The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-07-13
PROF wEBsTER's ORIGINAL PETl
TiON TO TIE GOVERNOR AND


COUNCIL, FOR PARDON.
The following document, which a the O
tsiual irlitiou Of Professor Webster fof ~
ccrliyg pardon, IL fiulerosl NJ the presen
Tine, II Mns presented about the uelio,
d. no dar, aud Withdrawn on the fnh ulu
PETITION FOR PARDON, &,
~ 10 eueiuey Ge6rge ~ Briggs, l., l.. n.
dpiio ne Honorable Council 81 NE STATE Of
NdmIchustrs.
Having hren ,cunyictud befnre the supreme
Judicial Court OF the murder Of Df, George
fukuHu, I Wmdd NOT respectfully aud
humhly petition lnur iscell,uiry and lbe
Honorable Cpuucll, To- be perniurd 90 de
cmro, lu lho mos, splruun upuurr lllrl uui
.lfi4itfig 4Huuceui ~ his awful crime. llht
LngHr A4H hty iiiilUruIuenI ~ iplufe, iu uny
l-Al, Ail.I lAtl44 l..gs l,,itst tettutdrtrh n.
rnng Wy Lepl Glrndr.
~ lim Who srrlh IN secret and before
,,lau uay etc hong he cnilrd to uppe1r,
HuUid nos Hppe1 ivr ,hr Auth OF what
uuN declare, ~ ilsn for The truth of lhe'fll.
,.pu drclnrui"u, ihii ! had 40 agency In
Iirriug he truuns uf u human body Ia OF
.ludrr ny rooms IN the Medical College h.
liostnn, nuC do knoW by Whun they were
80 placed nm tie yirliu of circumstances,
or a foul couspiWcyor Of the attempt Of somo
individual 90 ciusr suspicion 10 iiill upon ne
-l.llirucrd pelluas bI The nro-.iccl of obtain,
iHE largo reward,
WLru frsi charged with Ihis dreadful
cri ue, 7 dii U0t publish to The Wurld,u dec
itfniinn of NY iunnrcurr, Gr uiy Splanniiun
ofiliociuuurianre, leudlug Nhring su,pi-
rIln bu ne, ruloly iu.couscuueucr of outirf
ignorance of thc course 0uglt 10 adnpi,Hud
lupplclIrclnurc on tic culmcr judgment of
n.hrr.. h1 I, hpwsver, prepared Tor pnhli-
cation document { That effect, bat a. lleto
WIS q srpug deposition, from the first, Ia
ui-iulefprci aud mi-rrprusout ny cyory look,
action, Rud expression Il was drcncd ninst
advisable f.. tie to preserve aud muirtniii Il,
lfucci ihe document WIS, thcrclprc, with no
lill- struggle on 10y r'i, withheld. lnne.
~ iiciy upon nay arrest cvely means was 20.
HuIlrd Ia, lo iuud even lhe u.OI lt,lling MP
ptirnncrs IA my laboratory hud ,n-igbiiirhht
.circp not niece. 10 add 10 fuspiciou, aud Ia
privrri 'hr "a 20 NY di-udvautnsr,
.in thu s'aic Of mind IN which ! wa, 81.
lruco WIS constantly urged upon me, ADD |
,dutdcd,morr ririciy, perhaps thuu ought
g. have done. Every method of loi-uuiug
,hr public MUD, aud exciting prejudice
against me Wa rrsnrlCd 90; thsrhuoh-,
inmultous and fidrr,cutluns wrrc daily dit
fused, aud -orl perceived lint the contra.
dkii0p ur pNr wOuld lead TO others, aud TINT
,.,ss Frfimtion al iheroll. would H. an eud
less task. therefore submitted IN silrncc
Hud rr-isuaiiou livlc, tug lint the Time ii4i4sl
slInriy arrive Whom Tie who briugcth light
oui OF durknes. would cnuse the irulh To
Ht.ils8r, HHd H,y t.r.te-ce be made mnult' 81
20 nll.
ia ! previously been aware uf the Use
that was To be uadn OF sumo circumstance
"a NY Uial, TO give nn uvjusi aud erroneous
a",prrssidn ir unexplained, I should have
brcn provided withcVidence to explain them
I4nAi saiisfacinrily.
SoHe of tha SiH'rmcnis, references and
.circu,uN ,ucc@, however, could not be fully
explained ot di-po,cd without the te-limo
ny oc NV wife, of which, unfortunately,
colhd not avail myself ! NOW pray your
honors ghnt abe evidence nay be reviewed
l,y t-u, md nm ttTU testimony Of ny wife
amy he Heard and received, No also NY own
st,iomenls aud explanations.
Repeating Ia the most solemn anil pnSit.ve
manner, Rnl under the fullest sense of NY
responsibility ~ q man aud n Christian, that
! ulH whully IN orcut of this cl9rgr, {" the
l,,th Of which tn Scnrchcr Of Hll hearts j. n
witness, would hu.rb'y aud respectfully
pay thai the privilege hn,c asked may ho
g,amcd. do tbis under the iull bollrt Ihat
Lac, G,l,nInny aud "a llaIa.li4uus w"tt.l ha~
oiof, are such rs viii dispruyc many things,
impair very greatly the evidence of at lrns,
mo Nitues,cs, mud plucc IN their true hght
rircum-hucc, now obscure.
Dh this review OF NY case, your llonors
Ndi, lru-,, Gnd sufficient retsons for re-
Ntrsing tic decision Of The Court and for the
interp2si,inn uf mercy
The knowledge ofmy feelings mud hahi's,
md uf my various engagements and ocrupa-
ton "f time. both before and infer the disap. !
Ic1rnurr Of Dr.. Parkmnn, have, from the first, [
been sufficient assurance to tny Rti ctod fam I
ily fn., innoceuce;tnd neither tiW., nor lhsir I
trust iu HIN wiu has sustained both them I
apd ne in Our lays md nights of sorrow and
b. ,duess have been shaken hy the unlocked [
fur result Of my trial. They wish IN Ice per-
lriilpd TO unite with HIM who is their sole (
clrtby dependence. IN ;l,s petition, believing .
.hnt lnur fNoslency aud the Honorable .
Council viii iiud Sufficient grounds for grant
ng 4. nic a pardon, nnI ofrcsloriug to them /
t" rushnd Bud Glllcr. FOR which most re
pecttil!y and humhly prhy.
lSl.ucdl J. w, MEhSIEH.--
Boston, April -, 1850.
IN,rhdraWn on application Of DR.. Webster
June T. iSJ0l