The Sunday globe., 1901-06-09
PROFESSOR WEBSTER.

PROFESSOR WEBSTER.
Prof. John w. Webster was a man
Of high character and popular man
ners. He was a graduate of Harvard,
| editor of the Boston Journal of Phil
| Osophy and Art, lecturer on chemistry,
mineralogy, and geology at Harvard
a scientific author, and member of sew
! eral scientific societies in this country
and Europe. His family consisted Of
| q wife and several daughters. They re-
sided at Cambridge. Professor Web.
ster's salary was $1,000 a year, besides
a certain share Of the fees paid by stu
dents i'm the medical college, of which
Webster was also a graduate.
DOCTOR PABKNIAN.
Dr. George Parkman was also a grad
uate of Harvard, and took a degree in
medicine at the University of Aber
deem, in Scotland. He lived and owned
a large amount of property in Boston.
He was an uncle of Francis Parkman,
the historian. Doctor Parkman gave
| the ground upon which the building
| AbA l4' A4NNlANI HAAOOl at llul I'll VI MdS
erected, on North Grove street, Boston.
The Parkman professorship was held
by Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes for
many years,
Webster and Parkman had been
friends many years, and the latter had
loaned the former S4OO on a note But
little had been paid on the note when
it fell due, and Parhman joined other
friends in making another loan of ST.
600 to Webster. and for this and other
loans a note Of S2,432 was taken, Sc
cured by a mortgage on Webster's S
household effects and collection Of
minerals
Webster was an enthusiastic scien.
tist, and could not control his desire
to buy every book and apparatus bear
ing upon his work; therefore, he was
always in debt and without prospect
of clearing himself ParKman was not
disposed to worry Webster about his
debt but he high notions Of honor,
and when he learned that Webster had
borrowed $1,000 from another friend
and pledged the mineral collection as
security, he was furious, and de-
nounced Webster as dishonest He
made a demand upon Webster for pay
ment Of the loan due and threatened
to seize his goods Webster made an
appointment with Parkman at the med
ical college for the afternoon of Fri
day, Nov %, lS49, at which time he
pledged himself to pay the money.
Parkman was seen entering the col
lege that day and he never was again
seen alive.
The disappearance of so prominent
a man as Doctor Parkman caused a
great stir. A reward was offered for
information concerning him. Doctor
Webster attended to his duties as us
ual. went into society, discussed the
disappearance of Parkman with the
latter's family and with his own, and
even went to the brother Of Parkman
and told him about Parkman's visit
to the college and how he left hurried
~ after receiving payment on his
notes. Webster went about apparent
~ at east, self-possessed, and as agree
able i'm manner as ever. But he spent
great deal of time behind bolted
doors in his laboratory, and finally the
ianitors suspicious were aroused and
he began to search and watch. The
ianitor was the means Of bringing
home to Webster the awful crime. The
college was searched by the police, but
nothing was found The janitor was
more persistent and thorough. He dug
through a wall into a vault and dis
covered lying upon the ground por-
tions of a human body, consisting Of
pelvis thigh, and a portion of a leg
below the knee. In the vault were also
three towels recognized as the property
Of Webster.
Webster was then arrested. He took
a strychnine pill, which nearly killed
him; bat he survived. The search
went on. A large number Of fragments
of human bones partly calcined and
some artificial teeth were discovered
in the furnace. A tea chest, standing
in Webster's room, was examined. It
appeared to be full Of minerals, but
under the minerals and a layer Of tan
bark the upper part Of the trunk Of
man and a left thigh were found, the
thigh being thrust into the thoraX and
the whole tied with a string. A large
! closed knife, recently cleaned, was
| found i'm the chest. The different parts
| of the body were put together and in
| NlCdltl man ABOUT Iue utlBul anu
| form Of Parkman. Some parts Of the
| body had been burned, as Webster had
run the furnace behind bolted doors
at a tremendous heat, a fact ascertain
ed by Littledeld, the ianitor, who was
| the first to suspect Webster and who
was instrumental I'm hanging him.
y The string found tied around the re-
mains in the tea chest was identified as
| part Of a ball used by Webster A
! bunch Of keys belonging to Parkman
was found I'm his possession. The false
| teeth were identified by the maker as
having been made for Parkman, and
they fitted the original mold. The
notes given by Webster to Parkman
were found cancelled at Webster's
house, and link by link the chain Of
| evidence was forged. A heavy sledge
hammer that had stood in the profes-
! sor's room was missing, a large Turk
I ish knife recently cleaned was discov-
cred, and a knife wound was found in
! portions Of the thorax discovered in
the vault. Some Of Webster's clothing
bore spots Of blood, and on the stairs
and floor leading from Websters pri-
vate room TO the basement laboratory
was evidence that oXallc acid had been
used TO remove blood stains.
The detective work performed by