|
234 TRIAL OF JOHN W. WEBSTER.
day to convey the information to the family of Dr. Parkman; but he
was persuaded by his wife to postpone it until after the religious ser-
vices of the morning in the College Chapel. Soon after dinner, he went
into the city, and met, first, Mr. Blake, the nephew, and afterwards Dr.
Francis Parkman, the brother of George Parkman, and informed them
that he was the person with whom the appointment was made; and he
stated also the fact of the meeting between them, and all that had trans-
pired at it.
Yet even these communications, so unlikely to have been made at
all if he was guilty, and so perfectly natural if he was unconscious of
any crime which could be imputed to him, are thought by the Govern-
ment to furnish considerations which may be turned against him. Mr.
Blake represents, that, in relating the circumstances of the interview,
Dr. Webster exhibited in the earnestness of his manner some visible
agitation. On the other hand, Dr. Francis Parkman tells you, that he
could not but notice the want of sympathy and the formal business-like
manner which accompanied the communication. To the one whom he
held by the hand as he rapidly adverted to the several incidents of the
interview, he seemed too warm; to the other, oppressed by the afflic-
tion he was suffering, and surely not in the best state of mind for cool
observation himself, he appeared too cold and distant and formal. And
each of these opposite objections is urged with equal confidence against
him, as if they were portentous signs of guilt; and, conflicting as they
are, there is some danger of their injurious influence, unless that danger
be averted by your calm and deliberate reflections.
It is difficult, if it be not impossible, to judge what would be the
manner or deportment of an individual in such a situation. 'His appear-
ance would probably seem to vary even if it were substantially the same
according to the circumstances and conditions of the mind of the party
addressed. Still there may have been on these two occasions some
difference in his deportment. Casually meeting Mr. Blake in the street,
the communication would be, not unnaturally, with less of ceremony
and more of despatch than would occur in the full and detailed statement
to Dr. Francis Parkman at his house in the presence of his family. He
told the story to each of the parties, in the situation in which he found
them, as well as he could. And I submit, that no prejudice should be
created against him by their representations of his personal appearance;
a prejudice which would unjustly overcome all the advantages to which
he is fairly entitled, arising from his prompt and voluntary communica-
tion of facts, of which he had ample assurance that no other person
than himself had the slightest knowledge.
While it is obviously most improbable that he would have made any
communication at all, if he bad secretly taken the life of Dr. Parkman,
it is on the other hand perfectly natural, that he should have availed
himself of this early opportunity to relate the circumstances, if the
incidents stated by him to have occurred at their meeting actually took
place. He would also naturally go further; he would early look after
his own interest in those particulars which, from his narrative, it is
apparent would have required his attention. Accordingly, if you go
with him as he returned from Boston on Sunday evening, you will find
that he called upon the City Clerk in Cambridgeport to see if Dr. Park-
man had been there to discharge the mortgage which he had agreed to
cancel. All, however, that he could do was to make the inquiry; and,
having done so, he could only return to his family. There he was met
soon after by Mr. Thompson and Mr. Fuller, with whom he conversed
at some length, and with perfect freedom, in relation to the events of
the preceding Friday, and of the mortgage which Dr. Parkman had
promised to have discharged. If in this interview, Mr. Fuller, the police-
man,-belonging to a class of men, whose occupation makes them pro-
verbally too susceptible of jealous suspicions,-thinks he saw tokens
of agitation in the manner of an individual to whom he was a perfect
|
