The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-03-21
TRIAL OF PROFESSOR JCIN W. WEBSTER,
CHARGED WITH rHR
MURDER OF DR.. GEORGE PARK MAN,
MEDICAL COLLEGE, BOSTON,
November 81, 1870.
FIR T ID AY.

THE OPENING OF THE CASE THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
The Attorney General, MIR clifford, said, that Ia
tering upon their respective duties in case Of 30 much
I'm portapce, he that them nssded auy
po that thew should Sa.p rom m1.s ..
the excitement that existed out Of doors But here
In tAis temple Of Justice they were 70 invss.sss the
They were TO try this cause they would any other
upon the testimony They al engaged here, not
imposed upon them BY the country and by prisoner
They were duties which could not bs avoided nor
slighted The Grand Jury, after faithful exsmios-
tion, had upon their oshs charged prisoner With
the crime Of murder and the had been selected
enable them to judge of the Law pronouuce upon
the case. This MAS high and responsible duty-the
hghest that could be dsvoved upon the citizens Of the
Commonwealth. His = different duty; and ne re-
gaIded "a, In essential character Judicial He
here to aid them. The common idea Of prosecuting
estimate Of the facts would justify-hs would repu.
diste He was here for the Comm wealth; and he
the prisoner, and faithfully to the Comm ION wealth
| He should conhne himself to . simpe statement Of
1ns evidence, 10 without sSd':,orng . to oa, .h.,,
with such uterance Of the facts facilitate
their Investigations, and show them the grounds upon
| which the Grand Jury had made their preseutment
That Indictment involved PROPOSITIONS first that
Dr. George farkman had been murdered; and secoad,
| that DR.. John w. Webster was the murderer They
should offer testimony to show shat DIR. Psrkmsn
alive and we'll the morning of Friday, the 23d Of
November. up to within about 10 minutes before q
O'Clock whes he was seen to enter the Medical College
In Grove street. aud this from his particular habits
being puDctuslly st home 81 certain hour, his
iamiiy alarm On that day he had purchased qusu.
tty of lettuce which he had evidently tended
home to dinner fer his daughter who sick He did
not return His family became alarmed. they, how
siied till the morning before they any
| public movement. On that day general search
were published in the evening papers Of saturday call
Ing the attention Of The pubic to the general facts
1a h I, rife
we're 10 much affected by these reports that In their
public Iotic.s they sanctioned Of them; but at
lepg 1t was found that the parties either mista
hen In the time or the person. The entire police
Of the city were brought into requisiton, and
| large rewards we're offered; but when the rewards
brought tdirgs Of his having wandered away,
| that hope vanished, and deepened into certainty
that he was not In the land Of the living On Sundsy
bs family learned from Dr. Webster that be had been
In hls CON psDy between the hours Of and o'clock,
| on the 10Th OF Nssemb.r The search VAS continued
through the week Monday, Tuesday and up to Friday
AND si though the friends Of DR. Parkmsn and police
ana occasionally hear that he had been after the
tiEe he visited the Medical College they lowed up
ry OF these they ascertaned to be
iuise So far had to the knowledge OF the go-
yernmsnt bad been found ~ho would say that
he had D Psrkmsn after the time that ne catered
the Medical College. The river dredged the
yards ana the d-slings in the part the city
where DIR. farkmsn owned property, we're searched.
On Monday and Tuesday there was search vt the
rooms Of the Medical college. That search was Q
formal one ne suspicion being yet Ia the minds Of the
police against the prisoner On the Both Of Novsm-
Der, IN the vault Of prvy, connected with the
uiosi laboratory occupied BY the prisoner portion Of
human body found, and wta it certain to wells,
marked with the name Of the prisoner. On that day
Into ss n s5.ss o. ns
and pieces OF gold. On Saturday there tn
had bssn noticed before, but not examined, a tea
cnest IN which discovered imbedaed Ia tan, the
thorsx and chest OF human body, With q hunters
kb fe and piece Of twine <rhsss aims wer. sub
miited TO competent medical and scientific gentlemen
and found correspond every particular With the
boy u Dr. George fsrkmsn far they parts
II . body There we're missing The head arms, both
feet ana the right leg from the knee TO the snce The
Wnn Itsgv han. hat fh.vI I.lAV 70
peeop OF the sgs Il DR.. faTkman and that Pc
cuistes corresponded with those u that gentleman
cor ousoD that the height feet lol inchss aud
they sbouId chow that that his height precisely
Of the boIes found The furnace not fragment was
found that duplicated that found In the and
.ns' al CSn.,tu,sa portions o. one hu,
would indicate the probability that Of the bones
found in the furnace fractured before they we're
put into the furnace Then they would have SUBJ
initted TO them mineral teeth found near the
bottom of the furnace that they took the cold air
which ~ould be identified as the same that had been
made for Dr. PsrtDau by dentist in this city lsso
sna be would state the grounds whch he Identified
them. lt would be shown that DR.. Keep had in his
| possession q mt nld Of the mouth Of DR.. Parknan,
which he bad taken at the time Of making those teeth
which would chow the peculiar conformation OF Dr.
