The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-03-28
EFrom the Baltimore SUM-
Trial OF DIR. John w. Webster, for the
Murder Of DIR. Parkmam.

- BOSTON, March 10, SP. n.
Our city has been all excitement to-day on ac-
count Of the commencement Of the trial Of Dr. John
w. Webster, the charge of numbering DR..
PaTkman. The vicinity Of the court house was
crowded from an early hour, and has continued
so throughout the day, but small number being
able to gain admittance.
The prisoner, DR.. Webster, was brought into the
courthouse at precisely 9 o'clock this morning.
he was more composed than he has been for some
time, though his countenance bore sombre and
melancholy appearance, but in other respects he
was much as usual.
few minutes after the arrival of the prisoner,
Chief Justice Shaw took his seat the bench, ac-
companed by assistant Justices WILDE, Dewey and
Metcalfe. The lower floor of the courthouse
not thrown open to the public, one being adj
united but the witnesses, members of the bar, and
Jurors. Spectators were, however, admitted to the
small gallery, which was soon densely crowded.
The gentlemen of the bar were present in full force,
being admitted by tickets. To prevent crowd,
the sheriff had taken the precauton to barricade
the Corridors and to station officers at the outside
doors.
Some time was consumed in calling the jurors,
witnesses, etc. At 10 minutes before 10 o'clock,
Attorney General l. H. Clifford moved the court to
| empanel a jury in the case. Mr.. Clifford for the
State, will be assisted by George H. Bemis, Esq,
and the Hon. Pliny Merrick and E. d. Sohier ap-
| peared for the defence
The jury was finally empannelled after fourteen
peremptory challenges, ten Of whom set
aside. Robert J. Bryan is foreman. The court
| refused to excuse Benjamin H. Green, because he
held decided opinion adverse to capital punish
ment but not such as would prevent him from find
| ing verdict according to law.
The case was then opened to the jury by the At
torney General who confined himself to two propo-
| stons in his indictment-frst, that DR.. Parkman
was muTdered-second, that DR.. Webster COM
mitted the deed, upon which he dwelt at great
length contending that numerous circumstances
would be proved irreconcileabIe with the suppose
ton Of DR.. Webster's innocence.
On motion of the prosecuting attorney, all but
the medical witnesses then retired from the court
room. and preparations made for entering i'm
| mediately on the details of the trial.
The first witness called to the stand was Charles
| M. Kingley, who testified that he had known DR..
Parkman since the year 1885, and had acted as his
collecting agent up to the time he was missing.
He then proceeded to detail his efforts to discover
| the whereabouts OF DR.. Parkman Immediately after
his disappearance, and his tracing him to the Medi
cal College, where he was to enter by the last
person who saw him alive Witness then gave
detailed account Of the searches that were subse-
quenty made at the Medical College, resulting
finally in finding the mutilated remains of man
supposed to be those of DR.. Parkman, underneath
the rooms occupied by DR.. Webster similar to the
accounts already published.
| Robert G. Shaw, brother-in-law of DR.. Park
man, stated that he was at the examination of the
remains found under the college, and believed tina
the lock of hair found there that of his relative
| He would not, however, have been able to recog
nize the body as that of DR.. Parkman, had he no
previously known him to have been missing.
| The court adjourned at o'clock, before the ex-
animation of Mr.. Shaw had been finished, until /
| o'clock tomorrow morning.