The Arkansas banner., 1850-07-23
CONFESSION OF PROFESSOR WIENER OF
 THE KILLING OF DR. FIREMAN.

tee. Before the committee at l2 o'clock, appeared | Rev Dr Putnam, the spiritual adviser of the con demhed, with petition for commutatOn of pun- l shment, together with confession that he Killed
 Dr ParkmSn. The Rev gentleman prefaeed Ihe statement by few remarks relative lo the manner
 iD which the confession made to him He stated that he had no personal abquaintanceship
 with Professor Webster, before being called to act
 in the capacity of his spiritual adviser In the rst | few weeks of his visits he sought acknwledg-
 msnt of the prisoner At length on tho 23d May,
 he visited him in his cell and demanded Oi him, for
 his own well-beihg, thst he should tell the truth In
 regard to the matter and he acceded to the request l by making II statement which now submitted
 for the consideration Of the Council. It
 follows:
 | sent the note to Dr Parkman, which it appears,
 was carried by the boy Maxwell. handed 1t to
 Llttlefied unsealed. It 10 ask Dr. ParkHan 10 call at my rooms on Friday the 23d. after my ec- ! ture He had become of late very importunaie for l his pay. He had threatened me with a suit, 10 put sn officer in my house, and 10 drive mo from my 1 professorship, if did not pay him. The purpoIt | of my note simply 10 ask the conference. 1 | did not tell him in t what could do or what had to say about the payment l wished to gain for those few days release from his solicitations to which was liable every day, occasions and in very disagreeabe, aud also to eveft for so long time least the fulflment of recent threats l of severe measures l did not expect 10 be able to pay him when Friday should arrive. My purpose
 was, fl he should accede 10 the proposed interview, to state to him my endorsements, and utter ina- bility to pay him at present. 10 apologize for those things in my conduct which had offended him. to throw myself upon his mercy. and 10 beg for fur ther time and indulgence for the sake of my family, | if not for my own, and to make good promises 1 to him as could have any hope of keeping did not hear from him that day, nor the next w. ed- nesday,) but l found on Thursday he had been abroad in pursuit of me without finding me. ina gined he had forgotten the appointment else did l not mean 10 wait for 1t. l feared he would cnme l in upon me at my lecture-rOcm or while was pre-
 panug my experiments for it-therefore called it his house on that morning Friday,) between $ and 9 o'clock, 10 remind him of my wish to see him at the College at 14 o'clock my lecture closing at o'clock. did not stop to talk with him, for pected the conversation would be long one and l had my lecture to prepare, for it was necessary for me 10 have my time, and also to keep my mind free from other exciting matters.
 Dr Parkman agreed to call on me as 1 proposed. He came accordingly between ts and 2 o'clock. 1 entering at the lecture room door. was engaged in removing some glasses from my lecture table into the room in the called the npper laboratory he came rapidly down the steps and followed ne into the laboratory; he immediately addressed me with great energy, |" Are you ready for me Sir have you got the money7" 1 replied, ' No, Dr. Parkman,' and was then beginning 10 state my condition and my appeal 10 him, but he would not listen 10 me and interrupted me with much vehe
 
 on hcapiBg me the most bitter taunts and oppro- briuos epitbets; while he was speaking he drew d handful of papers from his pocket aud took from aWopg them my two notes and also an old letter graduating him on his success in getting me ap- pointed Professor of Chemistry You see ire said got you into your office, and now l will get you out of it." Il put back into his pocket all the papers except the letter and the notes; cannot tell how long the torrents of threats and iuvectves tinued, and cannot recall to memory but small portiop of what he said
 At first kept interposing. trying to pacify him, so that might obtain the object for which sought the interview, bu, could not stop him, and soon my own temper up; forgot every thing, and felt nothing but the sting of his words l was cX
 cited 10 the highest degree Of passion, and while he was speaking and gestcHlating in the most violent and meRaeing manner, thrusting the letter and his
 fist into my face, in my fury seized whatever thing was handiest (ii stick of wood) and dealt him au instantaneous blow with all the force that passioif could give it did not know, or think, or | care where should hit him, or how hard, nor what inc effect would be; it the side of the head and there nothing to break the force of tho blow; he fell instantly upon the pavemeuti there was no second blow; he did not move l stopped down over him. and he seemed to be lifeless; blood | flowed from his mouth, and l got sponge and l wiped it away got some ammonia and applied il to his nose bat without effect perhaps spent
 minutes in attempts 10 resuscitate him, but found he was absolutely dead; in my horror and conster nation, ran instnctiyey 10 the doors an bolted them, the doors of the lecture room and cf the labor
 story below; and then what was 10 do IL never
 occurred to me to go out ald declare what had heen done and obtain assistance; saw nothing but the alternative of d successful movement and conceal
 rnent of the body the hand. aud of infamy and destruction the other. The first thing dia. as soon as could do any thing, to draw the 1 body into the private room adjoining, where took off the clothes and began putting them into the fire, | which was burning in the upper iabaratoryi they
 were all consumed there that afternoon, with papers, ! pocketbook, and whatever they contained
 1 | did not examine the pockets nor remove any. | thing except the watch. 1 saw that, or the cham | of i, hanging out took it and threw il the 1 bridge as 1 went 10 Cambridge. My next move was l to yet inc body into the sink which stands in the i small private room, by setting the body partially
 erect against the and by getting up into the | sink myself | succeeded in slowing il up there; ! il was entirely disnemhsred; it was quickly done, ! AS work of terrible aud desperate-aecessity The
 only instrument was the knife found 0y the officers 1 in the tea chest which kept for cutting corks
 made no use of the Turkish knife, as it was called
 at the trial; that had long been kept on my rarios l mantle piece in Cambridge as curious ornament. My daughters frequently cleaned it, hence the
 marks of oil and polishing found on it. l had lately
 brought it into Boston to get tho silver sheath paired.
 While dtsmembering the body stream of Cochi-
 mate water was running through the sink carrying
 off the blood in pipe that passed down through the
 lower laboratory. There must have been a leak
 ia the pipe, for the coiing below was stained im- 1 nediately around it.
 1 There was fire burning in the furnace of the lower laborary; Lttle6eld was mistaken in think ! ing there never had been fire there; he had pro bably never kindled one, but had done il myself
 several tmes had done i, that day for the purpose of making oxygen gas the head and viscers were
 put into that furnace that day, and fuel heaped on
 did not examine at night to to what degree ihey
 were confined; some Of the extrcmiies were pat in
 there believe on that day. The pslvs and some
 of the limbs. perhaps, all put under the lid of
 the lecture room table iu what is called the well
 deep sink lined with lead; stream of Cochiae,e
 was turned into it. and keP, running through 1t all
 Friday night the thoTax was put into similar well
 in inc lower laboratory, which filled with water,
 and threw in a quantity of potash which foun'i
 lharn This disnosiiion Of the Eemains was not