Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 209
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Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 209
   Enlarge and print image (53K)           << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>
200 Chief Justice Shaw (reads.) °, Mr. Waterman said that he woubi solder it, and the Doctor said it would be done at Cambridge! Mr. Cliford. The Jury may judge of it. Judge i'Vlerrick. That is what I am asking them, with all my heart, to do. With respect to the tan, it seemed at one time mo- mentous. Dr. Webster sent in, at one time, a bag of tan, from his house. A part of these remains were, found imbedded in the tan. Here were these remains on Friday, and the tan was sent in on Monday. Dr. Webster is able to prove that the tan was there on the morning after his arrest. The bag of tan was seen on Tuesday morning by Mr. Kingsley. But it existed untouched on Friday morning. There is no proof that there ever was seen any other bag. It does not appear that the tan was ever used, or touched. Still, here, as in the other case, I suppose that the Government ask you to make some inference from it. The truth is, the tan was there for a purpose which Dr. Webster could explain. If you go into the laboratory, and see all the contrivances, you would hardly be surprised that anything which mechanics use should, in larger or less quantities, be found in a chemist's laboratory. I did not know, Gentlemen, at one time, but that we should be in danger from another matter, of which evidence is in the case - that bunch of keys which was found after Dr. Webster's arrest. I did not know but that they were to be brought in, in some way, to the connecting Dr. Webster with this awful crime. But all that we have upon this subject is the explanation of Dr. Webster. He says he found those keys, and thought they might be useful. The keys were separate and distinct; and it turns out that a portion of them will apply to the dissecting-room, and to two doors in his own room. He had a right to go to the dissecting-room, and to his own room ; and, therefore, the keys are nothing. If he were on trial for burglary, they might be proper evidence. Being on a trial for murder, deadly weapons would be proper. The keys touch the burglar; the deadly weapons touch Dr. Webster. I submit that there is nothing which affects, or which ought to affect, this case, in the slightest degree. Mr. Littlefield has testified, in relatibn to a sledge-hammer, which was there at the time when it is supposed this crime was committed, that he has searched diligently for it since - and it is gone. Another witness has testified in relation to twine. There was twine found tied around the bone of the thigh that was inserted in the thorax, which was buried in the tan. This twine corresponds with twine which was found in the private room of Dr. Webster, and that which was on the fish-hooks which were purchased. Now, if Dr. Webster committed this offence, he mi;-ht, or he might not, have used that twine. .If he made that grapple, and it could be proved that while he was doing it on one side, he was tying the thigh with the other, it might convict him. But take our hypothesis, and it ex- plains it. 1° How these things came there, I don't know." The Government's case does not exclude the idea that all these might. have been placed there by another agent. If another man carne there and did any of these things- that is enough. If another man came there and brought these remains, that man could dispose