Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 74
   Enlarge and print image (56K)           << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>
clear space clear space clear space white space


 

Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 74
   Enlarge and print image (56K)           << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>
65 did not hear him say anything. We went in, looked through the room, and went down into the laboratory. Do not recollect hearing Dr. W. say anything. Don't remember whether he went down into the laboratory with us. We unbolted the lower door, and went out. I showed them all over the rest of the building, and they went away. Recollect of nothing more that day, on the subject. Tuesday morning; could not get in to make the fires, further than the lecture-room. Went about half past nine o'clock, unlocked the lecture-room door, and found Dr. Webster in a sort of smoking cap. I asked him if I should make a fire in his furnace. He said no; said the things .for his lecture that day would not stand much heat. Tuesday evening, I told my wife I guessed Dr. Webster had got his room open; I went up into Dr. W.'s back room; he was reading a paper. He asked me if I knew where Mr. Foster kept, near the Howard Athenaeum. I asked him if he was a provision dealer. He said he was. I said I knew him. He asked me if I had bought my Thanksgiving turkey. I said no; I had thought of going out to Thanksgiving. He added, 1° Take that order, and get you a nice tur- key. I am in the habit of giving away two or three every- year, and perhaps I shall want you to do some odd job for me." I thanked him, and told him I should be most happy to do anything for him I could. He then gave me another order to Foster, to send him, to Cambridge, some sweet potatoes. I went to Foster's ; he took the order, and told me to pick out such a turkey as I liked. I came home, and staid there till half past six. It was the first time he ever gave me anything. The id, -a of his giving a cent's worth was remarkable. I was going out to the Suffolk Lodge of Odd Fellows, and met Dr. Webster in the entry. . He had a candle, which he blew out, and set upon the settee. He went out with me. I asked hicn if he should want any fires in his room that week, as there were no lectures. He said, °' No, Mr. Littlefield, I shall not need any fires." He inquired if I was going down town. I told him I was going to the Lodge. He said, °, You are a Freemason, are you? " I replied, °1 Yes. I am a kind of one." We parted and he went towards the bridge, and I up Cambridge-street. Wednesday morning, Prof. Webster came to the College early. He went into the laboratory, and I heard him moving things around there. I went to the door and tried to listen, but the catch over the key-hole was down. When I stood .listening, I saw my wife looking at me. I went into the kitchen; I told my wife - [Prisoner's counsel objected to his saying what he told his wife.] Attorney General. State what you did when you saw your wife. Witness. I was picking a hole through the partition when my wife saw me; I cracked off a small piece, and thought Dr. Webster heard me. I went into the kitchen afterward; then came out and laid down on my face, and looked under the door. I thought I heard the moving of a coal-hod on the floor from near the door. I could see him, as high as his knees, going toward the furnace where the bones were found. Cannel coal and bark were kept near the laboratory stairs, in a bin; hard coal was kept near the furnace. Could see no more of him. Laid there about, five minutes. `Pent out with my wife about nine o'clock; did not get back till one o'clock. About three o'clock I passed through the dissecting-room. In passing up stairs to the Dem- onstrator's room, I first felt heat in the wall from Dr. Webster's labo- 5