The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-07-10
The Confession of Prof. Webster. of the
Murder OF DIR. Parkman.
Boston. july 2.

a confession that he killed DR.. Parkman.
The Reverend gentleman prefaced the
by few remarks relative to the
manner in which the confession was made to
him. He stated that he had no previous &C
uuaintanceship with Professor Webster, be-
fore beng called to act in the capacity Of his
spiritual adviser. In TIC first few weeks Of
his visits. he sought no acknowledgment OF
the prisoner. At length, on the 23d Of May
he visited him in his cell. and demanded OF
HIM, for his own well being, that he should
tell the truth in regard to the matter, and he
acceded to the request, by making a state
ment, which was now submitted for the
consideration Of the Council.
1t was in substance as follows:
THE CONFESSION.
On Tuesday. goth November, sent the
note to DR.. Parkman. which, it appears, was
carried by the BOY Maxwell. | handed 1t to
Lttlefeld, unsealed. 1t was to ask DR..
Parkman to call at my rooms on Friday, the
3d. after my lecture. He had become Of
late, very importunate for his pay He had
threatened me with a suit, to put an officer
in my house. and to drive me from my pro-
fessorship, if l did net pay him. The pur-
port of my note was simply to ask the con-
ference. | did not tell him in it what | could
do, or what [ had to say about the payment
wished to gain, for those few days, a re-
lease from his solicitations, to which was Ii
able every day, on occasions, and in man
ner very disagreeabIe and alarming, and al
so to avert for SO long time, at least, the
fulfllment Of recent threats of severe meas
ures. did not expect TO be able to pay
him when Friday should arrive. My pur-
pose was, if he should accede to the pro-
int To fn t,lr
easements and utter inability to pay him
at present-to apologize for those things in
my conduct which had offended him-to
throw myself upon his mercy-to beg for
further time and indu gence, for the sake
my family, if not for myself and to make as
good promises to him as | could have any
hope of keeping. l did not hear from him OIL
that day nor the next Wednesday,, but
found on Thursday he had been abroad in
pursuit of me, without finding me. | i'm
agined he had forgotten the appointment 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 1t; therefore, | called at his house on thai
morning (Friday), between and O'Clock
to remind him of my wish to see him at the
college, at half past l, my lecture closing
at l. | did not stop TO talk with him. for
one, and had my lecture to prepare for, for
it was necessary for me to have my time.
and, also, to keep my mind free from other
exciting matters. DR.. Parkman agreed to
call on me as proposed. He came, accord
ingly, be tween hali-past | and O'Clock, en-
tering at the lecture room door. WIS en-
gagged in removing some glasses from my
lecture room table INTO the room in the rear.
called the upper laboratory. He came rap
idly down the step and followed me into the
laboratory. He Immediately addressed me
with great energy" Are you ready for me,
sir? Have yon got the money!" Ireplied,
''no DR.. Parkman," and | was then begin
ming to state my condition and my appeal to
TO him but he would not listen to me, and
interrupted me with much vehemence He
called me Il scoundrel and liar, and went on
heaplng on me the most bitter taunts and OPP
probrious epithets. While he was speaking.
he drew handful Of papers from his peck
ct, and took FROM among them my two notes,
and also an old letter from DR.. HOssack
written many years ago, congratulating him
on his success in getting me appointed pro-
fcssor of chemistry " You see. said he
. / got you into your office, and now will
get you out of it," He put back into his
pocket all the papers except the letter and
the notes. | cannot tell how long the tor
rent of threats and invectves continued and
| cannot recall to memory buta small por-
ton of what he SAID; at first, | kept inter-
posing, trying to paciiy him, so that might
obtain the object for which | sought the in
terview, but l could not stop him, and soon
my own temper was W; forgot everything
and felt nothing but the sting of his words.
was excited to the highest degree Of pas
sion, and while he was speaking and gesticu-
latlng in the most violent and menaclng man
ner, thrusting the letter and his fist into my
I face in my fury | seized whatever was hand
lest. it 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 | should hit him nor how
hard nor what the effect would be. 1t was
on the side Of his head and there was moth
ing 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 lifelcss.
Blood flowed from his mouth. and | rot a
sponge and wiped it away. got some am
monia and applied it to his nose, but with
out effect. Perhaps I spent ten minutes in
attempts to resuscitate him, but | found he
was absolutely dead. In my horror and con-
sternation, l ran nstinrtively to the dols AMI
/ bolted them, the doors of the lecture room
and of the laboratory below. And then.
what was | to dog 1t never occurred to me
to 90 out and declare what had been done.
and obtain assistance. | saw nothing but
the alternative of a successful movement and
concealment OF the body on the one hand.
and of iniamy and destruction on the other.
/ The first thing l did. as soon as | could do
anything was to draw the body into the pri-
vate room adjoining, where l took off the
clothes, and began putting them in the fire,
which was burning in the upper laboratory.
/ They were all consumed there that after
noon. with papers, pocket-book. and whatev-
] on +l,ox- cortofnaJ all NJ. ,E-,r,,;,~