The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-17
A FAMOUS MURDER CASE

The recent death of Dr. Lester Mo- ble, q retiered dentist, of East Long, meadow, Mass, recalls the story of famous murder case in which he figur- ed as a very important witness. Me morable, almost beyond a parallel, in the criminal annals of America, is the great crime which stirred Boston, Mas sachusetts, NeW-England, all Ameri- ca, in 1S49. Dr. George Parkman, a well known and wealthy citizen of Boston, disappeared on Friday, Nov- ember 2S 1849. He was out on the streets of Boston on the fatal morning, and, not returning to dinner, his fam- ly became alarmed, and on Saturday afternoon force of detectives were put on the case. The country for miles around was searched for three days, and absolutely no clew was picked up. Later it was ascertained that Dr. Parkman had paid visit to Profes- sor John W. Webster, a chemist and physician who occupied a high posi- ton in the science department of Har- yard college. Professor Webster was the first to. tell of this interview, and he took the detectives all over the laboratory and medical hall and also his house. Each of the clews discover ed after the inspection of the medical hall led there and then suddenly dis appeared. No trace could be found of the murdered man in the hall. While the detectives were working on several new claWs outside the laboratory an- other Investigation was going on in the hands of Littlefield the janitor of the college who had became suspicious of Professor Webster's actions. Just a week after the disappearance of Dr. Parkman he discovered in the labora- tory and an adjoining vault certain human remains which he believed to be those of Dr. Parkman. Littlefield drilled a hole through the vault wall, and there discovered the bones of two legs and an arm. This led to the ar rest of Professor Webster on the charge of murder. A sensational trial followed. which occupied the time of the court eight or nine hours day for eleven days. During the entire trial Professor Webster calmly faced the jurors and witnesses without the slightest show of emotion or apparent dread of the verdict. He even had the nerve to speak in his own defence. He gave a clear, apparently logical &C., count of the affair, and explained away all the evidence against him. The most discriminating evidence was the discovery of several artificial teeth and a plate. These Dr. Noble identi- fed as some he had assisted to make for the murdered man. The jury was out three hours and returned with verdict of guilty. Webster was senten- ced to be hanged, in sedate old Boston, among his lifelong friends and amid surroundings he had known all his life, within sight Of old Harvard's classic walls. John White Webster paid the extreme penalty of the law and was buried in one of the sequestered dells of Mount Auburn, near where rest the remains of the illfated Dr. Parlxman. No more remarable murder case was ever tried in court in the United States nor was more deep and widespread excitment ever caused
 The murder of Dr. ParSman will alway be recorded in the annals of the crim!- nal courts and perhaps as lang as murders are committed it will stand as famous case.--Rochester Post Express.