Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-07-09
EXTRAORDINARY CONFESSION OF
PROFESSOR JOHN w. WEBSTER.

i"7 g1,u lras Disposed OF, d..
BosToN .uiv q 1850.
A. IN. ,,.s,;,o Of the Council this morning the case OF
prof Websrer was referred 10 n committee.
Before the committee IL o'clock, appeared The Rev Dr.
Putnam the spiritual adviser OF the condemned WIN Pc
on for commu,aton OF punishment together WIN con
ession that he killed Dr. ParKInan CO.
The reverend gentleman preacca me M arfsi g -
ade 10 him He stated that he had previous acqualn
anceshp with Prof Webster before being caed 10 ac, IN
the CAPACITY of his spiritual adviser In me mrs, Jew h
~ b S,s he sought no acknowledgment OF the prisoner
1, eno,h on The 23d May he visited him in his cell ana
demanded Of him. his own well oeing 'hal ne shoua e me
in reoord TO the matter and he acccded TO the request
Nv making statement which was now submitted for The
consideration OF the Counc.
Ii was in substance as follows:
m Friday 2oh November, sent the note 10 Dr. Park
man. which appears was CARED ~ e 10Y as nr Park
man 70 cal, ot my rooms Friday the 23d after my lee
ure He had become, of LATE very imporunate Tor his pay
He had threatened me with suit TO put an oicer III my
house and 10 drive from my proessoIshT II ola not
nav him The purport of my note was simply TO ask the
conference did not tell him in It, what could CO. or wna'
had IN cav about the payment wished TO gain, for those
few dave release from his solicitations 10 when was ii
able every dav occasions and in manner very disagree
able and alarming and also to avert for so long time al
I,s, rho r6nen of threats OF severe measures.
did NOT expect be able TO him when FRIDAY shoo ar
rive Nv purpose was ne should acceoe 10 Inc proposed
interview 10 him my embarrassnens ana htter IN
h; u, nay him presentio apologize tor those things
in nv conduc, which had offended him-to throw myself
his mcrcy-o beg for further time and indulgence for
,bc s,se Of nv family myself and to make good
nramises 10 him a. could have any hope OF keeping
did not hear from him on that day nor the next "ed-
but found Thursday he had been abroad in pur
AMI, OF me without finding me- imagined ne had forgotten
The apponment else did TO whit for H. feared
he would in upon me at my lecture hour or while was
preparing my experiments for III therefore called at his
house on that morning friday between eight and nine
o'clock remind him of my wish 10 see him al the College
n hapa one-mv lecture closing mt did not
top 10 talk with him. expected the conversation would
be long one and had lecture 10 prepare for for II was
necessary have time and, slso 10 keep my
.irir nr rlm1op
| 10 call on me | proposed He came accordingly, be-
tween halfpast and o'clock entering al the lecture
room door | engaged in removing some glasses from
my lecture table into the room in the called The up
ner laboratory He rapidly down the STEP and follow
I'd me into the laboratory He Immediately addressed me
with great energy"Are you ready Tor me- SIR Have you
replied "No Dr. Pakman" and then beginning 10
state my condition. and appeal TO him, but ne would
not listen to me- and interrupted with much vehemence
He called nc sconnde and liar, and went on heapng on
me the most bitter and opprobrous epihets While
he was spesknp he drew handful of papers from his pock
et.and took from among them my TWO notes. ana also an
old letter from, Dr.. Hossack written many years ago. con.
graduating him his success in getting me appointed PRO-
lessor of Chemistry. "You he said, III got yom into
your Office and now will get yon out ofi' He put back
INTO his pocket all papers except the letter and the notes
cannot tell how long the Of threats and invectlves
continued and cannot recall 10 memory but small portion
Of what said al FIRST kept interposng trying 10 pacy
him 40 that might obtain the object for which sought the
interview but could stop him, and soon my own tenn
per up forgot every thing and felt nothing but me
sting OF his words , -, hu
excited the highest degree o PASSION,
he was speaking and gestcuaag in the most violent and
menacipg manner thrustng The letter and his s into my
ace In my fury seized whatever thing was handles "
was stick of woody and dealt him instantaneous blow
vim ali me force that passion could give it, did not know
or think or care where should hit him. nor how nard nor
what the effect would be- Ii was on the side oil ms heaa
and there was nothing break the iorco OF the blow ne
cl instantly upon the pavement There was no second
blow; he did stopped down over him. ana ne
seemed 10 be ifeles. Blood flowed from his mouth, and
~, soonpc and wiped il away. got some ammonia and
applied it 10 his nose, but without effect Perhaps spent
10 minutes in attempts 10 reslscaie hm' hui Io'na c
was absolutely dead In horror and CONSERVATION ran
ns,inciivev Ia the doors and bo,ed them the doors q me
actue room and OF the laboratory below And then nat
was 10 dor occurred 10 me TO 60 ont and declare
VIA, had been done and obtain assistance saw nothing
bu the alternative of successful movement and conceal
ep NJ the body on the rand and Of nfamy and des
,ructon on the other The first thing did as /
could do ANYTHING draw the body into the private
room adjoining where took of the clothes and began put
ring them into the fire. which burning in the upper la
boratoy They all consumed there that afternoon
with parer. pocket hook, and whatever they contained
lid not the pockets nor remove anything except
tho watch | saw that the chain of il, hanging out
took H. and the bridge as went To camhfldee
Ny next move was TO get the body into The SINK which
stands in the small private room: by setting the hodY par
;,v erect against the corner and BY getting up into the
sink myself succeeded III awins up there was en-
i,ey dsnembed Ii quickly done, as work Of ter
i,,ic and desperate necessity.
