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even he could not choose but weep! Was it not a natural expression
of feeling, which would thus have been extorted even from a man of
flint, - which you see, by his appearance on the stand, that he is not ?
What opportunity had Littlefield to be in any way concerned in this
matter? Mr. Littlefield was in Dr. Holmes' lecture-room within five
minutes, probably, of the time when Dr. Parkman entered that build-
ing.
Chief Justice Shaw. Did he not go into Professor Ware's room ?
3lr. Clifford. Yes, your Honor. But he went to Dr. Holmes' before
the close of the lecture. He assisted him in what he had to do, after
his lecture was finished. He then came down, Nvith Dr. Holmes, at a
quarter past two o'clock. Now, we cannot ask Dr. Holmes the ques-
tion, whether that statement is true, because Littlefield having stated
it, and being unimpeached, he could not be corroborated; but they had
it in their power to contradict him, if the statement was untrue.
Then, according to Littlefield's testimony, he made his preparations
for the fires in the furnaces of the medical lecture-room and the dissect-
ing-room ; and also prepared the stove in Dr. Ware's private room ; and
at three o'clock Dr. Bosworth calls there and finds him engaged in these
accustomed occupations, and in his ordinary dress. There we have
Littlefield, at five minutes before two, at a quarter past two, at three
o'clock; and then, at four o•clock, he was lying down, as we prove by
his wife's niece; and Mr. Pettee calls, and testifies that he saw him.
And then we find from half past five to six o'clock, he dresses him-
self, and goes to Mr. Grant's dancing academy, and he is there that
whole evening. Now, where is Dr. Webster?
Then there is another consideration, with which I sball leave this
matter. If Mr. Littlefield had anything to do with that body, he had
access to that receptacle of the bones from the dissecting-room, and
could command an entrance to it; his throwing anything down in
it- would have excited nobody's suspicions who might be passing
through the entry; lie understood that lock, and if he bad those
remains there for any other purpose than for the gross and incredible
purpose I have already discussed. - of fasteningg suspicion upon Dr.
Webster, -he could have deposited them in the dissecting-vault, be-
yond all doubt.
The.question is asked, why did not Dr. Webster deposit thern in
the dissecting-vault? Two satisfactory reasons! You know whether
he had access to it. I very much doubt whether he knew where the
key was kept, or could have unlocked it, if he did. When you visited
the building, Gentlemen, you tried that lock, and ascertained for
yourselves how difficult it was to unlock it. The other reason is,
that he was exposed, while there, at any moment, to observation, from
the students, who were passing, day and night, to that dissecting
room.
But all these possible alternatives of what he might have done
suggest another consideration; and it covers a large portion of the
Counsel's argument, about the folly of the prisoner, if he was really
guilty. When you are tracing the history of a criminal-when you
are attempting to mark out the course which he has pursued-you
must rernember, that, in judging of his course, and in weighing his
conduct, in your anxiety and' your conscientiousness of purpose, to
arrive at the truth, your own honest hearts can furnish you with no
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