Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-04-08
The Webster Trial.

BosroS, March 30.
To-day, Mr.. Merrick occupied six .nna
boif hours for the defence II was an
able plea. and held the profound attention
OF n crowded court room from the begin-
ming 10 The end We particularly noticed
that towards the close the Judges were
deeply interested and affected
The prisoner listened with wrop, ntten-
lion, aid towards the close, the perspirn-
tion rolled from his forehead in large drops,
though lie did not lose control of himseh.
If innocent, what cordial TO his narrowed
feelings such vlndicatiop must have been;
bulif guilty, how worse than hpndreu
4 gthlels. lii OF paia .sllse plea of Mr..
| NJ cffiek seemed 10 lie III td&ised He
drew attention. 70 the prisoner 5 most sig
nifcant failure 10 show where he got Tie.
money which Ire says he pfi1 Purkman.
and ventured lame and miserable APOLOGY
for it. In his treatment of Liulefield's les.
tInony, Mr.. Nj. was very severe.
BosToN, Marbh 30
|, Today, Mr.. Clifford has been summing
up for the prosecution and closed his orgu-
n.ent at five minutes before 5 o'clnck, and
-
er, lha, f he had anything more to say to
The Jury before he charged them upon the
features Of the case, he had liberty to say ii.
The prisoner arose and addressed the
Jury in few words. lie commenced in
rather a confused manner, without address.
ing directly, either bench or Jury. He
said 81 have desired TO enter into an ex.
PLANTATION Of the complicated network If
circumstances which, by my peculiar posi-.
tion, The Government has thrown around
me, and which, in nine cases out of ten,
are completely distorted, and probably
nine.tenlhs of which could be satisfactorily
explained.
All the points of the testimony have been
pla ced in the hands of my counsel, by
whom my innoceace could havs been firmly
established.
Acting entirely under their direction,
have sealed my lips during my confinement.
trusting mysel! entirely TO them-they have
not deemed it necessary, in their superior
wisdom this was said in an ironical tone
to bring forward the evidence that was to
exonerate me from a variety Of these acts.
The Government has brought whatever
ingenuity could suggest against
me, and hope it will not have an undue
influence upon my jury.
will not al!ude to many of the charges.
There is one which touches me, and that
is the letter which has been produced, and
il is not the first that had read in the dali
ly prints which are distributed In my apart
ments, and var Gus publications which have
been made respecting them; one stating
that had, after the disappearance OF DR..
Parkman, purchased quantity of oxalic
acid to remove the stains of blood, and in
stantlv it occurred to me that this parcel
might be saved and produced when necessa-
ry
For several days Mrs Webster had re-
qresled me to purchase some acid for dos
mestic use, and as my wife had repeatedly
laughed at me because | had not purchased
it, had borne it in mind that afternoon,
and had gone into fhayel's store, under the
Revere House, and waited until the Cam
bridge hourly came along, and then jumped
into the omnibus with the bundle.
went home and gave the bundle to my
wife, nnd when afterwards ] heard SO much
said about The bundle, it flashed on my
mind in q moment that this must be the
bundle.
II was to this bundle, and not 10 any
document, that referred in The direction
10 my wife. AS regards The nitrate OF
copper-ln the usual Lectures preceeoing
my arrest, had occasion to use Ire iniiu'
ence of chemical agents in producing
changes of.various subIects-among others
upon gases. r
prepared large quantity Of oxalic
acid gus. a gallon jar was filled with ges
in order to produce the changes from DARK