, and bearing some
most striking resemblances. | now, gentlel
men of the jury, come 10 consider the hy-
pothess set up for the defence. shall ask
you, first, 10 consider whether any one of
them, in itself, is such as the law requires to
be excluded by the facts in the case shall:
then ask you TO consider whether they do
not conflict with each other. What were
these hypolheses DR.. Webster had been COM
PEELED, in order to avoid suspicion, 10 admit
that he did meet Dr. Parkman a, the time
we specify, and he claims which our evi-
dence contradicts, that he paid him money.
Thus far they admit all beyond they de-
ny, and rush in hypothesis. They say he
might have committed suicide, he might
have been robbed, OF some other thing might
/ have been done. We are not here 10 con-
slider possibilities. We might suppose that
DR. Holmes killed DR.. Parkman in the lecture
room or any other extravagant supposition
But we want hypothesis which has some
thing to support it. The case first seems to
rest upon the supposition that he was muir
dered outside and brought into tie college
| for destruction, or, perhaps, TO get the re-
ward bnt it is an absurd supposition, be-
cause, in the full strength Of the word, they
say, this accounts for the dissecting room be.
! ing open but this must have made the work
very expeditions, for il was Friday night that
the dissecting room door was open. Another,
that DR.. Parkgnan had gone roaming abou,
for some time, and that he was brought in
there, murdered after SANDER began 10
breathe that DR.. Webster was the guilty
man.
! How could Dr. Webster remain in such a
community as his, with all the sympaihes q
the University in his favor, when his inno-
cence could be established by confirming
such hypothesis. think that open door
had something TO do with the remains; int
! it was in connection with DR.. Webster, whoss
whereabouts was not accounted for till one
O'Clock, though his daughter usually break
tasted with him. It has appeared with what
facility DR.. Webster fitted back and forth
between Cambridge and the Medical College
1t has been suggested that the remains were
carried TO the Medical College for the pur-
pose of getting the reward. II they were 50
carried 10 get the reward, why vas such
pains taken to destroy the identity? If it
was Littlefeld who was looking out for the
reward, why did he find nothing that could
be or has been identiiedl The points by
which the remains are identified were all
discovered by others, DR.. Webster's three
daughters were here, and their testimony r..
markably confirms that Of Mr.. Litefield -
They put their father away from home jus,
when Litilefeld makes him at the college,
and Lilllefeld puts him away from the COZ.
lege just as they put him at home. There is
nothing but good piece of dove-tailing be-
tween them. Suppose DR.. Parkman to have
been murdered in the college, or ou, Of it,
and brought into the laboratory for conceal
ment or any other purpose, then, maintain,
tha. either Dr. Webster or Mr.. Liulefeld
must have known il.