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below Dover-street, in Cotton-place. I ate my dinner at half past
twelve o'clock, and went directly to the College. The 24th, on Sat-
urday I was over to South Boston, on business for my brother, the
Rev. Mr. Bosworth. I first heard of the disappearance of Dr. Park-
man on Saturday afternoon, at the depot when I was going up to
Grafton. I saw a notice of it in the paper, the same night. I remem-
bered the circumstance then, of my seeing him, and mentioned it at
the depot. I was not apprised, till yesterday, that I would be required
here. I was informed yesterday, at eleven o'clock, at my house.
[The Prosecuting Attorney here informed the Court that the evi-
dence on the part of the Government was now all in; and it wanting
but a few minutes of two o'clock, the Court adjourned to half past
three, P. M.]
AFTERNOON.
OPENING STATEMENT OF MR. EDWARD D. SOHIER, IN BEHALF
OF THE DEFENDANT.
May it please your Honors, and Gentlemen of the Jury
I am aware that it is usual-perhaps it may be considered as im-
perative upon the Counsel, in a case like this-to call the atten-
tion of the Jury to the situation of their client; and to comment, in
strong language, upon the importance-the vast importance-of the
interests which he has at stake. But, Gentlemen, I shall not do this;
I cannot do it.
I fear much, Gentlemen, that, should I permit my attention here to
wander from the cause to the party, from the record to the dock, I
might be lost. I might, perchance, perceive nothing but the man
who, for more than a quarter of a century, has been a respected Pro-
fessor in that University which is the pride of our State ; a respected
Lecturer in that College which is one of the boasts of our city; the
man under, whose instruction many now present at this trial were
educated, myself among the rest; -I should see him struggling for
his life ; struggling for his reputation ; struggling to avert infamy from
himself and from his children, in that self-same dock where we have
been accustomed to see felon after felon, to abide the judgment of the
law. I might think of these things, Gentlemen, and I might wander
from the case.
I must, on the contrary, rather follow-though necessarily it needs
must be at a long and humble distance - in the footsteps of the eloquent
Counsel who opened this case in behalf of the Government; and I
must allude, Gentlemen, briefly, to our duties here; to our relative
situation, and relative responsibilities to the cause; the rules of law
applicable to-the charge involved in it; and the Tales of evidence, as
applicable to its long, detailed, and circumstantial testimony.
We are here, Gentlemen, as the learned Counsel told you, in the
discharge of our various duties as officers and as ministers of the
Court, to discuss and determine that one great question, which, for
months, has absorbed the attention, and has agitated to their very
lowest depths the feelings of a great community; to wit,-Is the life
of Professor Webster, now the prisoner at the bar, forfeited to the
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