The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-08-23
A FAMOUS MURDER CASE.

hoW Dr. Iarkmahs huroorer WI
Discovered
boston Cor Brooklyn Eaglel
Except the murder of the child, Ma
bel Young, in the Warren Avenue Bal
fist Church, by the sexton, Piper, few
years since, nothing of criminal and
bloody nature has so stirred the citizens
of Boston as did the murder of DIR.
George Parkman by DR.. John W. Web
ster, on Nov. 20, 1849, at the Massachu-
sets Medical College, in North Grove
street. DIR. Parkman was wealthy
man, who devoted most of his time to
looking after his property. DIR. Web
ster was the Professor of Chemistry in
the institution, and owed Parkman $470,
which sum of money the latter called at
the college to collect on the day above
indicated. The last seen of Parkman
alive by anyone who knew him, except
his murderer, was when about 2 o'clock
in the day he entered provision store
in the neighborhood of the college and
purchased few articles, saying that he
had an engagement, but would soon
return. and himself carry the articles
home. DR.. Webster had finished his
lecture for the dav, and all the medical
students had left the building when DIR.
Parkman entered it, The latter passed
rapidly to the chemical room In
the rear of the lecture hall, where he
found DR.. Webster arranging the appa-
ratus he had used in his lecture. Park
man was hard and grasping man, and
Webster was man of science, poor, but
proud, with high temper. Webster's
inability pay a note that Parkman held
led to quarrel, and the former struck
the latter over the head with a heavy
piece of grapevine, and killed him.
Webster then locked the doors, dragged
his victim down stairs, removed the
clothing, and, having placed the body III
q sink, deliberately proceeded to cut it
up. The room in which he worked was
a laboratory ON the ground floor, having
a furnace, into which he put Parkman's
head and all his clothing, and attempted
to burn them. The thorax he placed in
n tea-chest. Some parts of the body he
attached to fish-lines and lowered into
privy-vault that was washed by the
Charles river. Some parts of the limbs
were never found. Webster worked sew
eral DAYS, and most of the time for one
or two nights, in trying to cover up all
traces of his victim.
The disappearance of DIR. Parkman
was the talk of the town, and his family
issued posters containing full descrip-
ton of his person, together with large
reward-$3, 900, if my memory serves me
for his return if alive, or for his body
If dead. AS soon as Webster learned
that Parkman had an appointment with
some one on the day of his disappear
ance, he called on Mrs. Parkman, offered
his coincidence, and said he was the one
with whom the doctor had an engage
ment on the unfortunate day. He said
he had paid the doctor SAC, who, on re-
ceiving the money, had run out of the
college, seeming to be in great haste.
Search was made in the vicinity of the
college in many of the tenement-houses
owned by Mr.. Parkman. who, it was
feared, had been murdered for the money
he might have had while collecting
rents. The reward was large one, or
SO considered in those days, and great
efforts were made to gain it. The earth
in the cellars of all DIR. Parkman's
houses was du1 up, and the Charles
river was dragged, but the missing man
could not be found. Reports came that
Parkman had been seen in PARKWAY
places, and had been spoken to by those
who knew him, but there was no truth
in these statements.
The crime was traced to Webster in
this way: DR.. Parkman had been seen
the last time alive in the Medical Col
lege. This fact, coupled with the
strange actions of DR.. Webster, led the
janitor of the college, Littlefeld by
name, to suspect that DIR. Parkman had
been killed and his body secreted within
the college building. The janitor had
always had the run of the building, but
since the disappearance DR.. Webster
had kept the laboratory locked. Little.
field made up his mind to examine the
vault above mentioned, and in order to
do so he was obliged to enter the cellar
and dig through a heavy stone wall.
Whenever DIR. Webster left the build
ing, which was seldom, Littlefeld sta
toned his wife at the front window, in
order to inform him of the doctors re-
turn, and made the best of his opportu-
mites to penetrate the dense masonry.
At last he made hole in the wall, and,
placing light in The vault, he saw sus-
pended by means of fish hooks and lines,
parts of human body. His suspicious
being confirmed, Littlefeld commune
Gated with the police, and the matter
was rapidly thereafter worked up. After
the murder DIR. Webster was much of
the time at the college, an unusual thing
with him, and Littlefeld noticed that
such hot fire was kept in the labora-
tory furnace for several days and nights
that he could feel the heat in an adjoin-
ing passage way by placing his hand on
a wall that was near the furnace.
One evening, after DIR. Webster went
to his home in Cambridge, the laboratory
was opened, and during long search
more of the remains of DIR. Parkman's
body were found.
DIR. Webster was arrested in very
neat way. Two officers in hack went
TO his house at about 10 o'clock in the
evening and informed him that friends
of the Parkman family wanted to search
the college, but did not want to act with
out his presence. The doctor put on
his boots, and said he would go with
them and help in the search. He then
informed his family that he was going
out for short time, and that he should
soon return. but he never saw his home