The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-08
TIL Z r. E P u B Lie.
OF PROFESSOR JOHN w
WEBSTER.

r.
OF PROFESSOR JOHN w.
WEBSTER.
Application for Communication OF Sentence
OF Death.
The Governor and Council of Massachusetts, met
on Tuesday morning, pursuant to adjournment
and after dsposing OF some other papers, Governor
Briggs announced the reception Of the following
PETITION OF Da WEBSTER:
HoNoRADLE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL THE Com
MoNwEALTH MASSACHUSETTS.
John White Webster, convict, under sentence
OF death, in Boston JAIL in behalf Of himself and of
bis wife and his children, respectfully petitions,
that the sentence awarded against him by the law
may be commuted to such other less horrible and
ignominious punishment your honorable body
may mercifuliy decree.
Your petitioner fully admits that he tried
before fair and impartial tribunal, and that under
the law as it exists his jury, composed as it was OF
honorable and highminded men, could have re-
turned no other verdict than they did But he
spectfuly reminds your honorable body, that the
two great moral ingredients Of the crime of nur
der. malice and prelneditatIon, have been
found against him by a jury, but have been neces-
sarily inferred by the arbitrary rules of the law,
from certain general facts which your petitioner
will not deny, but the extenuating details of which
no In your petitioners situation pos
sess legal evidence to prove. These details your
petitioner has confided the friend who presents
his petition, With authority to them to your
honorable body, in the hope that you will find there
in reason to extend to your petitioner and his family
that mercy OF which the law has made you the dis
penSers.
j. ". WEBSTER.
Boston, June, 1850.
This petition was forthwith referred to the com
mittee pardons, of which Lieutenant Governor
Reed is chairman, and twelve 0 clock was assigned
at his request for hearing the Rev. DIR. Putnam
in explanation OF and in support Of the petition.
At the hour named the committee met in the
anti chamber, and the Rev Mr. Putnam appeared,
and, having read the petition, proceeded TO make
the following
PnELIMINARY REMARKS.
The grounds which l am authorized TO take in
aid of the petition Of j. w. Webster, and which
take not advocate pledged to side, but
IN good iaith, as expressing my own personal be-
lici, follows:
That the human remains found in the medical
college in November last those Of the late
George Parkman, and that he came To his death
by the hands OF DR.. Webster, in a moment of
passion, under great provocation; that there
no premeditation, nor murderous intent; that
there homicide, but not a murderer If il
could be called a murder under the rigid inter
pretation OF the rules OF common law prevailing In
this common weath--yct that it was not murder
according to the moral judgments of our people or
of nankind-not the crime to which the public
sense OF justice awards the punishment Of death,
lor which that punishment Is Inflicted under the
usual and actual administration of the law in Mas
sachusetis.
| am enabled to present from DIR. webster's own
lips statement OF the facts connected with the
homicide The credibility and value of this state
ment must depend partly on the date of it, and the
circumstances under which II was made. Before
reading it, therefore, l will relate those crcum-
stance. to the committee.
My acquaintance with DIR. Webster before his
trial had been Of the slightest and casual kind
Soon after his sentence, l received from him
quest, that would visit him a clergyman, dur
IL
declined.
bad followed the reports of the trial, and acqu-
esced in the verdict 4 righteous one, and had
thought but that the sentence was to be- and ought
TO be, carried into execution ! did not make 1T
my object to draw a confession from him early, or
10 lead him TO commit himself one way the other,
on the question oI his guilt or innocence. care
FULLY avoided every remark and inquiry that might
tempt him TO make any false declaration. He
seemed To understand me, and neither denied nor
declared his guilt expected he would finally be
induced to communicate 10 me whatever he knew
about the disappearance OF DR.. Parknan, and about
the remains iound at the college. But was in no
hurry about this. Thought should be more likely
obtain from him tile exact truth, by waiting till
a favorable Tune. Accordingly il was my object
for the first weeks to become acquainted with him,
10 win his confidence and attachment, by attention
! and sympathy, and to endcavor to make those i'm
pressions Of a moral and religious nature, which
were suited TO his situation a more less SINFUL
and certainly dying man. As time passed, ]
seemed TO myself to have succeeded in these OBJ
jecis, almost hey yond my hopes.
Al length, on the 23d Of May, had made up my
mind ~ address him in wholly strain, and to
demand of him full statement Of facts. then be-
lieved myself TO be such terms with him, that
could abruptly and autlIoritatively demand his
hdence. did 50, and was not disappointed in
the result. On entering his cell that day told
HIM that was going TO broach a new and import
ant subject to him, and he must listen to me scri-
ously, and reply till had done. ! then said to
him, that he must have felt all along that there was
one barrier to our free communication one point
ON which we did not understand one another; that
the embarrassment which attended the avoiding OF
that point obviously went far defeat the satissc
ton and profit to himself which ought to result
from interviews. said that he must certainly
have some knowledge respecting the fate OF DIR.
Psrkmsn, which had not, and that the unshared
must be 10 him oppressive and lntolerable
burden; that the time bad come when he ought to
share II with some one, and, under the circum-
stances, with me that had scrupulously fUre-
bOrne hitherto press him this point, urged
il now only because believed it would be for hs
relief and peace of mind; that thought he must
feel by this nlne that he owed me the truth. and
that hc could trust me- that he need not fear To tell
me the whole truth, for was not there 20 reproach
him, TO Judge him, but to comfort him in his
distress, anu TO help him in making peace with
God and his conscience, and 70 assist him, If
might, 10 live while he lived, aud die when hc
should die, with the humility Of sinner, aud the
firmness OF man, aud, trusted, the hope of
Christian; that In order TO my being OF any real
service 10 tncfc must DC truth rtla-
tons between ! cautioned him not TO answer
me hastily, not TO speak till he prepared TO tell
the whole and absolute truth--thst would eudea-
vor 10 put a favorable construction upon HE 81
lence; thai was in no hurry, and that nc might
take Gay two more to consider whether my adj
vice 70 him 70 make full aoclospre was not rea-
sJnsblc and good
spoke to him some time In a strain which have
thus indicated. He seemed TO me much affected
by what said and when paused he ssid, immcdi-
ately, 9" am ready to tell you all; IL will be relief
to me" lie then proceeded to relate the fscts
which have since embodied in tho statement now
to be presented, and put TO him great aumbcr of
questions all of which he answered promptly, and
With every appearance Il sccIned 70 tne 81 an hon
est purpose TO tell the truth Some Of the minor
acts and explanations were given by him on sub.
sequent day, but the outline OF the whole narrative
aud the more important details, were given at the
interview of May 23d.
IL IL important to observe that at that date the
writ of error was pending and also that DR.. Web
stcr's petition for full pardon, with strong deca
rations Of entire innocence, in the hands Of the
governor, II tho writ sho1d fail, he considered
every Thing as staked spon that petition, the de,
claratjons L contained and the dodumen, and aff-
davits he believed would bo Obtained for iis sup
port, His immediate family, firmly and sincerely