Report of the trial of Prof. John W. Webster, indicted for the murder of Dr. George Parkman : before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, holden at Boston, on Tuesday, March 19, 1850 / phonographic report by James W. Stone.

  • Webster, John White, 1793-1850.
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the trial of Prof. John W. Webster, indicted for the murder of Dr. George Parkman : before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, holden at Boston, on Tuesday, March 19, 1850 / phonographic report by James W. Stone. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    College. I told him I was standing- in the front entry, looking out at the front door. Dr. Webster had his cane in his hand, — and struck it down upon the ground and said, That is the very time when I paid him $483.60. I remember he put the odd cents on. I told him I did not see Dr. Park- man come in or go out of the College, for I wept directly into Dr, Ware's lecture-room, and laid down on a settee. He said he counted the money down to Dr. Parkman, in his lecture-room; and that Dr. Parkman grabbed the money from the table without counting it, and ran as fast as he could go, up two or three steps at a time. Dr. Web- ster said Dr. Parkman told him he would go with him to Cambridge and discharge a mortgage ; and added, I suppose he did, but I have not been over to the Register of Deeds' office to see. Dr. Webster said that this was the first he had known of it; he had read it in the Tran- script. Dr. Parkman was there said to have been engaged to meet an unknown gentleman. He had come over to see about it, for he was the unknown o-entleman. He said he had been to see Dr. Francis Parkman. He then went away. When Dr. Webster spoke to me, he used before to look me in the face, with his head up ; he did not then, but looked down, and seemed confused and agitated. I never saw him look so before. His face was thoughtful; he looked pale. I cannot say which way he went; think it was towards Cambridge. On Monday I could not get into his room to make up the fire. The first 1 knew of his being in the Col- lege, my wife told me ; she told me that Dr. Samuel Parkman had been there to see Dr. Webster. I asked her how he got in, seeing all the doors were kept locked. I went up the laboratory stairs, and saw Dr. Samuel Parkman and Dr. Webster, in the back room. They were talking about old Dr. George Parkman. I overheard conversation about some money ; Dr. Webster said the old Dr. was very angry. I staid there but a min- ute ; did not see Dr. Samuel Parkman go away. The front door-bell rang, and I went to the door, and found there a person who I ascer- tained was Mr. Parkman Blake. He asked me if Dr. Webster was in. I told him he was. He said he wanted to see him. I asked him his name, that I might carry it to Dr. Webster. He gave it. I had my key in the lecture-room, but it was bolted. I went down and came up the other way to Dr. Webster. He hesitated somewhat, and then said, Let him in. I unbolted the door; do not know how long Mr. Blake was there. I went again to the laboratory door, nearly at twelve o'clock, to see whether any work was to be done. Found it locked. Don't know whether the door-bell rang or not. I went to the door, and found Kingsley, and they said they could trace Dr. Parkman nowhere but to the Medical College, and they had come to look. I told them I would show them all the rooms that I could get into myself. Met Dr. Holmes on the stairs; he askgd if they wanted to haul all the subjects out of their chests. They said no ; they merely wanted to see if he had stowed himself away in the attic. Dr. Holmes told me to show them all around. Went to Dr. Webster's room first; it was locked. We knocked two or three times, with loud raps. Dr. • Webster did not come at first. Finally he came, unbolted the door, and stuck his head out. I told him what the officers had come for;