Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-07-12
CONFESSION OF DIR. WEBSTER.

+ 49, W. uoAO W 10y UGlOI0 our T6du6TS the
substance OF the Confession of this unhappy
man, which was presented to the Council by the
Rev. Dr. Putnam, the prisoners spiritual adviser
on the I'd instant
Ii VIII be seen that the confession tends to
establish the point that it was not murder, but
manslaughter, unpremeditated-an unfortunate
blow IN moment of passion.
First OF the requested interview on the Inflated
Friday. he says of tho note:
sit was to ask Dr.. Parkman to call at my
room, on Friday, the 22d, after my lecture
he had become, of late, very importunate for
his pay. He had threatened me with suit: to
put an officer in my house, and to drive me from
my professorship if / did not pay him. The
purport OF my note was simply ask the confer
ence. 1 did not tell him, in 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 eve
ry day, onaoccasions, and in manner disagree
able and alarming, and also to avert for so long
a time, at least, the, fufment of recent threats
OF severe measures. | did not extent to be able
to pay him when Friday should arrive. NY
purpose was if he should accede to the proposed
interview, to state to him my embarrassments
and utter inability to pay him at present--to
apologize for those things in my conduct which
/ had offended hm--to throw myself upon his
mercy.
| did not hear from him but found on Thurs
day he had been abroad in pursuit of me, without
finding me. | imagined he had forgotten the
Appointment, or else did not mean wit for it. |
feared he would come in upon me at my lecture
hour, or while was preparing my experiments
for it; therefore, called at his house to remind
him of my wish 10 see him at the College; did
not stop to talk with him, for expected the con-
versation would be a long one, and had nv lee
ture to prepare for, it was necessary for me to
have my time, and, also, TO keep my mind free
/ from other exciting matter. DR.. Parkman
agreed to call on me as | proposed. He came,
accordingly, between half paat one and two
o'clock, entering at the lecture room door.
was engaged in removing some glasses from my
lecture room table, into the room in the rear,
called upper laboratory. He came rapidly down
the step,and followed me into the laboratory
He imdately addressed me with great energy
"Are you ready for me, sir? Have you got the
moneys" | replied, mo, DIR. Parkman;" and
was then beginning to state my condition, and
my appeal to him, but he would not listen TO me,
and interrupted me with much vehemence. He
called me a scoundrel and liar, aud went on
heaping on me the most bitter taunts and appro-
brous opthets. While he was speaking, he
drew handful of papers from his pocket, and
look from among them my two notes, and also
an old letter from DIR. Hosea ok, written many
years ago. CONTEMPLATING him on his success in
getting me appointed Professor of Chmlstry.-
"You see,' he said, 81 got you into your office,
and now will get out Off," He put back into
his pocket all the papers except the letter and
the notes, | cannot tell how long the torrent of
threats and nvectives continued, and cannot
recall to memory but a small portion of what he
said; first, kept interpo sing, trying to pacify
him, SO that might obtain the object for which |
sought the interview, but could not stop him, and
| soon my own temper was up; forgot every
thing, and felt nothing but the sting of MS words
was excited to the highest degree of passion,
and while he was speaking and gesticulating in
the most violent and menacng manner, thrust
ing the letter and his fist into my face, in nv
fury seized whatever thing was handiest lit was
stick of wood, } and dealt him an instantaneous
blow with all the force that passion could give
it. | did not know, or think, or care where
should hit him, nor how hard, nor what the effect
would be. 1t was on the side of his head, and
there was nothing 10 break the force Of the blow
He fell instantly upon the pavement There
was no second blow; he did not move. stoop-
ed down over him, and he seemed to be lifeless
Blood flowed frorn his mouth, and got sponge
and wiped it away. got some ammonia and
applied it to his nose, but without effect. Per-
haps spent ten minutes in attemps to resuscit-
uIC INN, Jul IOullu Uc was dpSOlutcly uedQ. In
my horror and CONSERVATION, ran instinctively
to the doors and bolted them, the doors of the
lecture room and of the laboratory below. And
then what was | to do? 1t never occurred to me
to go out and declare what had been DONE and OBJ
tain assistance. | saw nothing but the aterna-
tive of successful movement and concealment
of the body on the one hand, and of infamy and
destruction on the other. The first thing did
as soon as | could do anything, was to draw the
the body into the private room adjoining, where
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, pocketbook, and whatev-
er they contained. | did not examine the pock-
cts nor remove any hing, except the watch. |
took it and threw it over the bridge as went to
Cambridge.
He then goes into terrible detail of the man.
ner in which he disposed of the body--of his
successive visits to the College, and as it may be
OF interest to those who remember the different
points OF the evidence, on the trial, we enumer-
ate tho statements in the confession, which eth
er conflict with, or confirm the deductions of
counsel or the testimony of witnesses. The
only instrument used in dsmembering the body
was the knife found in the tea chest--of the
Turkish blade, he made no use whatever, The |
stick with which the fatal blow was struck was
d piece Vi large grape vine, one winch mad
been carried to the College for the purpose of
showing the effect of certain chemical nubstan- |
ces, in coloring wood. He crossed out the names
upon the notes at the time the fatal deed was
committed The nitric acid upon the stairs was
not used to remove spots of blood, but was drop
ped by accident.
DIR. Webster then proceeds;
81 wrote but one of the anonymous letters |
produced at the trial-the one mailed at East !
Cambridge. The little bundle referred to in this |
letter detained by the ailer contained only bot
tie of nitric acid, for domestic use. had seen
it stated in newspaper that / had purchased |
quantity of oxalic acid, which it was presumed !
was to be used in removing blood stains. wish |
ed the parcel to remain untouched, that it may |
be shown, if there should be occasion, what it |
really was that | had purchased
The Rev. DIR. Putnam states, that after these
facts had been stated to him on the 23d of Ma |
under secrecy during Prof. WIS. lifetime, and +
as much longer, as his regard for the happiness i
of his family should require, he proposed to him |
the following question:
Search to the bottom of your heart for the
history of your motives, and tell me before God,
did it never occur to you before the decease of
DIR. Parkman, that his death, if you could bring
n nae -r,Yr1d L.. &n1,-