The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-08
Confession OF Prof. J. w. Webster.
OF nte Murder ~ DR.. George Parknsan.

Confession OF Prof. J. w. Webster.
Of the Murder " DR.. George Parkman.
BosroS, July 2, 1850.
Al the meeting of the Council, this morning,
the case Of Professor Webster was referred to a
committee. ~f fse
Before the committee, at l3 O'Clock, appeared
the Rev. DIR. Putnam, the spiritual adviser Of the
condemned, with petition for communication Of
punishment, together with confession that he
killed DIR. Parkman. .,sg
The reverend gentleman prefaeed the statement
with few remarks relative to the manner in
which the confession was made to him. He sta
ted that he had no previous acquaintance with
Professor Webster, before being called TO act in
the capacity of his spiritual adviser. In the first
few weeks Of his visits, he sought no aclSnow-
ledgment Of the prisoner. AT length, ON the Odd
of May, he visited him in has cell, and demanded
Of hinr, for his own well-being, that he should
tell tie truth in regard TO the matter, and he
coded to the request, by making a statement,
which was now submitted for the consideration
Of the Council. issa.&s ~ "a
IL was in substance as follows:
On Tuesday, Doth November, sent the note
10 Dr. Parkman, which, il appears, was carried
by the boy, Maxwell, handed il to Littlefeld,
|unseaded. II was to ask DR., Parkman TO call at
my rooms on Friday, the 23d after my lecture.
Ilc hdu ptcOne, OF ldle very lhiportundte lor his
pay. He had threatened me with suit; TO put an
officer in my house, and to drive me from my pro-
fessorship, If did not pay him. The purport OF
my note was simply TO ask the conference. did
not tell him In il what could do, or what ! had
to say about the payment. i'wished TO gain, for
those few days. release from his solicitations, IL
which was liable every day, on occasions and
in manner very disagrecable and alarming, and
also avert for SO long time, at least, the full
6lment of recent threats Of severe measures !
did not expect to be able to pay him when Friday
should arrive. g.. gs $3.50 Z
My purpose was, if he should accede to the
proposed interview, TO state TO him my enbarrass-
ments and utter inability to pay him at present
10 apologize for those things in my conduct which
had offended hinn--to throw myself upon his mercy
Ito beg for further time and indulgence, for the
sake of my family, if not for my self, and TO make
as good promises to him as had any hope OF
keeping. did not hear from hinon that day nor
the next, "wednesday butt found on Thursday
he had been abroad in pursuit Of me without find
ing me. imagined hi, had forgotten the appoint-
ment, or else did not mean TO wait for it.. feared
he would come in upon me at my lecture hour, or
while was preparing my experiments for It;
therefore, / called at his house on that morning,
FRIDAY y between eight and nine O'Clock, to re-
mind HIM Of my wish 70 see him at the College at
half past one-iny lecture closing at one. i
did not stop to talk with him, for expected the
conversation would be long one, and had my
lecture to prepare for, for il was necessary for me
to have my time, and also TO keep my mind free
from other exciting matters. DIR. Parkman agreed
10 call on me, as proposed. He came, accord
idngly, between half past one and two O'Clock,
entering at the lecture room door, was engaged
in removing some glasses from my lecture room
table, into the room in the rear, called the upper
laboratory. He came rapidly down the step, and
followed me into the laboratory. He Immediately
addressed me with great energy" Are you ready
So, ,rc III ft,.a Ira,
piled, g No, DIR. Parkman;" and was then begin
ming to state my condition and my appeal to him,
but he would not listen TO me, and interrupted me
with much yehemence. He called me scoundrel
and liar, and went on heaping on me the most bit
ter taunts and opprobrious epithets.
While he was speaking, he drew a handful of
papers from his pocket, and took from among
them my two notes, and also letter from DIR.
Hossack,, written many years ago, congratula-
ting him on his success in getting me appointed
Prof. of Chemistry. " You see," he said got
you into your office, and now viii get you out
OF it," He put back into his pocket all the pa
pers except the letter and the notes. cannot
tell how long the torrent of threats and invectives
continued and / cannot recall TO memory but a
small portion of what he said ut frstI kept in
terposing, trying to pacify him, SO that might
obtain the object for which sought the interview,
but Icould not stop him, and soon my own temper
the sting Of his words.
was excited to the highest degree of passion,
and while he was speaking and gesiiculating in
| the most violent and menacing manner, thrustlng
the letter and his fist into my face, IN my fury l
seized whatever thing was handiest, (H was a
\ stick OF wood, and dealt him an instantaneous
blow, with all the force that passion could give it.
| did not know, or think, or care where l should
hit him, or how hard, nor what the effect would
| be. 1t was on the side of his head, and there
was nothing TO break the force of the blow He
fell instantly upon the pavement. There was no
second blow he did not move. | stopped down
over him, and he seemed to be lfeless. Blood
| flowed from his mouth, and got sponge and
wiped it away. got some ammonia and applied
it to his nose, but without effect. Perhaps spent
10 minutes III attempts to resuscitate him, but
found he was absolutely dead Lin my horror and
Transformation, ran instinctvely to the doors and
boted them, the doors of the lecture room and Of
the laboratory below. And then what was ] to dor
never occurred to me to go out and declare what
had been done, and obtain assistance. saw
nothing but the alternative OF a successful move
ment and concealment of the body on one hand,
and Of mfamy and destruction on the other. The
| first thing did, as soon as could do anything,
was to draw the body into the private room adj
joining, whereI took off the clothes, and began
putting them into the fire, which was burning in
| the upper laboratory. They were all consumed
there that afternoon, with papers, pocket-book,
and whatever they contained. did not examine
the pockets, nor remove anytnlng, except the
watch. saw that or the chain of it, hanging out.
/ took it, and threw it over the bridge as went
| to Cambridge. My next move was to get the
body into the sink, which stands in the small pr-
vate room by setting the body partially erect
against the corner, and getting up into the sink
myself, succeeded in drawing il up there. 1t
was entirely dismembered. 1t was quickly
done, as work of terrible and desperate neces-
sity. 80
a The only instrument was the knife found by
the officers, in the tea chest, which kept for cut
ting corks. made no use of the Turkish knife,
as it was called at the trial. That had long been
kept on my mantel-piece in Cambridge, as a curl
Gus, ornament. My daughters frequently cleaned
it, hence the marks of oil and whiting found on it.
had lately brought it into Boston to get the silver
sheath repaired. While Remembering the body,
a stream Of Cochituate 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 in the pipe, for the
ceiling below was stained Immediately around it.
There was a FIRE burning in the furnace Of the
lower laboratory. Litdefeld was mistaken in
thinking there had never been fire there. He
had probably never kindled one, but had done it