Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-04-05
MISCELLANEOUS.

MISCELLANEOUS.
TRIAL OF PROFESSOR JOHN W: WEBSTER
Charged NTH the Murder Of Dr. George Parknan, on 23d
November, S49.
Teecraphed for the Baltimore Sun.
CONVICTION OF PROFESSOR WEBSTER. -,
Mr. Clifford, the Attorney for the government cioes ,s
speech about halfpast clock, Saturday evening e
this by permission of the court the prisoner addresses M
iu,y Tor time The jury then retired aoou.
and after being in consultation for about three os
ed and rendered their verdict pronouncing the prisoner "y
of murder first degree. The excitement al TINS u"e
ture intense and painful , :; L.;
chair with his upon the railing and his face on his
hands and remained or the space III about ten minutes
After recovering the shock he turned 10 the olcs VINO
Ind him in charge and said "Whv you keeping Inc here
10 be gazed att" He then forthwith taken TO me PRISON
and locked up for the night His razor Ene ana o,t M
pements by which suicide might DC peipe'aeu, "se
fully put out OF his reach
Mr. Ceand one of the for the defence, has
tracted part his evidence reference TO the day III wc
he saw Dr. Parkman The Rev. Mr.. Wells convinced hun
that the received the d and not on Tie 1d
Nov, as he had testified.
10 one of the Judges which she her statement 81
ven 10 the Jury that Doctor Parkman whom she saw
The excitement until the jury returned to the court room
and the result of their deliberations was known was beyond
description. Every open 10 hear the verdict.
SECOND DISPATCH.
BosroH Sunday eveningSAiarch 81.
The Attorney General having concluded his remarks,
Chief Shaw with much emotion stated TO the pr,so
ner his privilege now 10 address The jury ne haa
ANYTHING to say, or any explanation IL make
PROFESSOR wEBsrER's ADDRESS TO THE JURY
Professor Webster and in very distinct voice maze
the following remarks:
have desired 10 explanation OF the net work
of circumstances which, by peculiar position, the Gov
eminent has thrown around and which, In nine cases o
Of ten are completely distorted and probably niue enhs o
which could be successfully explained
All the points the testimony have been placed IN Tie
hands of nv counsel BY my innocence could have
been fairly established Acting entirely under their cirec
tion have sealed my lips during the period Of my c"nhne
meni trusting myself entirely 10 them. They have mol
deemed necessary III their superior WISDOM this was
said oncal tone bring forward evidence to exon
crate me from the variety Of these The government
has brought whatever ingenuity could suggest
against me- and hope will not have an undue influence
upon this jury: .,..-
which touches me- and that the letter which has been
duced 1t is the first had read in the daily prints which
have been distributed in apartments and various publi-
cations which nave been made respecting mem we s,,
ment that had, after The disappearance ot d. Park
man. purchased quantity oi "Na'c acd 10 remove stains
OF blood and il instantly occurred 10 me that tina parcel
might be saved produced when necessary For several
days Mrs Webster had requested 10 purchase some acid
for domestic and life had repeated? laughed al me
because had not purchased ii, had borne il in my mind
that afternoon and had gone into hayeis store under the
Revere House. and made the purchase and waited until the
Cambridge hourly omnibus BY, and jumped into II
with the bundle went home and gave the bundle to my
wife and when afterwards heard much said about the
bundle IL flashed my mind in moment that this must
be the bundle Ii this bundle and not TO any docu
ment that referred in the direction 10 my wife.
