The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-08
The Jury and the Jurors Room in the
Webster Trial.

| One of the jurors who sat in judgment upon the
| life of DIR. Webster has given the following in
terestng statement of the conduct of the jury. 1t
| is due to the jury that they should be heard,
public opinion is much divided upon their verdict
Having read in several papers what purported to
be relation of the scenes and events which trans
pired in the jury the trial OF DR.. John w.
Webster, have felt DESTROYS (now that the subject
| has been brought before the public mind) that
plain statement of the important matters con-
nected with the jury-room should be made, az it
might prove interesting, ii not instructive, to the
community. The jury was composed OF twelve
men, from as many different branches OF the me-
chanical and mercantile s'professions; they were
from four different religious denominations, and
| their ages varied from % to 66 years.
| They were men whom should designate pos
| sessing good sound common sensc--men capable Of
Judging of discerning--of appreciating evidence
and estimating its Importance. The jurors, after
they had become better acquainted with each other,
| and as the evidence began to bear with crushing
weight upon the prisoner, and the " net work Of
complicated circumstances seemed to encircle
him, felt strongly the need of !" that wisdom which
| cometh from above" to guide and direct their
minds Alright in their most momcntous and respon-
sble situation.
1t then that worthy foreman (whom
all most highly respect, and whom we shall ever
remember with pleasure) proposed to the jury that
they should have religious services every evening.
The proposition was most cheerfully responded to,
and ever after that time the voice of praise and
prayer daily assembled, as we trust from sincere
hearts, to the throne of Infinite Wisdom and Mercy
need not say that the burden of every prayer was
for wisdom to guide and direct unto right deci-
sion, and for blessings most rich and precious to de-
scend upon the prisoner and his afflicted family.
now come to the closing part OF this momentous
trial When the witnesses for the defence had given
in their testimony and the counsel for the prisoner
announced the evidence on their part closed, feel
mind of every iuror-sWhat! can more be said
no more be done in behalf of the unhappy prisoner?
Is that the evidence, the only evidence, on which
are to base our verdict of mot GuiHy?'"
hat prv flr1a xUlf 10 LIGHT WI All Ie
charge Of the chief justice afterward gave
several points of "the law and the evidence"
think speak the sentiments Of nearly II not quite
all the jury, when say that they as fully pre-
pared for their verdict as they were when they
tired TO the jury room, after listening to the most
| able and eloquent pleas Of the prisoners senior
fully had the evidence pointed to the prisoner the
guilty man-AND NO ONE ELSE. After the jury
had gone to their room-with the various evidences
of guilt spread out on the table before them, and
the door locked upon them, shut out as it were en-
trely from the world, with nothing but the eye of
the omniscient God upon them-so painful was the
sense of responsibility, unwilling were they to
to the result which all felt they must come to,
that thirty to forty minutes were spent ere any
thing done-when at last the voice OF the fore
man was heard calling them to order and remind
ing them of duty, however painful; and when they
had all taken their seats around the tabe-then it
was that of the jurors rose and said--"Mr
Foreman, before entering upon the farther consid-
Grafton and decision of this most important matter
would propose that we seek Ior LIVING Wisoon
and guidance"
The proposition met with cordial response, and
the foreman called upon juror to offer prayer.
This done most feelingly and sincerely. We
then proceeded to the most trying and painful part
of our arduous duty. The various articles which
put into the case were examined by the jury,
and particularly those things which seemed to bear
most strongly against the prisoner. The final de-
csion of the question resolved into three parts
First Are the remains Of human body, found
in the Medical College on the 30th OF November
lS49, those of the late DIR. George Parkman!
Second. Did DIR. George Parkman come TO his
death by the hands Of DR.. John w. Webster, in
the Medical College, on the 23d OF November, is4Sf
in the indictment, of the wilful murder of DR..
George Parkman?
When the vote on the first question put,
| twelve hands Immediately. Some little dis
cussion then took place, when the second question
was tested-and twelve hands at once arose The
third-the most important question of all, was next
| 10 be tried Quite pause ensued. One juror-in
his sympathies Of kindness for the prisoner (who
was his personal acquaintance friend) and his
afflicted 'family-shrunk from the "fery ordeal"
| "Cant we stop here? Can't the law be indicated
| and justice satisfied If we pause here! Must we
| take the life of the unhappy prisoner" Some dis
cusson ensued-the mind of the juror seemed more
calm and he expressed his readiness to vote on the
| final question, which was then put, and twelve
| hands arose. The die was asti-and John w.
Webster was pronounced guilty of murder"
| Thus ended the closing scene in the jury-room
| What afterwards transpired in the courtroom is
| already known to the public. When our foreman
then pronounced that awful word guilty, the jury
| as well the prisoner, trembled and grew faint
And what a relief 1t was TO US when we were again
allowed to ego free," and rejoin families and
| friends after so long and painful separations and
there not jurors heart but would have leaped
for joy could the prisoner have been justly allowed
ONE OF THE JuRv
| q tSrn