Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-08-15
AN OLD STORY AGAIN TOLD.

az; heard the breeze, ,auoth She.
hen in yonder forest blowingp
AN OLD STORY AGAIN TOLD.
The Murder of DIR. Parkman by DIR. Web
ster-The Most Extraordinary Murder of
the Nineteenth Century.
From the New York Dispatch.
On the morning of the 24th of Nevem-
ber, 1S49, information was given to the
police of Boston, Mass, that DR.. Park
man, one of the most wealthy and in
huential men in the city, had left home
on the preceding day with the intention
of returning to dinner, and had not
beensseen or heard of since He had
an interview at an early hour with
q stranger, whose name he did not men
tion to his family, and with whom he
made an appointment for halfpast 1.
He then went out, and at a quarter to 2
purchased some lettuces, which he left
at shop near the Medical College, say
ing that he would call for them in few
minutes, on his way home. He did not
return, however, nor was he ever again
seen alive. ~
The absencesof an elderly. domestica-
ted gentleman fofho 1rs would exeitesur-
prise and anxietY; and in the case of
DR.. Parkman these feelings were in
Cr0ttS0u Uy 4Alc 1l1NtAlehOlO
and his well-known precise and meth
odical habits. There was nothing
known in histwhcle life that would fa
vor the idea of voluntary absence, nor
was he known to hayeany enemies, or to
have any dispute or quarrel with any
one.
Two days passed from the time whom he
was last seen without any discovery
being made, or ary information what.
ever received concerning him. Rewards
were publicly offered for information,
the harbor and river were dragged, and
the yards and cellars of houses near the
place where he was last seen were
searched by the police.
On the afternoon of the second day,
however, the Rev. Samuel Parkman,
the brother of the missing man, received
visit from DIR. Webster, professor of
chemistry at Harvard College, from
whom he received the information that
it was he who had called on DIR. Park
man on the morning of the 23d, and
that he saw him again at the Medical
College, and paid him some money.
In consequence of this information
the Medical College was searched, but
without any discovery being made. The
: examination of DIR. Parkman's accounts
! showed, however, that he had lent
money to Dr.. Webster on several occa-
sions, and that the payments had been
irregular and uhpunctual. Four hun
dred dollars had been advanced in l842,
and remained unpaid five years later,
when further advance of $1,000 was
made on the security of the Professors
personal property, including valuable
e cabinet of minerals. There was con-
siderable balance of this loan still un-
iquidated in 1849, when DIR. Webster
.olI -, hrOtbop- -louu Of nr porE
the cabinet of minerals which was under
mortgage to the latter.
This so incensed DR.. Parkman
that he expressed an intention of press
ing his claim upon DR.. Webster, but
consented TO wait, on receiving the lat
ter's p; omise to discharge the debt out
of the proceeds of course of lectures
at the Medical College. But the Pro-
fessor was again guilty of a breach of
faith. He applied the promised funds
to the payment of another debt, and
DIR. Parkman thereupon threatened to
sue him, to seize the furniture, and to
deprive him of his Professorship.
This was the state of the relations be-
tween the two men at the time o1
Parkman's disappearance. The exam
ination of the missing mans accounts
led to the discovery, by gentleman
who was well acquainted with the state
of DIR. Webster's pecuniary affairs, thai
the only available funds of the latter, al
the time of his creditors disappearance
had been devoted to the payment o
another debt; and, consequently, tha
his statement that he had paid DR.
Parkman could not be true.
But though it began to be said that
If the missing man was ever discovered
his corpse would be found in the Medi
cal College, nothing was observed il
the movements or manners of any on
connected with that institution to Civ
a tangible shape to the growing sus
picion. DIR. Webster returned hom
later than usual during the week fo
lowing Parkpan's disappearance bu
he mingled as usual in the society c
Cambridge, and conversed freely abou
the event which was the talk of ever
circle.
One individual alone seems to hav
suspected from the first that DR.. Wei
ster was responsible for Parkman's di
appearance, and was day by day accl
mulating evidence against him, which
however, he did not communicate I
any one This was Ephraim LittlefelC
the porter of the Medical College, VIII
had charge of the buildings g,and occupie
apartments in the basement. He r.
membered that on the day Parkma
disappeared, the Professor, instead
leaving the college as soon as his lie
ture was concluded, as was his custom
. remained until late in the evening, shl
up in the laboratory and that, thoug
there were no classes on Saturday an
Monday, and during the following wee
none after Tuesday, owing to the occu
renee of religious festival, DR.. We