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276
Afterwards, Mr. Cunningham opened that trunk, and, in lcoking over
the papers, found the notes laying there ; and thinking they had been
overlooked, and that the officers might come again, laid them in
sight, and made a memorandum of it, in the presence of a witness.
Then, with regard to Rev. Dr. Parkman. I conversed with him on
this very point of aberration of mind, and he asked me if Dr. Park-
man had in his hand, when I saw him, this very bunch of lettuce ;
and I think I said that he had a bundle.
In regard to the nitrate of copper, - either the lecture preceding
my arrest, or the one preceding that, I had occasion to show the ex-
periments of changes of color in gases. I prepared a large quantity
of the nitric oxide gas. In a two gallon jar, were placed nitric acid
and bits of copper. Nitric oxyde gas is thereby produced. After
standing a few hours, it becomes colorless ; and, during the lecture,
by the admission of oxygen gas, it becomes of a bright orange color,
the gas being changed, by this experiment, into nitrous acid. Blood,
by the admission of oxygen gas, is changed from dark venous blood
to florid red. And so I might go on, and show how these circum-
stances which have been testified to have occurred.
My very calmness has been brought against me. My trust has
been in my God! I have been advised by my Counsel to remain as
calm as possible.
That money paid Dr. Parkman I had positively laid by, from day
to day, in this little trunk, and, unfortunately, no one can be produced
who saw me pay it. Several years ago, I had been in the habit of
having students m my laboratory ; but, for a number of years, I have
prepared everything with my own hands. The reasons why I excluded
any one from my laboratory are obvious. I will not allude to them.
This will serve to give the Jury an idea of the perversions, as I
must call them, which have been brought forward in this case.
Every day, from the Friday of the disappearance, to the following
Friday, I never was absent from my home alone after nine o'clock at
night ; and, as to being seen by Mr. Sanderson, it is altogether a mis-
take. I was at home every night but Wednesday. In regard to where
I dined on Friday, I would say, that about three o'clock I went toward
the omnibus office, to go out, but stopped into Brigham's, where I
often went to get a bite and tool, a mutton chop. From there I went
to Kidder's, and from thence to the 'omnibus office.
But, accident put it into my power to show that I had been at one
place on Wednesday evening. Having occasion to make a little pres-
ent, I went to Munroe's book-store, and bought Humboldt's late work.
I took that book with me, stopped again at Brigham's, and thence
went to Mr. Cunningham's. On my arrival, I found that I had for-
gotten my book. They went to Brigham's, and found the book; but,
unfortunately, on the other occasion, I cannot prove the fact; and so
it has been with the greater number of other circumstances. I will
not detain the Court by detailing them.
If the Court will allow me to say one word more,- I have felt more
distressed by the production of these various anonymous letters, I had
almost said, than by anything else. And I call my God to witness,
while I positively declare, I never wrote them! Since my trial, my
Counsel has received, on this day, a letter from this very « Civis";
and if he is present, and has a spark of humanity, I call upon him to
come forward, and acknowledge it!
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