Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-04-12
BosToN, Saturday night.

3 minutes before 4 O'Clock and thlef
Justice Shaw remarked to the prisoner
that if he had anything more 10 say To
The Jury. before he charged them upon the
features of the case, he had liberty to do
so. The prisoner then rose and an-
dressed the Jury in few words. He
commenced in rather confused man
ner. without apparently addressing HIM
self either to the Bench or the Jury, and
! said II have desired to enter into an ex-
PLANTATION Of the complicated network OF
circumstances, which by my peculiar
position, the government has thrown IA
round me, in which nine cases out Of ten
are completely distorted, ana probably
nine-tcnths of which could be satisfacto-
rily explained. All the points Of the tes.
timony have been placed in the hands
Of ms counsel, by whom my innocence
would have been firmly established
Acting entirely under their direction, |
have sealed my lips during my contine-
ment trusting myself entirely to them,
they have not thought il necessary in
their superior wisdom, this was said in
an ironical tone 10 bring forward the
evidence which was to exonerate me
from variety Of those acts. The gov
ernmen, has brough, all consummate inge-
nuily could suggest against me, and |
hope il will not have an undue influence
upon my Jury. will not allude To ma
ny of the charges. There is one which
touches me, and it is the letter which has
teen produced, and il is not the first
which | have read in the daily prints
which are distributed in my apartments,
and various publications which hive
been made respecting them-one stating
that had after The disappear mce of DIR.
Parkman purchased a quantity of oxalic
acid IA remove The Stains of blood and in
stanlly II appeared To me that this parcel
might be saved and produced when nee
essary. For several days Mrs. Web
sier h I'd requested me to purchase some
acid for domestic uses, as my wife had
repeatedly laughed a, me for not having
purchased some. bore it in mind that
afternoon aud had gone into Thayer's
store under the Revere House. and made
the purchase, and waited until the Cam
bridge hourly Omnibus came along. |
then jumped int, it with the bundle,
went home and gave the bundle to INV
wife. When afterwards heard s.,
much ubou. the bundle the thought fash
on my mind in a moment that this mast
oe the bundle. 1t was to This bundle
and not To any documents | alluded in
the directions to my wife, as regards the
nitrate of copper in the usual lecture
Preceding my arrest had occasion 10
use The influence of chemical agents in
producing the changes of various subjects
among others upon gases. prepared a
large quantity of oxalic acid gas, gallon
jar was filled with gas in order 10 pro-
tluce the change from dark color to an
orange, and also on air, on great heat be-
ing applied to the jar, the gas was drawn
through water. As to the nitre of cop
per split on the stairs and floor of my
labralory,i it was split accidentally from IA
quantity used by me in my lecture be-
tween the day OF DR., Parkman's disap-
pearance aud my own arrest. | might
gn on explaining variety OF circumstan-
ces whirh have been distorted, my coun-
sci having pressed me to keep calm, and
calmness has oeen made to bear against
me, butmy trust has been in my Cad
and my own innocence.
In regard TO the money, | must say a
word. The money which l paid DR..
Parkman on the afternoon of Friday
Nov. 23d, had saved up from time 10
time and kept in trunk in my house in
Cambridge, but unfortunately no one ever
saw me take ii out. therefore can only
give my word that such is the fact. Sew
eral years ago had students who were
in the habit OF being in my labratory and
who injured my apparatus, therefore |
prepared everything for my own use in
my lectures with my own hands, and
that is the reason why excluded per
sons from my labratory. As regards my
whereabouts from the time Of DR.. Park
mans disappearance have put into my
counsel's hands satisfactory information
which will account for every day and
hour. never was absent from home.
HS w pCi"S SCSH - IAis O"HuctSo"s
was ut home every evening
..One thing that has been omitted by
my counsel was, that on the Friday
when the alleged murder was said To
have been committed, had purchased
Humbolt's new work, "Cosmos," and
while waiting Tor the omnibus. stepped
INTO Brigilam's Ia take mutton chop,
aud on coming out 10 take The omnibus
| had forgotten my book; but after my
arrest Remembered the place where
had left il, and mentioned it To my coun-
srl--iley had Sent 10 Mr.. Brigham's and
The book had been found
He then look his seal, but in few
moments rose again and said:
II will say one word more: ! have
fell very much distressed by The produce
lion OF these anonymous letters. more so
than by any thing that has occurred during
this trial. call my God to witness,
that If II was the last hour of my life, |
never wrote those letters. Since The trial
has commenced, letter has been receiv-
ed from this very .ciyis" by one Of my