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43
Here a recess was granted to the Jury. The Jury beingreturned, the
proceedings recommenced.
Forty-sixth Witness.-CHAS. B. STARKWEATHEIt, Police-officer, called.-Have
been police-
officer for four years; took part in the preliminary search for Dr. Parkman
from the day of
his disappearance until the time his remains were found; Mr. Kingsley and
myself went
,to Dr. Bigelow's and told him we had come to search the College ; he said
he had no
objection, and we went in; we first found Mr. Littlefield, and then went to
Professor Webster's
laboratory and knocked at the door; we waited some time; should think a
minute before
the Professor came; we told him what we had come for; we entered the room
and went down
stairs to the laboratory; Professor Webster came down stairs and as he
stood on the lower
stairs, be said, 1° there are all my apartments;" we looked round a short
time, and then went
away; I was one of the officers who went to Cambridge to arrest Professor
W.; we conversed in
the coach on the way into the city, upon indifferent subjects, the
rail-road, &c.; we spoke also of
Mrs. Bent, of Cambridge-port, having said she saw Dr. P. late on the
afternoon of Friday, the
23d, going to Cambridge-port; as we came over the bride and passed Second
street, the Professor
remarked that that was the street they ought to have turned into to go to
the Medical College;
something was said about the driver being a little green, and that he would
find his way, and we
proceeded up Leverett street to the Jail, where we alighted from the coach;
we went into the Jail
Office, and then Prof. W. said to Mr. Clapp: " Mr. Clapp, what does all
this mean ?" Mr.
Clapp replied: " ° Prof. Webster, we have done looking for Dr. Parkman ;"
Messrs. Clapp and
Spurr then left the prisoner with me, with orders not to commit him to the
cells until they
returned; Prof. W. asked for some water; I gave him some but he could not
drink; he asked me
where they had found Dr. P.; I told him it was not possible for me to
answer any questions like
those he asked; he then asked if the whole of the body was found and added:
n Oh my poor
children, what will they do! what will they think of me ? How did you get
the information ?"
I asked him if any one had access to his private rooms; he said no one but
the porter who makes
the fires; and immediately added: °' The villain, he has ruined me;" after
this the Professor
walked the floor and wrung his hands.; he shortly put his hand into his
vest pocket and raised it
to his mouth; a few moments afterward he had a violent spasm, like a man in
a fit; I asked him if
he had been taking anything; he replied that he had not; told him I should
like to commit him,
and put my hand on his shoulder to lead him away, but he could not walk,
and I was obliged to call
for assistance.; I was going to call for a doctor, but Mr. Clapp told me
not to send for one then,,
but wait and see if he, (the prisoner,) grew any worse, and in case he did
to send for ono ; we took
him up and laid him on a bed on his side, and he rolled over on his face.
I was at the college at the time that Prc,£ W. was carried down there, on
the night of his ar-
rest. There were a number of persons present at the time. Prof. W. was much
agitated at the
time. He appeared to be more agitated in the lower than in the upper
laboratory. Some one
asked for the key to the privy. Dr. W. looked up and said, 1° It hangs on
the shelves." We
took down the key, but it did not fit the privy door lock. Mr. Littlefield
went up to the furnace
and showed that to us. I assisted at a further search in the laboratory
after the Dr. was re-
committed. The grapplers or fish-hooks now exhibited, were found in Dr.
W.'s private room,
together in one bundle, wrapped in a newspaper. They have been in my
possession ever since
they were found, and have not been touched. I was at the laboratory on
Saturday, and-being
in. the lower room heard my name called from the upper one; went up and saw
Mr. Fuller taking
a thigh and another part of a human body, from a tea-chest; there was a
piece of string tied
round the bone of the thigh ; I cut off apiece of it; I found the skeleton
keys in Dr. W.'s private
room, back under a little shelf; they were tied together in a bunch,
excepting one which was
found in Webster's wardrobe.
Mr. Sohier objected to the testimony of witness Starkweather in relation to
the skeleton keys,
which he contended was irrelevant to the issue. He wished to know what it
was meant to prove
by the introduction of testimony in relation to this bunch of keys.
Attorney General-We expect to show that these skeleton keys fitted other
parts of the build-
ing beside Dr. W.'s own rooms, and that Dr. W. had his own department in
that building. We
will show that when Dr. W. was asked about the keys, he said he found them
in the street, and
it now turns out that they were designed for different parts of that
building. It seems to me,
that it is entirely admissible as forming part of the res gestre, upon the
ground that anything
that Dr. W. has said is proper for the consideration of the Jury.
The Court ruled in the testimony after a brief consultation upon the Bench.
Lxamination resumed.-This key, which I now exhibit, fits the door of the
dissecting room and
the laboratory doors; the other one, which I now exhibit, fits the lecture
room door and the door
of the store room also; the third key, which I exhibit, fits the front door
and the door under-
ricath the front door steps; this key was found in Dr. W.'s private room.
[Some attempts were here made to introduce in evidence the finding of a
considerable quantity
of wine and liquor in a cupboard in the laboratory, but it was overruled.]
When Dr. Webster was carried to the Police Court, and while he was in the
Judge's private
room, I said to him, °° I have found some keys in your laboratory;" "
What?" said be, " the
ones that are filed? I found them in Fruit street, and threw them into the
laboratory cupboard."
Cross examined.-I testified before the Coroner's Jury; wrote down part of
the conversation
with Dr. W., have looked at it since; was at the Medical College on the
morning of Friday, the
23d Nov., and asked Littlefield if there was any private place or room in
the College that had not
been searched; he replied, everything but Dr. Webster's private rooms, but
those are locked,
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