The only instrumen; the knife found by the officers in
The tea chest which kept for cutting coks made no
s ~ The u kish knife called al the trial That
had long been kept my piece in Cambridge as Gu
ous ornament Ny daughters frequently cleaned it, hence
the marks oil OIL ana WmHnS Houilu pH h'o 'h.s'!
brought into Boston 10 get the silver sheath repaired
While Remembering the body, stream o. Cocnuae water
running through the sink cayn oil te oo9a IN pipe
that pa ssed through the lower laboratory There must
have been In The pipe for the ceiling below was stained
Immediately around it, There fire burning in the fur
mace of the lower laboratory Littefeld was mistaken in
thinking there had never been FIRE there He had pro-.
paby never kindled one but had done myself several
times. had done il that day Tor the purpose OF making
yyaen gas The head aud vscera pnt into that FUR
nace that day and the fuel heaped did not examine al
night what degree they were consumed Some OF me
?clys and some of the limbs perhaps were all put under
he lid of the lecture table, in what is cned the well
deep sink lined with lead; stream o. Cochituate was
turned into H. and kept running through all FRIDAY night
Inc thorax was put into smaller WELL in the lower iabors
Tory which filed with water, and threw in quantity OF
potash which found there. This disposition of the re-
mains changed till after the visit OF the officers Oh
Monday
away all traces Of what had been done. thnx Inc SUCK
with which the fatal blow had been struck proved 10 De a
niece of the stump Of large grape vnesay TWO ncnes IN
iameter and long II was OF several pieces
which had carried from Cambridge long before for the
ourposc OF showing effect OF certain chemical huids IN
clorng wood being absorbed into the pores Inc grape
vine being very porous wood, vas well adaPted 10 ihs
ornoe Another longer stick had been used as INTENDED
and exhibited 10 Students This had not been used
AMI il into the FIRE took Up the either from
the table OF floor think the table, close by whe:c VI r.
had ulcn seized old metallic pen lying on tho table
dashed the face and through the signatures and
them in my pocket. do not know why did tins rather
than put them in the ire for had not considered Tor mo
what effect either mode Of disposng OF them wouo
the mortgage Indebtedness 10 Dr. r aiu ue
lther persons Interested and had given single
thought the question what account should give OF
The object result OF my interview with Dr. Parkman
never the sedge hammer spoken OF by Ltteed neve.
knew lis existence least have recollection o. It,
let the college home, late O'Clock colec-
led myself wei! as could, that might meet my family
and Others with composure.
On Saturday. visited my rooms al the College but made
no change in the disposition OF the remains and laid
plans as 10 my future On Saturday evening read
the nsce the "Transcrip, respecting his disappearance
was then deeply impressed with the necessity OF lime
iiatsy taking ground the character OF inter
view with Or. Parkman, for saw that most become
known had had such interview as had appointed
it first BY an unseaed Tuesday, and on Friday had
myself called his house in open day, and ratified the ar
angement had there been and mad probably been
overheard BY the servant, aud know not by how
many persons. Dr. P might have been entering my
rooms or many he might have told by the way
where he was gong-he interview would in all probability
DE known and be ready explain it. The question
exercised me much, but Sunday was taken.
would 90 ino Boston and be the first declare myself the
oerson as vet unknown with whom Dr. r had made the
continent would take the ground that had invited him
10 the College pay him money, and that had paid it,
Accordingly fixed upon the BY fixing the small note
ana adding interest," which appears cast erroneousiy L
had thought this earlier should not have depos
in Charles Bank