Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-04-05

solemn response. r., ,;,, , it'll o,
,ow fen to me- lar in mont oi him with dead sound, as II
he had los, all muscular action, ana his eau oroed upon
his Irons, Il soon down. his limbs seeming 10 give
avdonc, az film, lie pui his hands up his face ami he
was observed 10 rub his eyes with his fingers under his spec
aces He then closed his cyeds and bowed his head To-
woras tho our, The foreman of the Jury the same lc
held his hands up before his eyes as II overcome ny e
nowel dr,v he had perlormed-An awful and nnoroScn
silence cnsued in which the court Jury and spectator
seemed to be absorbed in their own reflections me
,nnonrancn of ne prisoner this time painful 10
conIempar, His eyes closed anda deep sigh denoted
that there was lond of nexpress5e anguish on s soul
Chief Justice Shaw broke the terrible suspense by dismiss
sing the urv in voice wild with emotion
MIR Merrick the prisoners counsel went into the prison.
ers dock spoke few words IN ms ear ana soon h aIi h.
reInanded to a The whole proceedings did not occupy
more than twelve minutes and was scene never 10 b ii
gotten by those who present Prisoner was REMOVER
10 the Levercti street Jail TO await his terrible sentence
SENTENCE OF DR. WEBSTER FOR THE MuR-
DER OF DR.. PARkMAN
Telearaphed for the N. Y Journal Of Commerce.
BosToN APnIL l.
D w.h.,e, vas hruah into Court this morning eight
minutes niuc receive the solemn sen,tacr "i 'e
He looked gloomy in the extreme but collected ana CAIN
The Court Ienscy crowded as were aN me ave
nues leading ii. At 10 minutes past me Coal came
n including the Hon Richard Fletcher who iad mol allci
led the trial After some minutes OF silence vi. Al.oe
General Clifford narrated the facts OF the Indictment al h
yerdicand moved tho Court that the final sentence be now
pronounced The prisoner and was asked oy me IerK
what he had TO say why sentence OF death should n DC
seat in silence Chief Justice Shaw then addressed nm IN
the following WORDS:
John w. Webster: In meeting You here for the last tine
10 pronounce that which the law has alxea 10 the
hinh and aggravated offence Of which you stand co'ceo
II impossible by language 10 give uerance 10 Inc oee
consciousness of responsibility 10 the Keen sense OF sadness
and synpahy with which we approach this solemn duty.
Circumstances which all who hear may duly appreciate, but
which nag seem hardly fl Ia aude 10 in more detail rem
der the performance ut this duty the present OCCASION
most unspcakablv painful Al all times, and under all cir
custanccs the feeling OF ndcsciiabc so9emnti attaches
that stem voice oi retribuilve justice
which consigns fellow being 10 an unmely ana iGn"nh
ous deat when consider al! the circumstances Gi
your past life your various relations in society," The claims
upon you by othelsthe hopes and expectations yo have
cherished with present condition. and The ignomnlous
ancusl and nothing bu, Of imperative duty npos
ed o by the law whose officers and ministers we are
coul! sustain us in pronouucing such Judgment
To this verdict upon careful revision Of the whole pro-
ceediues constrained say in behalf Of The court
that hey can perceive Just legal grounds of exception
Guilty How much under all those thrilling circumstances
which cluster around the and throng memories with
the retrospect does this single word impor but the wiu
violent and malicious destruction of the life of felowman
in the peace Of God and under the protection OF the law
yes of in the midst VI ilie with bright hopes, warm
affections mutual attachments strong extensive and hume
rous making life blessing himself and others We al
Jude thus to The injury you have inflicted for he purpose
awakening unnecessary parg III heart already Ia
ceracd but remind you of the rcparahe wrong done 10
the victim your cueyin sheer justice ~ hl1 whose
voice hushrd in DEATH and whose can he only
indicated By the living action OF The aw II therefore, you
may any moment think your case hard one and your
punishment too severe-t one repnlng ihcOaht arises IN
YOUR mind urmuring word seeks utteIance iT" !or
Ii,s think. oh think Of him. instantly deprived oi life by
guilty handthen if not lost 10 all sense OF retrbnve
usiice have compuactious rising OF conscience
ready cxclam in the bitter anguish OF truth
Il have sinned against Heaven and my own snu-my
punishment is Just God be merciiul 10 me a sinner.
