The Sunday globe., 1901-06-09

cialY kind to the janitor, and even
while the latter was spying upon him
he gave the janitor an order for a tur-
key for a Thanksgiving dinner. What
hrst caused Littlefield to suspect Web
ster was the recollection that he had
overheard high words between the
professor and Doctor Parkman the day
the latter disappeared He poked into
the hogshead of water to see if the
body of Parkman was there, he spied
on Webster through the Aeyhole Of
doors, he noticed the unusual fires in
the furnace, and step by step reached
a conclusion, which at the trial was
verified.
Webster himself seemed to overdo
the innocent friend. He let fall insin.
uations that Parkman was eccentric
and was likely to disappear suddenly
in a fit of alteration of mind. He
wrote anonymous letters to the Park
man family and TO the authorities, mis-
spelled and ungrammatical communi-
cations in a disguised hand, trying to
throw them off the scent. But until he
was arrested he gave no sign Of being
worried Twice he accompanied the
detectives in a search of the college,
and betrayed no nervousness or un-
usual feeling, He cordially invited the
police to search the premises. but af-
terward it was remembered that he
skillfully diverted their attention from
places where evidence Of his guilt af
terward was found by the prying jan
itOr.
Doctor Parkman was one Of the most
prominent citizens Of Boston. and in
addition to the reward of $4,000 offer
ed for his discovery, the social pres
sure on the authorities made them ac.
tive
Webster was arraigned for trial on
Tuesday, March 19, 1850, before Chief
Justice Lemuel Shaw and Justices
Wilde, Dewey, and Metcalf Under the
existing statute it was necessary for
a majority Of the supreme court bench
to sit in capital cases, Attorney.Gen-
eral John II. Clifford and George Bemis
appeared for the Government. and
Pliny Merrick, of Worcester and Ed.
ward d. SOhier, of Boston, for the de.
fendant. The trial lasted eleven DAYS.
and medical and handwriting experts
We're very much in evidence The en-.
tire country was interested in the case,
and 1t remains to this day the most
famous in the criminal annals Of the
country. A strange fact was brought
to light, and il seemed to sustain the
old saying that murder will out" The
false teeth found i'm the furnace were
unharmed, having lodged on a piece Of
the CRATE where they got the benefit
of the cold air draught, and these were
positively identified as those made for
Parkman. While the bones were most.
ly reduced to ashes, these teeth escaped
TO condemn the guilty and establish
the identity of the remains.
The defense contested every inch of
ground, but the evidence for the de.
fense consisted for the most part Of
the highest testimony to Professor
Websters general character and to tes-
timony tending to show that Doctor
Parkman had been seen IN various
parts of Boston after he was known to
have entered the medical school to in
teryiew Webster. No testimony was
given tending to explain the presence
Of the remains in the medical college,
or to support Websters statement of
the payment of the money to Parkman.
Eacn night during the trial the jury
held service of prayer, and on the
evening Of March 81, 1850, they
brought in verdict Of guilty.
During this time Professor Webster
maintained his innocence. In order to
shield himself he even tried to throw
suspicion on the janitor. Influential
men took mp the case after the convic-
tion and tried to secure a commuta-
tion Of sentence But feeling ran high,
and the governor and council decided
that the verdict Of the court must
stand. It was ordered that Professor
Webster should be hanged on Aug. 80
of that year, and this order was duly
executed by High Sheriff Eveleth, in
the old Jail in Boston.
Professor Webster, while awaiting
execution, made a full confession to
the Rev. DR.. Putnam. Professor Web
sser stated that he made the appoint
ment on Friday, Nov %, not expecting
to be able to pay Doctor Parkman, but
in the hope that he might make some
arrangement for future payment; that
Doctor Parkman came into the lecture
room and, following him rapidly back
into the rear room, Immediately ad-
dressed him with great vehemence,
and asked him if he was ready to pay
the money; that Professor Webster re-
piled that he was not, and was begin.
ming to try to explain his condition;
that Doctor Parkman would not listen
to him, interrupted him with great
yehemence, called him a swindler and
1iQH gY, aNHra1pp, Of
his pocket and took from them the
two notes. and said that he had had
him appointed professor Of chemistry
and that now he would get him out Of
the professOrship; that he, Webster,
kept trying to interpose and pacify
him; that Parkman continued his in.
yective and approached him shouting
and gesticulating violently, thrusting
his fist holding the papers into Web
ster's face, until he, Webster, lost his
temper, seized upon the nearest thing
he could grasp, which was a piece Of
grapevine about an inch thick and two
feet long, which he had used in the
lecture room to show the effect Of cer-
tain chemicals in staining wood, and
with it dealt him blow upon the side
of the head. He instantly dropped
dead. Webster leaned over him and
spent a number of minutes trying to
resuscitate him, but found that he was
absolutely lifeless
In his horror and CONSERVATION he
ran to the doors and bolted them;
then the idea struck him to try to con.
ceal his crime He drew off the
clothes of Parkman and thrust them
into the furnace together with every
thing contained in the pockets, except
the watch, which he put in his pocket,
and threw from the bridge into the
water as he went that night to Cam
bridge. He then placed the body IN