Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-04-02
THE BOSTON TRAGEDY.

Norember ls49.
BosroS, FRuay, MARCH ~, lS5U.
A. % minutes past O'clock Judge Merrck the senior
counsel for the prisoner commenced his summing up i VIZ
I1eence. ,ho c,o,incs
need not state vou gentlemen of the jury the eeiiee
with which rise the argument need not say now w
boan it is arrange oil the mass OF tes'ions, - and an
have its proper and just effect the defendant w "
the country. ,d ,r;,h ,be
gentleman Of wide celebrity, and connected WIN the ne
<highest interest of this community-ianiiaF hno"
4alI and resnected by all as widely ne - know-a e"
months since suddenly disappeared or rho ouh
n All the search was made, which the entire iocso, ''
a. nnc,ionaries and of the whole community enlisted cou
$make day after day. When all recouces Were eHa ~
and all mystery and H. h wns made 1t was heard
fha, man who stood high in the public espec.a' a ny
the breath of suspicion-was charged as ee % This in
,uhole community asounded at the same ume lis III
divIuslyas surrounded by the wall OF prison 1
alons He was dumb he made no explanations eons
- d ,he 5amnno circumstances which were thown
his conduct by the public voice. anu M ro~in@ ,h
Tongues of rumo He waited patientiy-weli knoing d
onmunty in which lived and that prejudice Mouu al
WAIST give way and the light of truth break io'a' TIC
IN the calm consciousness OF his cause ,,,. mo, ,h
He asked no delay of justice he mas pl'nts nv, ,r
Conr, for trial and looks you gentlemen of us' vei
6ic You could have known little OF ms case wi ne ,
49, onr seats but some prejudice something OF the iacts
fHelegs6 and given in the public Journals a. '''
tendency on YOU at least East Won mos WELD your
ss to the testimony as 10 be gathered from the
/Eitnessessfha have been examined we Ven mus -, h d
she char made by the government the ISSUES " -
nd thes proofs submitted s., ,e,. ;,h .ho ,,,,rdo,
IRE Government charges the defendant WIN .Ie "" T
~e A. C,eoroe parkman and with deliberate malice ing
issues 70 be tried are, whether pI farknan was h M
- whetskr il was done by the defendants II 1t was done VIII"
z Alee then it was murder , ~
has been able 10 produce particle oil dec,
iesmonynor one particle OF proof except s
and indirect evidence to prove, even tha Dr n r.
NOT now alive produced direct proof that FRO"
Webster had any agency in the killing even Dr farAa.
,yas Eiled prof Webster adults distinctly and promptly
that he had interview with Or pakman on frohy no
vember 23d at and hall O'Clock Tor speca has
bevond that he denies thing. The government mas
not brought any thing which, when examined proves any
thing whatsoever against MN : :. -
Mr. Merrick then called the attention OF the jury 10 e
testimony of the witnesses which was entirely al variance
with the charge made by the Government lhat pt.
osn Aid no, come out of Medical Colleges while Others
sa Dr Parkman in the afternoon and in not
TO be mistaken They have not been iPeacned and he
positively with which they We're per
fecy familiar which they recalled to mind at the tune
when the impression perfectly fresh The testimony OF
hese witnesses is perfectly consistent with theory which
suggested itself TO the friends Dr. Parknan in Offering
,her rewards for him before these remains were found,
They spoke of him as having s'rayed away .ou n
the Government evidence. The circumstances allyeu
the Government almost infinite in number ana II VIII
he for Won TO weigh and bearing the defendant
The Government is boundhrst to prove the death oil lr
parkman and second that il was done by third party
is very difficult thing 10 prove natural LEG or oohcs-lo
nroduce the open face marked feaurcsthe whole express
sion of the person. The Government produces fragments
body and bones put together by Dr. Wyman into body
estihes that these remains are portions Of e same
dy Witnesses have proved that portions are SUI
that Dr. Parkman has been since that day we do not
undertake TO deny that it may be Dr. Pakmans body but
has been identified suc without possoity ol ns
take? The whole rests upon teeth oacRened In INC
FIRE which Dr. Keep conceves 10 be sett made for Dr. +.
three years before from Of the blocks Dr. Morton es
t6es that is difficult for any dentist to Identify his work ~
such state and he gives you his Three other dem
tsts testify that they think dentist could identify his own
work in circumstances This is all the evidence We
hold il that il very excluding all reasonable doubt
The Government is bound show that The homicide was
caused by third person-the defendant The whole
mass of Government evidence is entirely circumstantia
which you touching drop Of The heart
blood of this defendant.
chppld lau2aI he r,n
We may reasonably doubt whether this was the body OF Dr.
