55
anythibg against him before his arrest; he is a very nervous man ; I
remember the day of Dr. Parkman's
disappearance. I saw Prof. W. on the evening of Friday, the 23d Nov., 1819,
at about 9 o'clock, at the
house of Mr. Treadwell, in Cambridge, where I had called in; I noticed
nothing in the peculiar behavior
of Prof. W. on that occasion ; the conversation turned upon scientific
subjects ; think that Dr. Morrill
Wyman was there; saw Prof. W. two or three times during the next week; was
there I think on Sunday
evening, to inquire for news of Dr. P., as the Professor was much in the
city. I supposed he would have
all the news on the subject of the disappearance of Dr. P. ; I spent three
or four hours at Prof. W.'s house
on the Monday evening next succeeding the disappearance of Dr. P. ; was
invited to sit down and play
whist with Prof. W. and his wite and daughter, which I did: 1 was at Prof.
W.'s'house on two evenings,
on Sunday and Monday, or Monday and Tuesday; don't recollect exactly which.
Cross-examination of this witness declined.
Twenty-eighth witness-JossPH KIDDER, sworn.-Am a druggist in Court-street ;
am acquainted with
Prof. Webster; remember distinctly the day of the disappearance of Dr.
Parkman. Prof. Webster called.
at my shop a little before 6 o'clock on that afternoon ; it was before
lamp-light.
Cross-examined---He came to purchase a box or six bottles of cologne ; he
stayed but a few moments ;
he took the box away with him; I have referred to the bill of sale of the
cologne, and find it dated 23d
Nov., 1849.
Tenty-ninth witness-MARY Aver WEBSTER, daughter of the accused, sworn.-Am
the daughter of the
prisoner; have endeavored to call to mind the conduct of my father during
the week before his arrest; on
Friday, the 23d November, my father came home about five minutes before 6
o'clock P.M. He drank tea
at home, and remained at ome until 8 o'clock, and then went to a neighbor's
house with us, where we
remained until past 12 o'clock; I mean by us, my sister and mother; my
father and mother did not go
into the neighbor's house, but went off together ; my sisters and myself
returned to the house at half-past
twelve o'clock at night; my father came to the door and let us in ; he went
up to bed at one o'clock. I
saw my father on Satuday, the day after the disappearance of Dr. P. ; he
tools dinner at home that day ;
I was not at home in the afternoon of that day, but came home to tea, and
saw my father there • he was
at home all that evening; we passed it in reading together ; he read to me.
The first time I saw my
father on the succeeding day (Sunday) was at church in the College chapel ;
he attended church the whole
of the forenoon; we had dinner that day earlier than usual, in order that
my father might go to Boston;
he said he was going into the city to infrm the Parkman family that he had
paid Dr. P. some money the
day of the doctor's disappearance. Don't recollect whether I saw him again
on that day ; my father camp
home just at dinner-time on Monday afternoon ; he was not at home in the
whole afternoon ; I was not at
home, likewise, during the whole afternoon. My father came home just at
tea-tide on that evening, and
remained at home. I went to bed that evening at ten o'clock, and when I
went to bed my father was still
at home. On Tuesday my father was at home at dinner, and remained at home
during the evening: we
bad a whist party, and there was a fire in the direction of Porter's Hotel
; we played whist among ourselves
that evening. Did not have company; my father usually breakfasts at home ;
father was at home on
Wednesday; he came into the dining-room at about 11 o'clock A,M., where I
was reading. He went oat
into the garden and pruned the grape-vines, and remained until
dinner-time,; lie went away after dinner,
and returned at twenty-minutes past 6 to tea; that night we went to Mrs.
Cunningham's to a party, and
did not return until 10J o'clock P.M. I left my father sitting up- when I
retired to bed; he was in his
dressing-room reading a paper; he was at home Thanksgiving-day, Thursday,
all day, as far as I know.
He spent the morning.in the garden; he was also at home on iFriday, the
30th Nov.; he was at home at
dinner, and all the evening until about 10 o'clock ; I have a sister
married at Fayal. We keep up a con-
stant intercourse, and I keep a journal of events to inform my sister of in
correspondence ; my father often
sends things to Fayal, such as plants, &:, They are sent in air-tight
boxes; he has flowers often sent to
him from F ayal ; don't remember whether my father was preparing anything
to send to Fayal at that time.
Cross-examination of this witness declined.
Thirtieth witness-HARRIET P. WEBSTER, daughter of the accused, sworn.-I saw
my father on Friday
evening, the 23d November, 1819, between 5J and 6 o'clock ; I went with my
sisters to a party at Mr.
Treadwell's and did not return until 121 o'clock; he came to the door and
let us in; I saw him in about an
hour afterwards; he went up to bed before I did; saw him home on Saturday
at 1 o'clock ; he spent the
afternoon at home ; he went out for half an hour, and returned with a book
; he remained A home all that
evening; he read to us from a book the first part of the evening; a Miss
Hodges was at the house that
evening ; don't remember seeing him at breakfast on Sunday ; he was at
church with us in the forenoon ;
he went to Boston in the afternoon; think I retired at ten o'clock on that
even.-ig; I left my father still
up; saw my father again on Monday at tea-tirne ; there was some company at
the house on that evening;
I retired very early in the evening, and my father was still sitting up ;
on Tuesday I saw him at tea-time
and he spent the evening at home, reading ; saw him at breakfast Wednesday,
and at tea; in the evening
he went with my sisters to Mrs. Cunningham's party, in Boston; 1 had
retired before they came home, and
did not see my father till next day (Thursday), Thanksgiving-day; he
remained at home all the day; on
Friday, the 30tb of November, my father was at home, at breakfast, tea, and
during the ;realer part of
the evening ; on the day after big arrest, a number of articles were sent
out from the laboratory to Cam-
bridge; there was a cap, pair of overalls, pair of pantaloons, and coat.
Cross-examination of this witness declined.
Thirty-first witness-ANN FINNIGAN called.-Live in the family of Prof. W.;
went there on the 16th of
Nov., 189; we breakfasted at that time at from half past 7 to 8 o'clock; we
dined at 2 o'clock ; on Wed-
nesday, the 28th of Nov., he breakfasted earlier than usual, and came home
at 12 o'clock; I thought-it
was 2 o'clock on seeing him come in, and so looked at the clock and found
it to be only 12; after he came
in, he took a key and went. into the garden; he breakfasted at home every
morning from the time I went
there until the morning after he .vas arrested.
Cross-examination declined.
Thirty second witness-CATHERINE P. WEBSTER, daughter of the accused,
sworn.-On Friday afternoon,
the 23d November, 1849, I saw my father at home between 4 and 6 o'clock ;
he spent the evening at home
be had retired before I went to bed that night ; on the next Wednesday I
did not see him at breakfast, but
saw him a short time afterwards ; he was at home at the uma4 dinner hour;
that evening the family
came to Boston and went to Mrs. Cunningham's party; we came down to ty'~,e
toll-house to wait for the
omnibus; while at the toll-house my sister saw the notice offering a reward
fOTthe recovery of Dr. P.; she
pointed it out to us, and my father read it aloud; on Sunday, the 25th, my
father was at home in the morn-
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