P's jaw. 10 would appear also, that thsse mineral
teeth must have been cast into the furnace In connec
on with the head. Beyond this they would have sx-
bibitsd 10 them the bones of the right lower jaw In
fragments; and when these put together they
would b. found TO correspond exactly with the mould
|
would be given identity the body found Medical
College lhe tborax found In the laboratory would be
sho-n 20 have been perforated near the heart. IL
would also be shown that 90 these remains hs1 been
made che ne ications OF strong aIkss 10 would
aso be d.enstrated that they the remains of
any subject oisection fret By the fact there
injections into the veins Of any pre,ervai i've
suostsuees ana second, tnat the janitor
| Fsltn.au vas murdered, then the question arose,
who murdered himl In respect 20 this question the
offer testimony Co sho~ the relations
haI fle rfifD atu ~ .tx.
mary transactions ,ed between hem. IL would
be tbssrvsd that the prisoner much embar-
rassed that oil be personal property under mort
gage 10 Dr. fsrknsn. Dr p ga. man Of large pro-
Ieriy. aceuscmso 70 make loans He was liberal, but
bis note, which remained unpaid ct maturity,
vhtb Dr. farkmsD tooh mortgage q ell ths
pIsent's property, ineiuaing cabinet OF minerals,
TO secure the note and further advances made.
II ~osd appear that after this the prisoner had made
speposs. 20 Mr.. II. %. shav, TO advance him money
co The cabinet OF minerals because he Ia distress
MIR =. oia advance 81 zoo Subsequently Dr Parkmsn
learned u the conveyance OF this cabinet Of minerals
ssrsirg it a fraud and that iron this time be pur.
sued the prisoner debtor In ~hon he had lost conf
dsnee IL would appear also that The prisoner had OBJ
sred from the deceased delay under the promise that
h. void Isy him ~bsn he bad obtained pay for the
sss q his chemical lectures The Professors
81 the Medical College bad made arrangements with
gentleman 20 sia o. collector of tnsir from the
etuG,nts The lectures CONNIE need the Tth Of No
vsmber aud on the 9th Dr. Psikmsn called on Dr.
webster snd ipsited the pay nent Of hi. debt Dr.
webster requested him TO walt he had not
ctfved the money Tor be tickets. would that
Dr Nsbtsr had r,csives considerable part his par
Ob the i2sb Dr. isftman called the paying agent,
20 sscsrisin how matters stood lie csied again
the l4th snc threatened trustee process and sent
TO ar Webster that he vss di.bosest dis-
boncrshl~ nso ON the 10Th, he called again Or.
W. sno declared With great dscision that eonethng
must be done The next day, DIR. W wrote him note.
Os tte dsJ previous 70 he alleged murder, DR. A. rode
cot TO zee Dr webster ct tambriose. On the 23d Of
Not.utsr DR. W. csled at the resiaence Of Dr. Park
ana usde en- appointment TO meet Dr. 4. a. the
NsGicsl Crge, 70 come 60 bis rooms at clock, and
a. receive bs pay lie returned ab ut clock 20 the
hediesl ceese and had In interview with MIR Petty,
Who o. set out Of bs bsnds any money that
be tsd and paid MIN about $50. lie there informed
lin 90 DR. Pc thrsst.n nirg TO which Dr w. replied
that fs would have further trouble with Dr. p for
he Lad settlsd With bin froc the beeisnng to the
End. ~ would sppsar that DIR webster had repre-
senisd o. Dr Psrkmsn snd others his int ption OF
spIlyrF the money received from ~ tickets to
the payment ot his debt; but they shouid be able 10
slcs "a at not dciisr "a it vent TO Dr. Pstkmsn
Tie $50 vac depotitss In the charles River Dank.
lhe isctDies ot DR.. webster were ruesdsy wednes-
dsy atc tdsy and therefore the long-rt leisure that
70 ~ - ouia ba