Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-03-12

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OF the laboratory door was covered. so
that he could not look in. He then
lay oa tho floor and looked under the
door He could see Prof. Webster
carrying coalhcd TO and fro FROM
the furnace TO the privy. In the
afternoon he found the walls near the
laboratory so hot that he could hardly
bear his hand there. Climbing in at
. back window the ianitor found that
the hogsheads Of water were nearly
empty, and that nearly two barrels of
pitch pine kindlings were gone since
Friday. He noticed also suspicious
spots on the stairs, which had an acid
taste
These circumstances, and the fact
that Little6eld was told constantly by
outsiders that Dr. Parkman was in
the medical college, led the janitor 10
reso We to dig through the solid wall
OF tle privy and ascertain whether
the remains were there He began
the work on Thursday, encouraged b.
two Of the professors, and on Friday,
Nov 30th, he made a hole through
which he saw parts Of leg and other
remains OF man. This discovery ne
communicated to some of the doctors.
and the result was the arrest Of Prof.
Webster the same day. He was
brought TO the medical college at about
II o'clock at night, and, though not
told OF the discovery of the remains, he
took so much strychnine, to prepare
for the worst, that he trembled as if
in a tit, and snapped at the water given
to hirn. He had previously tried to
divert suspicion from himself by tell
ing stories about Dr. Parkman beng
seen with other parties. He was not,
however, informed that he was under
arrest till he arrived at the jail.
The news of these incidents spread
like wild6re. The writer remembers
hearing them talked over at the house
of one OF the overseers of Harvard
college, and that there was a strong
suspicion that Littleield had played
a desperate game to charge the muir
der upon Webster. But the evidence
soon thickened against the professor.
In a tea cnest IN his laboratory were
found other parts of hHman body
and knife, aud among the ashes ia =
furnace were found parts OF full set
Of artificial teeth. AT the trial these
teeth were identified as those of Dr.
ParEman by the very dentist who had
fitted them, and the remains Of the
body were shown to resemble his. 1t
was shown also that Prof. Webster
owed several hundred dollars TO the
doctor, on account of mortgage on
minerals, and that he had been press
ed for payment. He had, however,
insisted that he had repaid the amount,
but his account OF where he had got
the money and his disposition of the
papers was proved to be false. 1t was
shown, also, that Prof Webster had
ordered a large tin box with very
strong handles after DR.. Parkman S
disappearance, and that he had also
bought the grappels which were used
10 let down the remains INTO the privy.
The trial was very interesting one.
OF the foup judges who took part in
il, Including Chief Justice Shaw, there
is not SINGLE survivor. The attorney
general, John Ii. Clifford, who made
his reputation by his conduct Of the
prosecutions, is also dead, and the only
prominent man officially connected
with the case who is still living is
Edward D. Sohier, who was Que of
Webster's counsel and is still in prac
tice at the bar.
One OF the curiosities of this re
marSable trial was the testimony of a
woman who was positive she had seen
DIR. Parkman subsequent to his visit
TO the medical college She went
home and told her sister that she had
met Chin" in the street, that being
the name she was accustomed to call
him. from the size Of this feature Of
his face There was no lack of evi
denoe of the previous good character
of tire accused, and the president and
professors Of the university testified
that Prof Webster was a peaceable,
humane man, petalant and excitaole,
bat whose irritation would exhaust
itself in words. But it was impossible
to overcome the evidence submitted
by the dentists aad surgeons that the
remains IN the medical college were
Al0HH VI LII. 4 dIhIldN. Illla ObiGE
admitted, all the c rcumstances of the
case pointed to Prof. Webster as the
murderer. He was the only man who
had a motive to kill the doctor; he
was the last person with whom the
deceased was shown 10 have been ia
contact d.. Parkhams property
was found in his possession, and he
gave false account of how he came
BY it, His keeping his doors locked
and a great fire burning at unusual
hours, and his attempts TO mlslead in
quiry, were additional points against
him Three letters were produced at
the trial, all Of which were designed
to divert suspicion from Prof Web
stsr. They were addressed to Fraacis
Turkey, the city marshal One read
You will find DR.. Parkman mur-
dered on Brooklyn heights Yours
truly, M, Captain o. the Darts.
Another suggested that DR.. Park
mans bedy was heavily weighted and
thrown Off one of the bridges, ard
that cannon be fired TO make it rise 10
the surface Of the water. This letter
was signed "Clvis A third Was
coarse scrawl to the effect that Dr..
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