The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-07-09
Confession of John w. Webster.

tuesday morning, the "a INST, the case
of Prof. Webster was referred to Com
mittee. a hearing was had before this
Committee about l2 O'Clock the same
day, when Rev. George Putnam, d. d.,
the spiritual adviser of Webster, APP
peared and presented petition for
commntation Of his punishment, after the
reading of which, he proceeded to say
The grounds which am authoriz ID
to take in aid of the petition of j. w.
Webster, and which ! take not as an adj
vocate pledged to side, but in good
faith, as expressing my own personal be-
lief, are as follows:-
That the human remains found in the
Medical Collegc in November last, were
those of the late George Parkman, and
that he came to his death by the hands
of DR.. Webster, in moment Of passion
under great provocation, that there was
no premeditation nor murderous intent 7;
that there was homicide, but not a
murderer if il could be called a MUIR
der under the rigid Interpretation of the
rules of common law prevailing in this
Commonwealth, yet that it was not muir
der according to the moral judgments Of
our people, or of mankind the
crime to which the public sense Of JUS
tice awards the punishment Of death, or
for which that punishment is inflicted
under the usual and actual administers
ton of the law in Massachusetts.
am enabled TO present from DR..
| Webster's own lips a statement Of the
facts connected with the homicide The
credibilty and value of his statement
must depend partly on the date Of it,
and the circumstances under which il
was made. Before reading 1t, therefore,
! will relate those circumstances to the
committee.
My acquaintance with DR.. Webster
before his trial had been of the slightest
and most casual kind. Soon after his
sentence, received from HIM a request,
thatl would visit him as a clergyman du-
ring his Imprisonment. 1t WAS a service
not to be declined.
had followed the reports Of the trial,
and acquesced in the verdict as a right
eous one, and had no thought but that
the sentence was to be, and ought to be,
carried into execution. ! did not make
il my object to draw confession from
him early or to lead him to commit him
self one way or the other, on the ques,
ton Of his guilt or innocence. | care'
fully avoided every remark and inquiry
that might tempt him to make any false
declaration. lie seemed to understand
me, and neither denied nor declared his
guilt. | expected he would finally be
induced to communicate to me whatever
he knew about the disappearance of Dr.
Parkman, and about the remains found
al the College. But was IN no hurry
about this thought shonld be more
likely to obtain from him the exac; truth
by waiting till a favorable time. Ac'
cordingIy it was my object for the frs
weeks to become acquainted with him
to win his confidence and attachment
by attention and sympathy. and to en-.
deavor to make those impressions of {
moral and religious nature, which were
suited to his situation as more or less
sinful, and certainly dying man. A;
time passed, seemed to myself to have
succeeded in these objects, almost be-
yond my hopes.
AT length, on the 23d day Of May,
had made up my mind to address him il
wholly new strain, aud to demand d
him Il full statement of facts. | ther
believed myself to be on such terms will
him, that ! could abruptly aud authori-
tatiyely demand his confidence. did
SO, and | was not disappointed in the re-
suit On entering his cell that day,
told him that was going to breach &
new and important subject to him. anl
| he must listen to me seriously, and uu'
reply till had done. then said &c
| him, that he must have felt all along thai
| there was one barrier to our free com
muncalon; one point on which we die
not understand one another; that The
embarrassment which attended the a.
voiding of that point obviously went fal
to defeat the satisfaction aud profit t.
himself which ought to result from oul
interviews ] said that he must certain
~ have some knowledge respecting lht
fate of DR.. Parkman, which had not
aud that the unshared secret must be e
him an oppressive aud inlolerable bur
| den that the time had come when Ii,
ought to share It with some one. and un
der the circumstances with me; that
had scrupulously foreborne hitherto tt
press him on this point, and urged IL nov
only because | believed it would be fo
his relief and peace of mind; that
thought that he must feel by this tint
| that he oweu me the truth, and that ht
could trust me; that he need not fear t
tell me the whole truth, for was no
there to reproach him, nor TO Judge him
but to comfort him in his distress, an,
to help him in making peace with Coz
and his conscience, and to assist him, i
might, to live while he lived, and din
when he should die, with the humilit,
of a sinner, and the irmness of man
and | trusted, the hope of a christian
that in order to my being of any rea
service to him, there must be truth ant
true relations between us. ! cautioned
him not to answer me hastily, not tt
speak ill he was prepared TO tell tn
whole aud absolute truih-that | would
endeasor TO put favorable construction
upon his silence; that was in no hurry
aud that he might take day or tw'
more to consider whether my advice I,