Bemis Report of the Webster Trial, 1850 [1897], Image No: 82   Enlarge and print image (64K)           << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>
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Bemis Report of the Webster Trial, 1850 [1897], Image No: 82   Enlarge and print image (64K)           << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>
$4 TRIAL OF JOHN W. WEBSTER. while in the laboratory. I was not in the room more than ten minutes. Wednesday night I went to a cotillon party. When I got into the laboratory, I went up to the Doctor's back room. I thought the spots upon the floor, suspicious. I noticed spatters on the stairs, more than anywhere else. They were rather red, then. I put my finger down, and tasted of them. I thought, at that time, that the spots were blood; and that something had been put on to disguise them. I thought the spots upon the floor of the upper laboratory, were sus- picious. I had never seen them there, before. The little room was fastened; and the door into the lecture-room, locked, so that I could not get through, without breaking the door. I communicated the facts about the heat, and the hogsheads, &c., right away to my wife, as soon as I got into the kitchen. I communicated them to Drs. Bigelow, and Jackson, on Friday. L, did not have much to do, on Thanksgiving day. I tried the doors; but did not try to get in by the window. I did not see Dr. Webster on Thursday; but I did not know, but that he might come in. I was about, on Thursday; did not take any one in, to examine the laboratory. Before Thursday morning, I had communicated my suspicions to Dr. Hanaford, the physician, whose office is in Bowdoin-square. On Tues- day night, as I came home from the Lodge, I was with him, more than au hour. Up to Thursday morning, I had communicated my suspicions to no one, except my wife and Dr. Hanaford, and a man named Thomp- son, who worked for me. On Thursday afternoon, I communicated them to Mrs. Harlow, who lives near the College, and who lent me some tools to break through the wall with. On Friday, I told them to Mr. Trenholm, and to Drs. Bigelow, and Jackson. I told Mr. Trenholm, after I came up from work from under the building, after Messrs. Kings- ley and Starkweather went away. I got home from the party on Wednesday, at ten, or half-past ten, in the evening. The first person to whom I mentioned, that we could not get under the building, except by breaking through the wall, was Mr. Fuller, the officer, on Tuesday, when we were under the building, looking about. I did not wish to take up the floor in the entry, to get under the building, as the students would be passing through the entry into the dissecting-room. The place would have been, where I had told Dr. Webster, that the workmen had got under, before. The bricks of the floor are laid in mortar. The upper laboratory-floor bricks are laid the same. I saw the floor removed, when the police had charge of the building. I did not see any more sand than would naturally be with the bricks. To a jyror.-The mortar was laid upon the floor, and the bricks laid on it, and none came up between the joints. There was sand placed all over the brick floor, and swept, so as to fill the cracks. Mr. Littlefield, resumes.-The remains, were two or thfee feet, from a perpendicular line let fall from the privy-hole. I did not get in through the opening which I made in the wall, at flrst, but only put my head in. I have seen the knife with the silver sheath, about the premises, in the little back private room. I saw it there, last winter. The Doctor kept his tools in that room, which I did not enter, more than once. I fix the time of seeing the jack-knife, on the Monday before Dr. Park- man disappeared. I did not see it from that time, till it came out of the tea-chest. I took it into my hands, on the Monday referred to. I don't recollect his telling me, that he got it to cut grape-vines with. I have seen the Doctor cut corks, with a knife, or something else. I have got twine for Dr. -Webster. I never got any blood, before, for him, either during this course of lectures, or at any other time. Ile may have had blood, before, but I do not recollect of getting it for him.