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TRIAL OF JOIJN W. WEBSTER. 125
he had nothing to say about it; and I took upon myself to direct, that
he should be taken to the carriage again.
When we got .to the carriage, I found that Dr. Webster was unable
to get in. His limbs were perfectly stiff; he could not bend his legs,
at all. I got in, first, and helped draw him in, as if his body were in
one straight piece. «'e placed him on the back seat, and he fell back,
as if faint, and unable to support himself. The first thing he said, was,
" Why don't they ask Littlefield? He can explain all this; he has the
care of the dissecting-room. They wanted me to explain; but they
didn't ask me anything." He then said, "Oh, dear! What will my
family think of my absence? " I said to him, " I pity you, and I am
sorry for yon, my dear sir." He replied, " Do you pity me? Are you
sorry for me? What for? " I said,=` To see you so excited; I hope
you will be calmer." He said, "Oh! that's it." Nothing more was
said.
We took him to the jail and put him into his cell. He was unable
to get upon his bed, and we lifted him in, and left him lying upon his
back, with his head bolstered up. I had a lantern placed in the cell,
and afterwards watched him, some time, through the opening into the
lower corridor. Seeing that he did not move, I left him for the night.
I visited him in the morning, and found him just as we left him, at
midnight. I don't think that he had moved an inch, all night long. He
wanted to be raised up; and, in the course of the forenoon, was able
to sit up in a chair.
During that morning, Saturday, Dr. Webster said, (without my ask-
ing any question to lead to it,) " That is no more Dr. Parkman's body,
than it is mine; but how in the world it came there, I don't know.';
He then said, " I never liked the looks of Littlefield, the janitor; I
opposed his coming there, all I could."
The Doctor was in such a state of perspiration, the night before,
that I could feel the dampness upon his shoulder-blades, through his
coat.
I have in my possession, a letter of the prisoner's, which came into
my hands, as letters generally do, from those confined in the jail, by
being brought to the office by the turnkey. The rule is, that all letters
shall be examined, before they go out of, or into, the jail. This letter
was brought up, Tuesday morning, December 4th, open. I cannot say,
who brought it up. Mr. Holmes, the turnkey, called my attention to a
certain clause in it, and asked me, if I should let it go out. My answer,
was, that I should keep it, till I had given the officers an opportunity
to make inquiry in regard to the matter there referred to. Mr. Hopkins,
the police-officer, called in, shortly after; and when I showed him the let-
ter, he said, that he would make the inquiry. I also mentioned the
matter to Mr. Clapp, and he said that he would send some one out,
and attend to it, that day. I did not hear from Mr. Clapp, till the next
day; but the letter was detained, and never sent. I allowed other
letters to go; but, after the search of Dr. Webster's house, I told him,
that if he had anything to communicate to his family, .that he did not
wish me to see, he had better have his wife, or some of his family, come
and communicate directly with him. I told Mr. Prescott, and Mr. Cun-
ningham, also, that they had better tell -him the same.
[The following is a copy of the letter in question, which was read
by Mr. Bemis, and put into the case. It was addressed to " Miss
Marianne Webster, Cambridge."
" Boston, Monday ev'g.
My Dearest Marianne. I wrote mamma, yesterday, and Mr. C.,
who was here, this morning, told me, he had sent it out. I had a good
sleep, last night, and dreamt of you all. I got my clothes off, for the
first time, and awoke in the morning, quite hungry. It was a long time,
before my first breakfast from Parker's came; and it relished, I can
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