Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-04-04

boy at the time Ny friend wrote me
that when he was a student at Cam
bridge he used to see the Webster
house and grounds, the latter being ell
grown up with weeds, and the house
unoccupied and deserted. Nobody
would live in it. DR.. George Parkham
was a nephew of Francis Parkham,
the historian, was wealthy man of
high standing and character in Boston.
He had given the land on which stood
the Medical School of the University,
in one of the buildings of which he
was murdered. This building IS now
used by the Dental School. The Park
ham professorship was filled for many
years by Oliver Wendell Holmes.
The trial was presided over by Chief
Justice Shaw, probably the most emil
nent jurist New England ever had.
and one OF the most famous in the
country. DR.. Parlham was also an
alumnus of Harvard.
The history of the case and the tIial
were published in a work of three
volumes, but now, as my informant
states, out Of print.
The murder took place on Friday,
November %, 1849. The evidence was
entirely circumstantial, and much eN-
pert evidence, contradictory, CT course,
was taken. Parkham was seen APP
preaching the building about 1:30 o"
y p. m, of that day. The prosecution
| claimed that that was the last eve"
seen of him alive, but quite number
of reputable persons testified that tLey
| had seen him in the streets Of Boston
as late as ) p. m. Webster left the
building at $50. His rooms in the
college included a dissecting room,
with furnace and other needed ap-
purtenances. There was a tea-cneSt
which appeared to be full of scientific
specimens.
On Saturday morning, Webster re-
turned and told the janitor to make
fire in the furnace, and to continue
to do so for several days. A reward
of $1,000 was offered for Parkham,
ana the janitor insisted that he must
be in Websters apartments. Upon
searh being made, some calcined
bones were found in the furnace, and
some parts of a man under mineral
in the tea-chest. Also, some towels,
and some evidences of chemicals hay
ing been used on the floors and furni-
ture. The main thing to prove was
that these relics were part of Park
mans body In the autumn of 1876,
| DR.. Keep. a dentist of Boston, had
made some false teeth for Parkman,
who had a very peculiar jaw. In tie
furnace was found three of these
teeth together The dentist produce
| the original mold which he had used
| in making Parkmans teeth, and it
was found that these teeth fitted OK
actly. Thus the corpus delicti'' was
proved to the satisfaction of the jury,
/ and Webster was hanged. Before his
execution. he made full confession
to his pastor, Rev. Mr. Putnam, in
which he stated that Parkman had
attacked him. and he struck him a
blow with a stick without the slightest
intention OF killing him, and tat
upon discovery of the awful conse
uuences, he was so utterly unmann ID
and bewildered that he resorted 10
means of concealing the crime.
1t was commonly believed that t
he had frankly told this story at the
first. ne would certainly not have been
convicted of murder. and probably
would have escaped sll punishment.
But his confession came too late, AMI
shis eminent man was hanged by the
I neck until be was dead.
i A short time afterwards, General
Ben Butler was cross-examining g