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That night Littlefield closed the doors; the next morning, Webster was at
home and afterwards came to the
dissecting room, and the dissecting room was found open ; on the following
morning somebody
had been there-and on the following morning Professor W. is found at home
in Cambridge, he is found at
home, also, on Thanksgiving day, and during this period of time his rooms
are accessible, and no means are taken
to bot the doors. We come to the following Tuesday-Kingsley was there on
that day. He saw the tea-
cheat partly. covered with minerals.
Now, between that time and Saturday, there was no evidence that there was
any change as to
the tea-chest, but then it was only partially covered. Now this all the
time was accessible. In this tea-cheat
what has been found? That knife, of which we have heard so mach, and yet as
clean and polished as when it
was taken out of the shop of the merchant and that knife was placed there,
and by whom? By Prof. W.. who made
no disguise of it. He showed it to Littlefield in the College. The yatagan
too-that silver-hasped and exquisite-
ly finished weapon-was exposed there. Why had Dr. Webster these weapons
there ? If a murder had been
committed so as to bring them in direct connection with himself, why has he
then gone exposed.
We have yet to ask why has he put this twine, which we have heard so much
about, around.the thorax and thigW
Might it not be for the purpose of removing them? But I cannot answer the
question.
Are we to suppose that some mysterious being had used the twine and changed
it? It might have been to bring
that portion of the body so as to connect the fragments that were found
together. I do not know but that the
Professor might have left the College very early Friday morning, and then I
may suppose that some person placed
those remains there.
I now come to the question of the tea-chest, when we hear something ofthe
remains of a human body. It has
been said that Parkman was murdered in the aboratory, ye:. we find no
blood, so that the whole conjecture is alto-
gether extravagant and visionary. We are not to suppose that he has been
taken in there naked; but these
probabilities-these facts-all give the case to the Government beyond all
reasonable doubt. I shall for a moment
ask your Honor's attention to some testimony in reference to some of the
witnesses. I regret being obliged to
make any allusiou to the witnesses, calculated to injure their character,
but I will take upon myself the responsi-
bility, in alluding to one of the Government witnesses, that I don't mean
to impute to him-far be it from me to im-
pute crimes to any man-but it is my duty, and it is your duty to fearlessly
discharge the responsibilities that
attend your position. Littlefield has been to some extent corroborated by
some witnesses, and his testimony has
been corroborated by that of his wife. Now, when such testimony is to
affect life and liberty, the testimony of
witnesses becomes of the highest importance, and here the question arises
for us to inquire into. Is Littlefield
entitled, as a witness in this case, to that implicit reliance, where it
goes to affix the awful crime of murder up-
on one with whom he had always maintained the most friendly relations. If
such evidence is admissible, then
human life cannot be safe.
I do not wish to impeach any one, but if testimony like this be admitted,
and witnesses of such a character be allow-
edto testify in cases upon which depends the feeble thread of human life,
we are bound to scrutinize the character
and conduct of witnesses, and hence I consider it my duty to call your
attention to some portions of Little-
field's evidence. You will perceive that at the-first time suspicion broke
in upon the mind of Littlefield as to Dr.
W. having committed the murder, he communicated them to his wife who told
him not to communicate them is
any person. Up to this time all his suspicions were concealed, and yet
entertaining them, we find him going on
that same night to Grant's,where he danced some 16 or 18 times, and
returned home late, after which he went around
to the rooms and examined them all; on Saturday he watced; on Sunday he
barred the doors; he passes
through the laboratory and nothing seems to attract him; Prof. W. he knew,
was engaged there, and yet he made no
search; afterwards, Mr. Clark comes; then again the same day, Mr. Kingsley
comes to make a search, and yet he
tells them to make no search at oil, at that time. f The counsel here
commented at much length upon the en-
tire testimony of Littlefield, shewing the friendly relations that existed
between him and Professor Web-
ater, while Littlefield entertins the terrible suspicions as to his guilt.,
receiving at the onset from the Professor
the present of a turkey for Thanksgiving and never openly communicating his
suspicions until the time that
notices were posted up offering a reward for the discovery of the remains
of Dr. Parkman, and then, coincidently
making the effort to undermine the walls of the privy in which a portion of
the remains were found. He next
particularly called the attention of the Jury to the fact of the certainty
with which he made his way in boring
the wall to the exact position where the remains were found, which he
looked upon as calculated to throw a deep
suspicion upon the witness lAttlefield, and which he was of opinion
required explanation. In the course of his elo-
quent remarks. he concluded by passing a high eulogium upon the private
professional and public character of Prof.
W. in the community where he has been known for many years, mainly relying
upon his character, which in cases
like the present, where circumstantial evidence throws doubt over the case,
and wholly relied uon, should have
the proper weight.
Gentlemen, his character he brings before you. It is for you to do your
duty, and give him all the length of
the law and evidence which has been offered here. May you never regret your
last day's worklin this laborious
and protracted case. God grant him a good deliverance; and may he grant the
same to you, and that you shall
never reflect upon your final determination here with any other feelings
than those of satisfaction.
ELEVENTH DAY.
Mr. ClifforWs Closing Address.
The Jury entered at five minutes before nine o'clock, and the Court
followed at five minutes
past nine o'clock. The names of the Jury having been called, Mr. Clifford,
Attorney General,
rose to make the closing argument for the Government
You, Gentlemen of the Jury, as well as myself and the community, must have
been aware at the commenement of
this trial that everything that human ingenuity and talent could do would
be done by the defence to avoid the
fate which the contrasting of ciroumstancas has been inevitably drawing the
unhapliy man at the
bar. I did hope when this cause commenced that the prisoner would be able
to adduce some evi-
dence and proof to show that he was innocent of the charge which is made
against him. and I expressed that
hope with all the sincerity of a compassionate heart, but, gentlemen of the
Jury, that hope has been utterly and en-
tirely disappointed. In the whole argument of te defence the learned
counsel of the prisoner has advocated
his cause with transcendent ability and eloquence, yet he had made no
explanation of the peculiar circumstances
attending the finding of the remains in his laboraory at the Medical
College. The counsel for the defence had
argued that the prisoner had been incarcerated in his cell in the jail
alone, unaided and friendless, yet
he had been ready at all times to give full and satisfactory proof of his
innocence. How
stands the case in reality ? The prisoner, though he has had opportunities
at all times to come forward and vindi-
cate his innocence he has chosen rather to close his own lips and those of
his counsel, until this time. when- he
could remain silent no longer. Counsel for the defence had complained that
there had been two secret judgments
made already upon the guilt of his client-two secret tribunals where he was
not present; but did it ever occur to
the Jury that there had been one tribunal before which the prisoner had
been brought to answer to the charge
against him; and that the prisoner had appeared before that
tribunai,attended by one of the ablest counsel of the
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