Parkman and we grant it to be his body II may have
come death without the of the defendant The
learned counsel then referred the charge made against Pro-
lessor Webster of deliberate plan induce Dr. Par knan
10 come the college the pretence that he going III
nav him some money and then slew him They say he did
moi paw him any money. We without grounds
10 show thar Professor Webster paid the mortgage TO Dr.
Parkman by having made special effort to meet him Ihe
acts Professor Webster collected fifty dollars here and
hundred dollars therehat he wac in possession of me
Dr. Parkman promised, show as they 60 that he did
make the payment
Instead of cool and deliberate murder, Mr.. Merrick!
argues that the parties may have met at the medical college
considering the pecuniary relation existing between them
that when they together they rushed into conflict
and by a sudden blow the creditor fell
Dr. Parkman accused Professor Webster OF having de
frauded Tho Compilation have from the ro
verify the hunted debtor and his family; rash
deed DONE TO conceal it, he the anonymous let
ers that the learned counsel thinks the evidence does NOT
prove. The counts in The indictment proved-no
the o. Dr.. Parkman- d-s'a nor the Implement 4
used The defendant admits that Dr. Parkman entered th
College Friday Nov %, at II o'clock and that he came
out After that night Of agony On the ist Dec, Dr. Web
ser speaking Of The remains found said these are not the
remains of Dr. Pakmanbut whatsoever they how they
came there, / arm sure Go not know.
Mr. Merrick then examined the anonymous letters. All
though expert himself he believed that not line OF
them written by DR.. Webster That the tin box or
dered by DR.. Webster wasnendd to be taken to the Med
cal College, guess work. The Government has
hardly possibility of the application of the fish hooks
The chest with the TAM seen on Tuesdays while the
bag of which from Cambridge was seen by t
police in the entry The day after There IS no danger
the TAM The bunch of keys be significant in trial tori
theft The Irvine nothing unusual as hardly any thing
chemical laboratory; and whoever placed the remains
there, would very naturally have used IT,
Mrs. Coleman's evidence did not turn out that Webster
made any attempt to corrupt her. Equally unllnpoIan me
learned counsel deemed the inquiries made by Professor
Webster for blood and for from the vault as i is not
shown that he did have occasion for these two things M
his lectures contend that have proved an ab by our
unmpcachabe Witnesses and clearly by those of the
Government. Also after hafpas, o'clock the time OF
his engagement with Professor Webster Dr. parknan stop
ped in Mr.. Hollands to buy butter and sugar lie s,aid
there fifteen and stad in time to be seem
by Mr. Ash Cambridge Afterwards he the
Medical College steps by DR.. Bosworth This was not the
tins when Mr. Ltefed him coming 10 the College,
From that point him Cnnseway street, where h
was seen by Mr. Thompson and il is more than probable
from the testimony that Dr. Parknan stopped Holland
ofer ne had met his engagement with Prof Webtctha,
an of mind had struck him. and no had wandered
away after this interview
day and Tuesday. and nothing seem Afterwards ,ile
rooms passed into and there had been changes "
fobids the supposfica that night some unkioWh
mysterious person had entered the College and placed hi
as they were afterwards found different from their pre-
yous poson-destroyed the head Of the naked corpse
seeing that fire in the assay furnace which hos been proved
been kinded that EVENING" The corpse must been
brought naked for particle OF clothing or any,
thing connected with clothing buttons shreds OF ameni
been found notwithstanding the nice and accurate eN
aminations All this goes maintain very different hypo
thesis from which the Government has brought forward
and you rghreousy touch hair of the defendants
head by the Government hypothesis
Mr. Merick then referred 10 Mr. Lefed in strong Ian
guage for the purpose of duplicating him in the w
m cme-but only expose he considered his crcdlbi-
lty and the real nature his testimony My client has the
benefit of it. Notwithstanding Mr.. Litteeds early sspl-
cion. of Prof Webster until after large rewards
were offered that he showed any activity vigilance
well know why he has waived any claim to this reward
Judge Merrck then severely examined the testimony OF
this witness great length He thought his seemed
strange and wondered why he did make against
Prof Webster when his horrible supcons first aroused
instead of walking with the supposed murderer and accept
ing turkey which he give thanks to his God
He then called attention the evidence which goes to
,absh the innocence of Prof Webster After this crime
was said to have been committed Prof Webster was, that