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7
afterwards, and yet the Professor is in Cambridge that day at one
o'clock, and remains at home all the afternoon and evening. Upon
the second day after the disappearance (being Sunday), he hears
for the first time from Professor Webster, that himself and his cred-
itor had had a meeting, and the same night charges the Professor
with the murder to his wife ; charges him with murder when nothing
has transpired to warrant the idea that any one has murdered Dr.
Parkman, and when all the friends of the latter are fearful he has
wandered away in an aberration of mind, as he had done before.
When a day 'or two afterwards the officers came to search the build-
ing, Littlefield is their cicerone, and proceeds at once to conduct
them to Professor Webster's room to commence the search. The
officers propose a search of the dissecting vault by lowering a light
into it. °°I told them (quoting here his own, testimony) there was
nothing in there but what I put in there myself; that no one but myself
had access there, and that it was locked,and the keys in my possession;
they wanted to lower a light dawn in the vault, but I told there it would
not burn i?i the vault, etc."
Why may not the .remains of the deceased Dr. Parkman have
been then in that vault ? Why not as well as in the privy ? Why may
not the objection of the janitor to the searching of the dissecting
vault be as pregnant with meaning against him as it is contended
the alleged diversion of attention from his private room by Dr.
Webster, is against the latter ?
Littlefield knows how to get into the Professor's laboratories by
other means than through the doors, because after feeling unusual
heat through the walls adjoining the Professor's furnace, he enters
by means of windows, both the upper and lower laboratories, and
there contents himself with a very superficial reconnoitre, consider-
ing he had been for some days impressed with the idea that Dr.
Webster is the murderer. He glances at the furnace, and looks
into a hogshead, "thinking Dr. Parkman maybe in it," and then
leaves. But here is the fact established that he has means of ac-
cess to the laboratories at any and all times, without interference
with bolt or lock. .
Upon the afternoon of Thanksgiving-day he commences to break
into the laboratory vault. He commences at three o'clock, but
leaves off work at four o'clock. For what ? to dress for a ball.
For three days and three nights has he carried about him the sus-
picion that Professor Webster is the murderer. He has, with this
suspicion, listened at key-holes, peered through crevices, entered
the laboratories, looked into hogsheads, and investigated every place
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