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TRIM. OF JOHN W. WEBSTER. 71
passed down the laboratory-stairs. I went forward, and they all fol-
lowed. Dr. Webster came down with us. Some one,-I .think it was
Mr. Clapp,-went to the privy door. The door has a large square glass
over it. The glass is painted, or whitewashed, about two-thirds over.
In looking over the top of the square, Mr. Clapp asked, "What place is
this? -Dr. Webster being within three feet. I told them " That is
Dr. Webster's private privy: no one has access there, but himself." I
thought that Dr. Webster withdrew the attention of the officers from
that place. He went and unbolted the door leading from the labora-
tory to the front store-room, and said, " Gentlemen, here is another
room; and we all passed out. I saw Mr. Kingsley, while we were there,
in the recess of the laboratory, where the thorax was found in the tea-
chest.
One of the officers said, that they wished to search the vault, or
dissecting-room receptacle. I told them, that there was nothing there,
but what I had thrown in myself that I had the sole charge of it, and
always kept the key. It has a lid, with a stout double chest-lock upon
it. The aperture, or register of .the vault, is about two- feet square; and
about two and a half feet in height, above the floor of the dissecting-
room entry. The vault below the floor, I should think, is about twelve
feet square. I unlocked the lid, and they lowered a, glass lantern into
the vault, and appeared to be satisfied that there was nothing there,
but what belonged there. The officers went all over the building, and
into my cellar: -l mean, the apartments on the same floor with the
laboratory.
Some one asked me, if there was any way to get under the building.
I told them that there was, and led them to the trap-door, leading under
the building. We got some lights one from my kitchen and, I believe
the officers had their lanterns. Mr. Rice, Mr. Clapp, Mr. Fuller, and
myself, went down under the buildiAg. The rest, except Mr. Fuller
and myself, did not go very far. We two crawled across, from the front
to the back-side of the building. Nothing was found or seen, but the.
dirt placed there when the building was made. I pointed to the wall
under Professor Webster's laboratory, and told Mr. Fuller, that, that
was the only place that had not been searched; that, the only way to
get to it, was, to take up the floor, or dig through the wall. We came
out, and made no further search under there. They then searched my
rooms, and left.
I did not get into the Doctor's rooms, again, that forenoon. About
four o'clock in the afternoon, I was in the front cellar, and Dr. Webster
came to the College.-I mean, that I was in that part of the cellar, which
is underneath the front entry. Dr. Webster came up the front steps
into the front entry, and I heard him unlock his lecture-room door, and
go in. I came out into the lower entry, between the front and back
cellar, and next heard him go down and unbolt the door, leading under
the laboratory-stairs into my cellar. As soon as he unbolted that door,
I went into the kitchen; and had not been there but a minute, when his
bell rang. I said to my wife, " I guess Dr. Webster has got his door
open now, and I can get in."
I went up into his back room. He stood at the side of a table, and
appeared to be reading a paper, which he held in his hands; -a news-
paper, I mean. He asked me, If I knew where Mr. Foster kept; near
the Howard Athenxum? I asked him, if it was the provision-dealer?
He said that it was; and I replied, that I knew him. He then asked
me, If I had bought my Thanksgiving-turkey? I told him, that I had
not; that I had thought some, about going out to spend Thanksgiving,
and did not know as I should buy one. He then handed me an order,
saying, " Take that, and get a; nice turkey, as I am in the habit of giving
away two or three; and, perhaps I shall want you to do some odd jobs
for me. I thanked him, and told him that if I could do anything for
him I should be glad to do it. He also gave me another order to Mr.
Foster, to send him otit some sweet potatoes. I carried both orders
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