Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-14

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known 10 belong to Webster, with
twinc attached, the mystery was re-
easded as solved. and Webster was at
once regarded as tho assassin. The
thorax and left thigh were found in q
tea-box in webster's private apart
ment. and in the ashes OF the labora-
tory furnace pieces ofgold, bits ofbone,
and fragment Of jaw with mineral
teeth in il were found. A jack-knife
belonging TO Webster was also in
the tea-box with the thorax aud
thigh. Webster was arrested and
jailed that night. He denied
the murder and all knowledge Of the
remains. In his trial the evidence was
purely circumstantial; the motive was
there. The fact that Parkman disap-
peared in the Medical College, whittier
he had gone ct Webster's request; the
discovery OF the remains, whose identity
was established solely by the mineral
teeth which Parkman's dentist positive
" recognized; the false scents which
Webster sought TO start by anonymous
notes, which it was proved that he
had written; the knife, the fish
hooks, and the fact that no
body but Webster could have put
the remains where they were found
all these circumstances frightened the
chain about him and led 10 his con-
viction and execution. Prior to this he
made confession, in which he ac-
knowledged having killed Parkman,
but declared that the murder was unin-
territorial, and was the frenzied outcome
Of heated and bitter attack made upon
him by Parkman when the latter called
at the college and was disappointed
about getting his money. He said he
struck Parkman with a grapevine
stump which was at hand. There was
but the one blow. Parkman fell and all
attempts TO restore him were unayail-
ing. In his horror and CONSERVATION he
bolted the doors and proceeded to con-
ceal the body. He dragged it into
private room, stripped it of its cleth-
ING, which he burned, with all the con-
tents OF the pockets, save two notes
which the murderer had drawn in favor
of Parkman. The body he placed in
sink, and while water was running
upon it entirely dismembered it with
the knife afterward found in his mart
mept. The head and viscers6e burned
in the furnace, and tk other remains
he disposed of>iin the vault, in we'll
under IL lecture-table at which he
.Rstfesidcd the Tuesday after the tragedy,
and in the tea-chest.
The most eminent counsel of the day
and witnesses from the highest walks
Of literature, art, and science, who tcs-
tilted to the good character of the ac-
cused, could not save him. His case
was, however, bunglingly handled,
and, according to Rufus Choate, who
refused to defend him because Webster
would not be guided by his counsels,
the result was brought about by the
StubbOrnness, and, it might be added,
by the supreme idiocy of the accused.
Choate insisted that, had he taken the
case, he would have admitted the iden-
tity Of the Parkman remains and ac-
knowledged the killing, but would have
argued that it was the result of a vio-
lent alteration, and was done in self
defence. This would narrow the con-
troversy down TO the alternative of
justifable homicide or manslaughter.
Webster's actions subsequent TO the
tragedy, he said, could be attributed
to the mistake Of not having
instantly disclosed what had hap
pened. Having concealed the occur
renee for time, Webster was obliged
to dispose Of the remains, and it was
natural that he should do so in the man
ner and with the facilities afforded by
his professional position. /" 1t would
have been impossible to have convicted
Professor Webster OF murder with that
admission" said Mr.. Choate.
Murder is more common nowadays
than it was thirty-fve years ago, and
the cunning of the law is met by expert
practitioners, who fud loop-holes in
codes and statutes as rapidly as the bee
finds the flowers that yield it honey.
Whatever lawyer may be fortunate or
unfortunate enough to get hold of Max
wells case, should he be brought back
10 St. Louis, can find many interesting
parallels between the Southern Hotel
trunk-tragedy and the Boston mystery
of lS49. The two murders were
alike in one prominent respect
no third party witnessed the deed,
and nobody save the survivor knew the
exact manner OF the deceaSed's taking
of, or the circumstances that led to it.
Parkman was last seen alive entering
the door of the Harvard Medical Col
lege; week later his remains were
found distributed through the rooms of
the college which were reserved for
Professor Webster's use. Preller was
last seen alive as he went into Room
l44 at the hotel, at noon of Sunday.
April 5th nearly nine days later the
decomposed remains Of man, supposed
to be Preller, are carried from the same
room and taken to the morgue. The
only means of identifying the frag-
ments of Parkman's body was by The
mineral teeth which the murdered
mans dentist positively identified.
Preller could be identified only by his
large Roman nose, and even this pro-
minent organ was not deemed sufficient
by those who seemed to be most famil
lar with him to establish the identity of
the blackened and bloated corpse found
in the trunk with the missing English
man; the identification Of the remains
is not accepted by many as yet, by
any means, complete. If Professor
Webster's confession can be re-
garded as a final effort on his
part to make sympathy for
himself and save his neck, as it was no
doubt regarded at the time, and if his
explanation of the occurrences at the
college that fateful Friday afternoon
can be thrust aside and another con-
struction put upon the tragedy, the
element Of premeditation and the fact OF
preparation might be discovered in the
appointment which Webster made that
morning to have Parkman call at the
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