God grant thai your example may afford solemn warning
to ALL especially the young. May il impress deeply upon
every mind the saluary lesson II intended to teach 10
guard against the indulgence of unaowed and vindicvf
passion-o resist temptation TO every selhsh sordd and
wicked listen the warnings OF conscience and
Weld TO the claims of duty and whilst they instnctvey
shrink adherence from the thought of assang the life
another they learn 10 the laws OF tod and
society designed protection 10 their own we oi
bear for obvious considerations from adding such words Of
advice be sometimes thought appropriate on occasions
ike tht has only been province on like h'
crescent address The iteatc the degraded The ontca5
whose early c has amongst the Vicious The ncect
"A ric abandoned, have been los with ~
and religious curewho have never received the bene is
Of cultivated s"cicir nor enjoyed c s'eei and ennon2 IN
aG.ncos home 10 such one word 81 advice, upon
occasion impressive, may be- word y spoken, and
tend good but like this when these cifcumsta
all reversed, Word oi ours could be more eicac
aus than the Suggestions Of your own better thoughts 10
Which we commend YOU.
Against the CRIME OF wiul murder, Of which you stand
Convicted, IA crime at which humanity shuddcrs-a crime
everywhere and under all forms of society, regarded with
The deepest abhorcncehe law has denounced It's scverfa
penalties in these few simple, but eoenn words EVERY
person who shall commit the crime OF MURDER shall suffer The
punishment of DEATH for the same The manifest object o
this law is thu protection and security Of human e-tho
most important object OF Just and paterna government
H made the duty Of this Court to declare this penalty aans
any one who shall have been found guilty. in due course o
the administration Of Justice Of having violated tins law
of the soemn OF judicial power which an
earthly tribunal cnn he called upon to exercise. II Is ie
and exemplary manifestation Of the sovereign authority OF
law, well III it, and nieXibe severity, ny in ~
protecting aHd paterna bentniy IL Furnishes the guilty
with cvcliiy in order that the right TO The enjoyment al HE
the most preciois ri nh right NAV hc cccrnaIly
red BY The record before il appears that YOU have been
indicted BY the Grand Jury Of this county, Tor the crime
MURDER alleging that The twenty-tlnrd OF November
last, YOU made an assault on The person OF pr 'r%%'
parsman and by acts at violence you deprived nm al M
with malice aorcthousht This Is alleged To have been dom
within The apartments n public institution IN inns ci
the Medical College which yon Professor and In
structor, the person Of man oi mnirc ace, wei
known and Of extensive connections this community ans
bcne.acln that institution The charge o an offence
aggravated, in The midst of peaceful community clca
ted anneous nut5us Of surprise alarm and terror
and followed by universal and intense anxiety 10 learn
by the result, Of judicial proceeding whether this charge
The day of trial cahe, organized L
conucila Jury almost Of your own choosing selected
in the best calculated 10 insure intelligence and i'm
partiayconnse were appointed 10 assist you in conduc
ting defence who have done all that learning coqucnce
and skill could accomplish i'll presenting your defence il
its best aspects. \ large number OF Witnesses wtr,
carefully and after aboiiols trial. OF unpreccdcn
length conducted hope, with patience and ct,
that Jury have pronunciation guilty.
The last sad dty remains Of rononncins sentence ~hc!
Is indeed the voicco the law and not our vct IN iSn
il utteruco, cannot de- il with feelings at Indifference
formal aud official God forbid that hoti be pre-
A
feelings OF interest sympathy and compassion which orl>
spontaneously in hearts And we do sincerely ans
cordially depluc the distressing condition which crime
has brought YOU; and though have word OF lresen
consolation or earthly hope, otter You in this Ito
your affection yet devcuty commend you the
of our Heavenly Father with whom abundance of mercy
| and from whom may all hope for pardon and peace
And now nothing remains but the solemn duty of pronoun
cling the sentence which tie law fixes for the crime
der of which stand convicied-whch ia tina
you John w Webster be removed from the place. and dc
,aned in close custody, in tho prison of this county,
thence taken such time The Executive Government
this Commonwealth may by their warrant approve The
place OF execution and there be hung BY the neck until
are dead-and may God ofhis infinite goodness have mere,
your soul
nElInrRATIoS or TIE Jury.
Ii is understood thar the lury after going Satui,a,
night al first ,ieliberacd in silence They
then voted on tho question whether the those
OF Dr. George Parkman There was unanimous "Yt1"-
On the SECOND question: whether D.. Webster murdered hun
there were eleven yeas and nay The nay came from
Mr. Benz H. Green. He stated his point doubt and al
Ter some discussion. he declared il removed The family
Dr. Webster informed Of the verdict the flight
rendered Friends however undertook the task prepar
inc their minds for it, The awful disclosure made
them sumo morning, By Mrs. VIM II. Prescott. The
heart rending, and the walls and shrek:
could be nceaed from the passe,s5v Every effort has
been made BY ier friends assnaga the grief o the aic
ed wife and lighters who up aIe hour confidently
poc,ed an acqutal letter of coincidence presented
them Sunday afternoon signed by the heads Of nearly al
the principal families of Cambridge cladlng the Hon. Ed