Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 276
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Dr. James W. Stone. Report of the Trial of
Professor John W. Webster ...
, 1850
,
Image No: 276
   Enlarge and print image (53K)           << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>
267 himself and Dr. Leigh; and there is no pretence that Dr. Leigh was there. That door was left bolted at night, and was found left un- bolted in the morning. In the course of that forenoon, on Saturday, when Littlefield went in to build his fire, and was about to proceed down the labor- atory stairs, he received. for the first time in his life, the peremp- tory order-Mr. Littlefield, go out the other way." He went out as he came in. On Sunday, he was there. Then he had those interviews of which I have spoken, and upon which I do not care to dwell. In his interview with Mr. James Blake, his story was pre- pared; and you have been asked, with great significance, °v If he were a guilty man, why should he come to communicate that interview; for nobody would have known it, if he had not?" If nobody was to know it, why does he have the notes? How did he know but that they had been exhibited to Dr. Francis Parkman on that very Friday morning? The fact that he communicated his interview is explicable on other grounds also. How could he know but that he would be remembered, on that morning, by the ser- vant ? And what a fatal fact, if he kept it to himself, if it should turn out afterwards that he was recognized But suppose he had been perfectly sincere, arid had wanted simply to communicate with this family the fact of the interview; then I submit to you, considering the relations between him and the Rev. Dr. Parkman, he would riot, at least, have slept that night without send- ing a note to relieve the agony of that family. But he waits till Sunday, and is dissuaded from going in the morning, in order to go to church. He had an early dinner on Sunday, in order that he might go over and communicate with Rev. Dr. Parkman. But he does not visit him till he had spent some time at the College. He does not get to Dr. Parkman's house till four o'clock in the afternoon ; and then he makes a communication, the object of which seems to be, to impress on Dr. Parkman's mind just two things-one, that he had paid money to his brother. He was never to appear. These notes would be.traced. He must show that he had paid them. The other, that his brother was in a strange condition, and that he rushed out'in a hurry, indicating a disordered mind; and that concluded all that cold, business-like, unsympathizing interview with the family of his own pastor, and the pastor of his children. Then, on Monday, that striking interview with Mr. Samuel P. Blake, when he braced himself up to answer questions ! It is com- mented upon by the Counsel, that he was too warm in his interview with one, and too cool in his interview with the other. But both are consistent with the theory I have suggested. I come now.to another subject. Mr. Blake said he (Dr. Webster) told him enough to make him believe that Dr. Parkman took that mortgage from him, although we find that very mortgage in Dr. Parkma.u's house. We find an interview with Fuller and Thompson on Sunday night. Mr. Thompson did not observe what Fuller did, and Fuller did not hear what Thompson did. They are to be taken together. Mr. Fuller witnessed the agitation of Dr. Webster; Mr. Thompson heard by statement, of his interview with Dr. Parkman. This is all evidence. And the statements that either two persons