The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-07-27

ierr-i,
On the gad day OF November, lsio, Dr
Gcore, fnrkmaH, we'll known and highly
respectable citizen .ui ii0stOn, icit lHH hnuse
and iamily nu business, was urunl for him,
and Mover returned 10 them. liz unrSpco-
cd ab,curc alauucd bi7 tuuiy, and excited
the atDui,on ui the people IN aud around
Burtou. IN the course of q day Or two IL WAS
undcrstOod that the prisoner had said that Dr
parkuan met him at hjH ruunir 10 the Mrdi-
cal College, in 1hc west part Of the cny, moi
fir from hiatt past ottt- ut-ls-k ag' tl4e dag NJ
hi- disappraraUrcaud tliat hr thrn aud there
paid him q sum ol money, which be-, Dr.,
larkman, took into his hands aud hastily
rushed towards the outer duUr.
DR. larkman was also seen hy oihcr per-
.uua about the same timr oi day within iorty
feet of the door oi the College, aud walking
,,siI.L .-tal.iIllz il l,hrse. NLth nihcr Cir-
cunsidurr-, directed the public mind t0Waidt
the College buildings, The nest FRIDAY one
week aitor the disappearance or DrParlman,
the d-mombcrcd part of human bDdy we're
found IN dtlrront pIa.c cs Ia and under tho
rooms occupied u, the prisoner, IA that Col
lcac, some 0i them iu q furnace nearly de-
struycd hy fire, some oi them packed ia n tea
chest aud other part. IN the vault ofa priNy
attached 10 li- laboratory.
Suspicious wrrr strongly fyrd On him, and
be- Wa arrested aud committed to Lc,crcit
street Jail \ coroner inquest was called,
aud aitrr long examination iuio the mrts Of
the cH-c, conducted iu secret, the jury report
uil that the remains found gorr parts OF thr
body of thc late DIR. George larkman, that
hc came ip his death hy yiolcurc IN the Med,
iral College M Boston; uu Friday, tlr'' esd
day Of November, aud that ho was killed 10y
John W. Webster. The evidence mkcn hv-
fore the inquest was not given Ia the public.
La Il, n ltt.f 90 Iuf ItfsItt
the Grand Jug for the county Of suffolk,
and the ih,o.tiwtiou briUru that body Ivsult-
rd iu finding an Indictment against the pIIs-
outr for the mur,lv, oi nr. parkman.
lie was srrairurd ON the indictment aud
plead not guilty. Two OF the most able aud
distinguished lawyer ot the Commonwealth
were, WuQu b. g~il tglrrtiun, assigned io him
~ counsel Jog thcf supreme Court ait.l IN,
trinl hvlur' the iul bench oi that Court IN
ri uu- ttry-i e'ti, t,-srtr,
hciorc tbc day of trial, the Attorney General
furnished the 'uutt-rl of the prisoner, not on
ly With lit ut thr uaute, ui the witnesses TO
hc called against him, which is required to be
done IA all capital clscs IN this Common
wealth but also with a copy oi the testimony
taken before the turourr'- inqTcstand wli Ia
had been pru,lurcd AGAINST him before the
Gh7,nd .luty. 2
The time appointed fur the trial arrived,
ithru four Judges of the supreme Court wcrr
present, aud snt during the trial, Ia purii-
aurc of the provisions of the law, sixty Ju-
rnrs Ind hUUu drawn from the Jury box IN
the County ct Suffolk. by Gw. the prisoner
had "a right pvrcmptoiiiN, Without giving any
reason, to challenge twrntN Jurors, and for
good reasons Ia object Ia any others whose
name, might De- called In cmpapcllinp the
JUN Who uicd him, the prisoner eNcriStd
hi, pcr,nlptory right oi challenge in only
tnuFtrcu instances.
The uial wa, one of surprising interest aud
,olcmnirv, and lasted eleven days. On the
part oi tl4p iriAauNr-th. r!.s. ..lgGcd With
great rdlnc>tnc,S. caudor, and ability, hN the
Hon. pliuy Muui,k htscniur counsel. Af-
ter DENYING that The ~, idcnce on the. Part rf
the Government was iliCiput to proyr that
tho prisoner Killed DIR. Parkulau at all, the
counsel took the ground that # in ANY event
the Jury shuud come tu the conclusion that
hc did Mil him, then tho ,ir,mmstnnccs of the
ease were such as to satisfy them that the kill
ing could unLLaNr been prcnlvdiiaivd. hut was
the result of an unexpected conflict between
the parties. aud OF Sudden passion.
This position hc cudva, orrd go maintain
Toy an ingenious ;nl powerful appeal to the
] Jury, The ease wLs closed ON the tomrun-
wealth b, the Attorney General, by an adj
dress OF singular l'u.mt and ,t,cci,a-A)cr the
Attorney bcnrral had Gushcd his argument
the Court informed the prisoner tiiaC-he had
-tAe risLi, which -he-n.ipA act ~
thc pleased, tu make such remarks to The jury
rs he saw fit The prisoner rose and for soma
time addressed the jury in his own bchalf-
IN elaborate, ,cicar,and comprehensive charge
was given by the Chief Justice, after conyer-
saiion with The mrnlhelS of the Court who
sat with him at the trial
The jury retired 10 their room, and nitcr
an absence of three hours late ON Saturday
evening returned into Court with "A verdict
of guilty. The next Monday morning the
prisoner was again brought into Court, and
lived from the Cher Justice the scntCnCG
o' the Law, which doomed him to sulleEIoath
ny hanging, at such tune ~ the Executive of
the Commonwealth should appoint
In a lew days copy of the record OF his
conviction was transmitted to the Governor
aud Council, ly the Sheriff of the County Of
= Suffolk, according TO the direction of the
Statute.
On the 2ith of April, the prisoner sent by
the hand OF his friend 10 the Governor md
Council, a petition for pardon, under his own
hand, ON the ground Of his entire innocence
ot the crime of which he had been convicted,
and FOR winch he was under sentence Of death.
All proceedings on this petition before the
Executive were suspcudod,in consequence Of
having received notice from the counsel of
the prisoner, that they were about to max q
bpIll'dtiph 10 tht supreme \ ourl tOf VIII
OF eFTuT To tbp issued IN his case, on account
of Certain alleged irregularities, which had
been discovered in the course of the proceed.
ings against him That application was heard
before the full Court. and ovcrrulcd.
In the opinion of the Court upon that APP
picauon pronounced by the Chief Justice,aii
the proceedings in the ease are declared ia
hC HUUurrtiUE 10 ryrubiishri iuririai forms and
thc,laws OF the Commonwealth
On the day uf--and before the qucs-
tion of the writ Of error had been scftlcd hy
the Court. the Rev. Dir Putnam. for the pris-
toper, asked to -ha permitted 10 withdraw the
petition which had been presented to the
Governor aud council, aud the petition,
in day or two, was handed to br. F1t
l.l4ul- I->--- -
On The FIRST daS of July, Dr. Putnam plac-
cdilt tlNs hauAs ofth Governor another pcti-
tionslRned by the prisoner, asking for a COM
mutation of his sentence.
I'm flg gagppI IpNY Of Tt1, The