regards the nitrate OF "copper" in the pre-
cedng my arrest had occasion for the use of chemical
agents in producing changes on various subIecs-among
others on gases prepared large quantity Of oxalc acid
gas. gallon jar was filled with gas IN ORDER 10 produce
changes from dark color orange and coors in air; on
great being applied TO the jar the gas was drawn
through As tc nitrid OF copper spilled on the
floor OF the laboratory spilled accidentally from the
quantity laboratory between the day Of Doctor
Parkmans disappearance aud arrest So might go
explaining vare al circumstances, which have been
distorted My nare pressed tue to Keep calm WY
very camncss been made declare against but my
trust has been in my God and my own innocence
In regard TO money, l must say word. Inc money
which DIR. lalkran the afternoon friday,
23d had saved up ou time to time and kept in trunk in
nv house in Cambridge UNFORTUNATELY
take il out therefore can only give my word that such i
the fact Several years ago had students who were IN the
habit OF being in laboratory and who injured my apara
nus therefore prepared thing for my own usc with
my hands That the reason why excluded persons
from my laboratory.
As regards my whereabouts from the hour of Dr. Park
mans disappearance, have put into my COUNSEL HANDS
satisfactory information which will account for every day
had spen, during that week. us well as Tor every gay 9e
every hour l absent from tome AS 10 oelng
seen by Mr. Saunderson at home every evening On'
shpq tina, has been omitted by my counsel was that on Fri
day the day on which the alleged murder was said to hav'
been committed | had purchased Humboldfs work
Cosmas, and while waiting for an OMNIBUS seppeo h.'
Bnghams take mutton chop and in hurryng out Il
take the omnibus had forgotten book; but alter my ar
rost remembered the place where had left il and men
toned 1t my counsel They had To Brghams, ans
the book had been found
he Professor here sat downs but almost instantly arose
and said j
viii saw one word more. have felt very much distress
ed by the production OF these anonymous letesoc st
than by ANYTHING else that has occurred during the trial
call upon nv GOD witness that II II was the last hour
INV life never wrote these Since the trial
menced letter has been received this very Cvs
by one oil my counsel Ii this has any spark OF h
mainly call upon him come forward notice to THE
effect has been put in the papers.
RAJ this point the prisoner again took his have evil
denty made impression upon present. by the serious
ness Of his remarks and the earnesncss OF hismanner
CHARGE JURY BY JUSTICE SHAW.
Chief Justice Shaw then deliver his charge TO The
jury remarkng that he had thought proper 10 continue ts
proceedings deliver his charge in the case TO them
because the nature of the principles developed III the pro
ceedngs such would not require him to occupy ihe
attention much longer time. The first thing TO be consid
ere was the nature homicide In the different points IL
WHICH il was r, marked BY the law The destruction OF
human being by violent means under any circumstances BY
another human being was regarded IN ne eye OF ha raw a
the law required punishment TO be inflicted upon tho
who caused the death II the slayer had good reas1 ron
the fear Of dangerous personal injury 10 commit e oec
the law held him justified and called the act ustiabe no.
micide
ZION as for the sake of gain considered the highest
offence known 10 the law and The offender was punishable by
death. ,, -
II a man should say another under sudden pTovoc"ton
but in the heat Of blood the law though II did NOT oSonea'e
the slayer from punishment yet it holds the offence 10 NAYS
been mitigated by the nature OF the SAID poVoca't WIN"
caused the offence TO be committed.
His Honor reviewed the nature OF cyl
dence in general as applied tie case and linked the ans
coyery Of the teeth the furnace TO the discovery OF e
blade OF knife in the heart of person. and the handle OF
knife would exactly fit in the possession on the prem
isea Of another person would be held IN inc law as
reason believe that the person in whose possession Inc
handle found guilty of the crime OF Killing the ur
dered person, as held In the late case.
The abi which the defence has introduced In the teS'o
n.y. be considered by the jury and if II should give rise
reasonable doubt the minds of the jury that douo
should be given in favor OF the prisoner.
As 10 the Of the Indictment the court holds the
principles Of the law be argued by the Attorney Gene
raj.
The last count charging that death produced BY means
unknown 10 the grand jury founded the acknow-
cdgod principles Of law and should be considered as correct
by the jury The burden of proving the prisoner had
J.l~ ox.,h aunfn fIvpl ION
government. .u
the ury upon the principles of the law applicable to
the evidence He closed his address to the jury with an In