Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 40
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Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 40
   Enlarge and print image (56K)           << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>
31 upon me on the morning of that day, between nine and ten o'clock we walked down together as far as State-street. There was nothing unusual in his appearance; he looked to be in perfect health, and it very good spirits. Parted with him about ten, and that was the last I saw of him. Saturday morning, Mrs. Parkman sent in, and req,;~sted me to come in and see her. I went, and found leer in great distress; she stated that Dr. P. had not been home since Fri- daynoon. I then proceeded directly to my brother-in-law, the Rev. Dr. Parkman, and told him that his brother had been missing since Fri- daynoon. Fromthence I think I went immediately down to Mr. Edward Blake, who is our nephew; our suspicions rested on a party unknown to him. Shall I relate the particulars ? Mr. Clifford. That is something in relation to an affair about a robbery from Dr. Parkman ? Mr. Shaw. Yes; we sent to Mr. Park to know if any of the wit- nesses on that trial were in town. Mr. Park said that he did not think they were in the city, and that he thought we were mistaken. Finding that the persons suspected were not in the city, of course we gave up the search for them. That evening, an advertisement was published, directed by me; the reward of $3000 was offered by myself, and subsequently a reward of $1000 for the discovery of the remains. Gave a general direction to the search during the following week. First saw the remains of the Dr. the evening they were discovered ; have seen them since, when they were placed together. I did see some marks which induced me to believe they were his remains ; they were the hair on the breast and leg, the color of which exactly corresponded with what I had seen. I had seen the hair on his breast some time previous, but the hair on his leg I had seen in the early part of No- vember, on an occasion-(Shall I rglate the circumstance ? Yes.) -that he came into my house, early in the morning, a very cold morning. I told him that I did not think he was clothed warm enough; he immediately pulled up his pantaloon-leg, and showed me his leg, that he had no drawers on. I could not identify the hair on the leg, so well as the hair on the breast. The height and size of the remains certainly corresponded with a figure like that of Dr. P. There was nothing dissimilar about them from what I knew of Dr. P. I did finally take charge of these remains, and had them interred as the remains of Dr. Parkman. If I had not known that Dr. Park- man was missing, I should not have thought the remains were his. On the 18th of April, 1848, I received a note from Dr. W., asking to have a private interview with me. I replied that I would see him at my house in the morning. He came, the next day, according to my permission, and expressed to me his great embarrassment, and great want of money; he said that he expected that a sheriff would be at his house, to take his furniture, if he could not raise a certain sum of money, to pay off some pressing demands that had been standing for more than a year. Ile then pressed me to buy a cabinet of minerals in his possession. I told him I did not want them. He told me that perhaps at some future time I might want them, to make a donation. I said I had no surh purpose in view. He told me the sum he wanted was $1200; and he pressed me so hard with regard to his family, and other reasons that worked upon my feelings, that finally, after reflection, I thought I would relieve him. - I. asked