New York Globe report of the Webster Case, 1850,
Image No: 13
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New York Globe report of the Webster Case, 1850,
Image No: 13
   Enlarge and print image (101K)           << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>
13 feet of the Medical College; this was between the hours of half-past 1 and 2, and the nearest 2 ; l: was weighing castings at the time, and I remained in that place all the afternoon ; my position was directly opposite Fruit street, and if he had come out of the College that way during the after- noon, I should have seen him; there are two ways by which the Doctor might have left the Col- lege ; my brother Elias inquired the time of me that day, about the period when the Dr. passed; I heard of his disappearance the next day afterwards ; 1 knew where Dr. W. resided at the time'; on the Tuesday after Dr. P.'s disappearance, Prof. W. came into my counting-room to sign a check; William Littlefield came to my counting-room on Friday of the next week after the dis- appearance of. Dr. P., to borrow some tools to break through the wall; he borrowed a hammer and chisel; the remains were found that evening; Littlefield borrowed the tools at the same time; think my brother Leonard had lent him something previously; didn't go to the men; call- ed to see what use Littlefield made of the tools; Mr. Kingsley came to me that afternoon to in- quire about Littlefield, and he went to the door of the College; Prof. W. said, when he came to, my counting-room to fix the ,check, that nothing had been heard of Dr. Parkman. The cross-examination of the witness elicited nothing of importance, LEONARD FULLER called-I am brother of Elias and Albert Fuller; Littlefield borrowed a drill, about four feet in length, on the day of the arrest of Prof. W. He borrowed some other tools from the establishment; he was dirty and perspiring at the time; he took a chisel and ham- mer from my brother and went to the College; I did not see him again that night; I have known Dr. P. for the last ten years; he was in the habit of coming into our- counting-room every day ; he was very prompt in his manners; saw him on Friday the 23d ; there was nothing unusual in his appearance at that time. Cross-examination-Did not have any conversation with him that day; was in my chair at the time I saw him; don't remember what kind of clothes he had on. PAUL HOLLAND called-Was at my place of business, corner of Vine and Blossom streets, Friday, the 23d November; saw Dr. Parkman on that day, between one and two o'clock; he came into my shop and stayed about fifteen minutes ; he bought thirty pounds of crushed sugar and six pounds of butter; he brought a paper bag with him into the store, and asked permissioE to leave the bag in the store for a few, or five minutes, don't recollect which ; I stood behind thf counter when he went out ; he said any time would do to send the articles purchased to hif house; the bag remained in my store till evening; I then opened it and found that it contained lettuce; sent the articles purchased to his house on the evening of the same day; heard that Dr. Parkman was missing the next day, from Mr. Kingsley; there was some one in the store; -I have a clerk; the clerk was absent at dinner at the time; he, the clerk, usually dined at one o'clock. Cross-examined-My clerk generally gets back from dinner at two, or a quarter before two o'clock; I live in Spring street; Dr. Parkman did not appear to be more in a hurry than usual he wore a black frock-coat, vest and pants, and silk or satin cravat. JABEZ PRATT, Coroner, called-Am one of the coroners of this city; was called upon in my, ofcial capacity on the night of Friday, Nov. 30th, to hold an inquest on some remains found in the medical college in Grove-street; I went immediately to the house of the County Attorney,. S. D. Parker; had known Prof. Webster before this time ; saw him that night in the jail in Le- verett street; went into the lower lock-up under the jail in company with Dr. Martin Gay; Prof. W. was lying on his face on a cot, apparently in very great distress; Dr. Gay endeavored to soothe his feelings, and to get him up ; Prof. W. said he was unable to get up; he trembled all over, and exclrimed " ° What will become of my poor family;" we carried him up stairs; the officers had to lift and carry him up the stairs; he called for water, and some person offered him water, but he could not drink; as we were going to the county jail we were instructed by the County Attorney not to talk with the prisoner ; A/fr. Parker stated to Prof. W. that some disco- veries had been made at the medical college, and asked him if he was willing to go down there and make an explanation; clidn't remember whether Prof. W. gave anything more than agsent to go down to the college or not ; when he entered the carriage he was in the same condition that I first saw him; we had to lift his feet into the carriage after we got his body in; heard him complain of being cold; when we arriv-ed at the College, Owe went up to the front door of the building, and Prof. W. was carried between two officers; in the carriage he complained of the manner in which he had been taken from his family; we entered by the South front door; went into the lecture room; the officers who had hold of him were Cummings and Leighton ; I think they had some conversation with the prisoner ; we then went from bhe lecture room to the upper laboratory and broke open the door; some one inquired fox the key of the little room or closet in the laboratory; Prof. W. said that he kept his dangerous articles'there, and that officer Clapp had the key; it was finally broken open with an axe; we saw a coat hanging there, which was the one the Professor wore to lecture in; Prof. W. told us to be very careful or we would break some of the bottles and do great mischief; we came to the shelves with drawers, and broke open several of the said drawers; Webster objected to the breaking the drawers, and said we would find only den7ijobn-bottles; some inquiry was made for the key of the privy ; Prof. W. said he bung it on a nail near the shelves ; as I expected to be called upon some official duty, I did not take so much notice of the rooms as I should under other circumstances; while I was in the la- boratory, the key was tried in the privy door, but did not fit it; we broke open the privy door and tore up the seats. Some one said " where is the chimney ?" I went to the furnace, and found something like pieces of bones in it. I directed the people standing about to let it remain as it was. It appeared as though there were some minerals there likewise. Cannot. give you a. descrip-