Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 108
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Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 108
   Enlarge and print image (55K)           << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>
99 and three fourths inches each way. We tried to get the thorax through the hole, but could not, as it was too large for it The pelvis would go through by turning it up, as I called edgeways: We made experiments in regard to hearing noises from Dr. Holmes' room, and Dr. Webster's laboratory, by shouting. . Both doors were shut at the time. This experiment was made by someone who came in with a permit. I was up stairs, and the other person was below; and then we changed. We could not hear each other. [A small plate and stick, both having ink on them, were here shown to the witness.] The plate stood in the upper laboratory, on a bench. The bench was some five or six feet from the lecture-room door. The stick lay under the table, on the floor. This was Saturday morning. Cross-examination. I measured the privy-seat after it was taken up from its place. Mrs. Littlefield and Butman, I think, were there. The seat was up. Mr. Littlefield held the thorax; also the pelvis. The pelvis went through quite easy, but there was no room to spare. There was tan in a bag, and about half a bushel in a barrel. The bag laid about eight or ten feet from the door of Mr. Littlefield's store-room. The bag was very nearly full. I did not see the tea- chest on Tuesday, to take any notice of it. The knife was shut. I think I put it in my pocket. At any rate, it was in my pocket a few minutes after, and I have had it in my possession ever since. When the chest was turned up, there were Butman, Starkweather, Rice, and, I think, Mr. Littlefield. This party was there most, of Saturday. and Sunday. I said the tea-chest was found Saturday, a few minutes before four o'clock. When the thorax first came out, it fell back up. As I held the chest up sideways, it slid out. I saw the hole after I had looked at the tho- rax some four or five minutes. I turned it over, and saw it when I turned it over. I drawed it part way out' of the tan, and let it lay till the Coroner came. A string was not tied round the thorax, but it was round the bone of the thigh. I allowed no one to meddle with the remains till the Coroner's Jury came. They came about half past four o'clock the same afternoon. Butman was going to scrape the tan off, when I spoke to him. He did not scrape it, though. He said, '° I am going to scrape the tan off, to see how it will look." I took my hand and brushed off the out- side. The neck-end of the thorax was up, as it lay in the chest. I put my hand down about up to my wrist. I never saw Thompson, after he went out to Cambridge, till I saw him here at the trial. I told this gentleman that I thought Dr. Webster's conduct very singu- lar, but I didn't know but what it was his way. This was after I left Dr. Webster's house, at the time we went to Cambridge about the mortgage. I thought he trembled. I had no suspicion of Dr. Webster at the time. I didn't know but what it was his manner. We arrived at Cambridge just after dark. I shouldn't think we were there more than twelve or fifteen minutes. We went to ascer- tain the date of the mortgage. The first day I was at the College was Tuesday. I think I did n't state to the Coroner's Inquest that Dr. Webster said that Dr. Parkman was there at half past one o'clock exactly. I made memorandum of the conversation that took place on Tuesday, the next morning, I think, or that night. The memo-