Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 38
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Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 38
   Enlarge and print image (57K)           << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>
29 looking at it for a little while, we turned away, and Dr. Webster was taken to his carriage. I saw no more of him. The next afternoon, there was found, in a tea-chest, the upper part of a body and a thigh. I was called down from the upper laboratory. They had made new discoveries. They were drawing out the tea= chest to the middle of the floor, to overturn it. They overturned it, and the thorax fell out; with the left, thigh clasped in it between the ribs, which did not entirely cover it, and had made indentations upon it. A large knife - should call it a jacknife - fell out. There was a string round the body and leg, to lash them together. They were taken and washed, and given in charge of the officers. A pair of pantaloons, with blood on, was found m the closet. Dr. Charles T. Jackson was present. Dr. Jackson said they must be kept, to ascer- tain whether it was blood. A saw was also found. It was a small saw, about fifteen inches long in the blade. On the handle there were marks, as if of blood. I had occasion to require a pen; and asked Littlefield for a pen, when he took two from a desk, and one of them, he said, I could not use. It was made out of a sort of reed. I was not present when any tow- els were found. I was present when Dr. Lewis put the limbs together. I think it was on Monday morning. The general appearance was as that of the body of Dr. Parkman. It was tall and slim; I should say five feet ten and a half. He was very spare about the shoulders and the chest. His complexion might be called sallow. His jaw was prominent- the under part, at least. I should not want to have it understood that I swear positively to the identity of the remains with the body of Dr. Parkman. I saw some bones taken out of the fur- nace in the laboratory. I have heard Dr. Parkman use severe, but never profane, language. I have been influenced, in my course of conduct and actions, by hearing a statement made that Dr. Parkman had used profane language. I was one of the party who searched Professor Webster's house; but not at the time any papers were found. Cross-examined. The morning after the arrest, I went to Prof. Webster's house, in a carriage, and joined Messrs. Clapp, Spurr, and another, at Cambridge. I also went on an other occasion to his house. The search was made without a warrant, on the second occasion. I was with Starkweather. Dr. Parkman used hard language when he was irritated at any act of dishonesty, that he conceived any one guilty of. He was used to call names, but not to use profane expressions. When we examined the laboratory, we took some of the minerals in our hands, and examined them through curiosity. They lay all around, in barrels, boxes, and on shelves, and in the vicinity of the tea-chest. We noted the fire in the furnace before we looked at the minerals, and in Prof. Webster's -presence. I do not know the size of the furnace, and never measured it. The door of the small room wherein the chemicals were kept was open, but I did not look in. Prof. Webster let us into the laboratory, and Littlefield was with us at the time we got in. Littlefield gave no peculiar knock, that I know of. He gave two distinct strokes. It was the furnace in the lecture-room that we examined. Mr. Starkweather was with me at the time, and Dr. Ainsworth; and I think it was before we went to Dr. Webster's room, that we examined the ashes. I.dp not know where the key of the vault was then. Dr. Webster was in his work-