Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1850-07-18
MURDER OF DR.. PARKMAN.

At the meeting of the Council this morning. thes
case of Prof. w ebster referred n committee.
Before committee. at II O'Clock. appeared thek
Rev. DR.. Putnam. The spiritual ndsiser of the con-
demned, with petition for Communication Of pun
ishment. together with confession that he killed DR.
Parkman.
The reverned gentleman pfefaced the statement byl
few remarks relative to The manner IN which that {
confession made to him. He stated that he bad
previous acuuaintance with Prof. Webster before
called to act in the capacity Of his spiritual adviser
In the FIRST few weeks of his visit he sought no nc
acknowledgements of the prisoner At length. On theR
23d Of May he visited him in his CELL and demandedl
of him. for his own we'll being. that he shonld tell ihe
truth in regard the NATTER and he aeceded :" ibes
request by making statement. which was now sub {
nilted the consideration of the council 1t was nj
substance follows:
On Tuesday, Doth Nov, sent the note TO DIR &
Parkman, which, il appears, carried by the boye
Maxwell; handed it to Litile6eld unseaed il was
to ask DR.. Parkman to call at my rooms ON Friday I
the 3d. after my lecture; he had become of late
ry mportunate for his pay ; he had threatened meg
with suit to put an officer into my house, and To
drive from the proessorship if did not pay him
The purp0rt of my note simply 10 ask the confer
ence did not tell him in it what | could do. orr
what | had to say about the payment; wished to-
gain for those few days release from his solIciia
tions to which liable every day, occasions
and in a very dsagreeable and alarming-s
and also TO arrest for long time, at least, the fu
ment of recent threats of measures did nots
expect to be able pay him when Friday should ar
rive my purpose was. If he should accede to thek
proposed Interview, TO state to him my embarrass
ments. and utter inability to pay him at present; tok
apologize for those things in my conduct which hads
offended him-to throw myself upon his mercy-tok
beg for further time and indulgence for the sake off
my family, if not for myself; and TO make good
promises to him could have any hope of keeping
did not hear from him that day. nor the next.
"wednesday but found him Thursday he hadt
been abroad in pursuit of me without finding me; II
Imagined he had forgotten the appointment elseE
did not mean to wait for it; feared he would cCmeE
in upon me at my lecture hour, or while was pref
pairing my experiments for it therefore called att
his house on that morning (Frday) between and 8!
10 remind him Of my wish TO see him at the colleges
at half past ohe-my lecture closing at ODe-I did,
not stop talk with him, for expected the CONVEX
satiOn would be long one, and had my lecture to-
prepare for IT necessary for to have my time,
and also 10 keep my mind free from other exciting!
matters.
a. DR.. P. agreed 20 call on proposed bel
came accordingly between half past and O'Clock.
entering at the ecture-room door engaged ini
removing some glasses from my lecture-room tablet
into the in the called the upper labor
he came rapidly down The step and followed me inloi
the laboratory ne Immediately addressed With
great energy, Are you ready for me, sir Have you'll
pot the money!' | replied, No, DR. Parkman,' andl
then beginning state my condition and my APP
peal Ia him. but he would not listen to and inter
THpted me with much vehemence; he called me-
scoundrel and liar, and went heapng the
most bitter iaunts and opProbius epIihets while he;
speaking, he drew handful of papers from his
pocket and took from among them nv two notes
and also old letter from DIR. Hosack, written
wears ago, and CONCENTRATING him on his success In
getting me appointed Professor Of Chemistry You
see,' he said, got you into your Office. and now
I 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 torrent of threats and in
vectives continued and cannot recall TO memory but
a email portion Of what be said. AT first kept in
terposing. trying pacify him, that l might OBJ
tain the object for which sought the interview; but
could not stop him. and my temper up. /
forgot everything and felt nothing but the sting of
his words. | was excited to the highest degree Of
passion. and while he speaking and gesiicuatng
IN the most violent and menacng manner. thrusiing
his letter and his fist into my face. in my fury sez-
ed whatever thing handest (it n stick of
wood) and dealt him instantaneous blow with oil
the force that passion could give IT. | did not know,
or think, or care. where I should hit him, nor how
hard, what the effect would be it The side
of his head and there was nothing to break tie force
of the blow; he fell instantly upon the pavement
there was no second blow ; | stopped down over him,
and he seemed 10 be lieless blood flowed from his
mouth. and | got sponge and wiped II away got
some ammonia and applied it 10 his nose, but without
euect; perhaps spent Ten minutes IN attempting u
Iesuscitate him, but found he absolutely dead.
In my horror and CONSERVATION ran nstinctivey To
the doors and boted them-the doors OF The lecture
and of the laboratory below-aud then what was
TO dol 1t never occurred TO me to 60 out aud declare
what had been done. and obtain assistance; saw
nothing but the alternative of successful movement
and conceament Of the body on the hand, and of
infamy and perdition the other
The first thing did soon / could do any,
thing, was 10 draw the body into the private loom ad-
joining there took off the clothes and bepan putting
them into the fire, which was burning the upper
laboratory; they were all consumed there that after
noon, with papers, pocket-book. and whatever they
contained; did not examine the pockets. remove
anything except the watch; saw that. or the chain
of II hanging out; took it and threw it the
bridge, as went TO Cambridge; my next move was
10 get the body into the sink, which stands in the
small private room; ty setting the body partially
erect against the and by getting up into The
sink myself | succeeded in drawing it up there; il
was entirely dismembered-it was quickly done as a
work of terrible and desperate necessty-the only
srument was The knife found by the officers IN the
tea chest. which kept for cutting corks made nc
use OF the Turkish knife, it called at the trial
that bad long been kept on my paror mauel-piece in
Cambridge a curious ornament. My daughters
frequently cleaned it, hence the marks IF oil aud
whiting found il. had lately brought ii into Bis
ton 10 get the silver sheath repaired " bile dis
memberDg the body stream of Cochitnate water
was running through The sink carrying off the blood
IN pipe that passed down through the lower aboru
tory. There must have been leak in the pipe, foI
the ceiling below stained Immediately around it
TheFs-was fire burning in the furnace Of the "wei
laboratory. Littleield mistaken in thinking
there never had been FIRE there He bad probably
never kindled oae, but had done it myself severa
times had done il that day for the purpose Of max
Ing oxygen gas The. bead and the viscera were pu
into the furnace that day, and The fuel hesped on.
did not examine at night 10 see to what degree the,