New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-27
Professor Webster-His Present Cssditiea-
Another Confessisn-His Family, &c.
Gorrssnondenca M Tna Yyihupa


Bosros, mondsy, August %, 1880.
Friday next will seal the fate Of John White
Webster. He fully realizes bis condition, and does
not murmur that the day for his execution 10 so
near OF hand. He sppeas perfectly calm aud pre-
pared for the worst. He considers that the law OF
capital punishment IL right and that he il justly
subject Of that law. He il kept closely confined,
and no one il allowed to visit him beside the Off
cers Of the JAIL except his own spiritual advisers.
Rev. DR.. Putnam Of Roxbury and q Unitarian
Minister from Cambridge.
There is now very little If any fear that be will
commit suicide No regular guard has been 81 aoed
over him more than that over other persons
in the jail and am Informed that there will not
be, as was 10 the case of Pearson, who was lately
executed At East Cambridge. In the latter case,
a razor was found In the prisoners hat about
week before bis execution. He acknowledged ~
the Sheriff that il was placed there by q relative,
whose name We do not desire now 10 make pub.
lie, with the request that be lPearson) would des-
troy bis own life.
DR.. Webster is said TO be quite oonnoisseur In
the matter Of taking life While 10 Ensland some
twenty years ago he was In the constant habit of
attending executions At that time large num-
Der OF crimes were punishable with death, and
am told By distinguished Governments of.cer, that
cases were 40 frequent that on every Friday one
or more pefsODB were executed IN LONDON. liz
said that professor Webster did not miss single
case, during bis stay In London He is thoroughly
conyerssDs with the various modes OF producing
death. He has frequently expressed bis opinion
that hanging by the neck viii produce the easiest
death. Ii 10 the quickest and Is productive OF the
leas. pain The fact that Prot. We ,ster possesses
this knowledge leads people to believe that he viii
die By the rope and BY no other means. Touching
that matter, he could easily hang himself In his cell
IL he AZ dasired
he has freely acknowledged 10 Sheriff Evs'eth
that DO attempted 20 destroy biz own life by taking
strichnine In the cosch going from his owe homo
10 the jail the night Of bis arrest. He also &C.
krowle5ges tina. the dose was too powerful 10 de-
stroy lie; and, furthermore that 10 conseqaence
Of taxing IL he suffered more pain than Q sufficient
"death dose" would have created.
He expresses very strong desire that bis fam.
iy sh1l Dot know when be Is 10 be exscuted.--
eusnge ss 1t may seem, ara assured by one Who
visits the family, that a. yet they do no, kaor.-
They have changed one Of the days on which they
formerly yissed bin from Friday 70 Thursday, Ia
order 20 escape the annoyance Of certain people
who got IN ths habit Of c'owding the coach which
they usually took passage Ia 10 the city, for M
other purpose than 70 gaze at them. This change
viii make their last visit come or Tharsday next,
the day before bis death DR.. Webster desires
that they may be allowed 70 visit him the same on
that day as any other, and 70 50 swsy the sane,
without knowing that 10 v the last time 'oey VIII
see bin.
Some Of the friends Of the "a niiy think dhersnty
and are II the opinion that they should % informed
OF the day Of execution in answer 70 ns, Df.
W.bs,s- sssures the persoos who believe thas that
n. .miIv DO ros wish 70 know the day, bot DESIRE
-. Re contrary 70 DO kept In ignosxDcs OF the time.
DR. Lowell OF this city ard several other clergy
r,sn visit Mrs. Webster and her daughters ASIDE
f,ono this they receive 10 company, neither do they
Wit any. They read no papers sxceps those sent
,bem from the jail by Professor Webster Means
bss bean taken 70 sop al Communication upon tho
spbiecs Of the execution with the domestcs Of Ms.
w ebstsrs family.
The story that q subscription paper has been
started TO raise eco 900 Zoe the family, headed By
Mrs George PUfnan. wife Of the murdered MAJ,
9 al hoax After Webster's death such paper
may possibly be pat n circulation.
A gentleman II oar scquaintsncs-kx 6.-vistr