488 TRIAL OF DR WEBSTER. 



among laymen ought not to prevent cordial co-operation. 

 Nor would the public in general trouble themselves in 

 this country in the United States not at all with the 

 religious opinions of those who addressed them at public 

 meetings, unless it were perhaps to be considered an 

 argument in favour of the topic under consideration, 

 that persons belonging to so many different religious 

 denominations all agreed in supporting it. 



March 23. I spent a couple of hours this morning in 

 listening in the court-house to the testimony of Little- 

 dale, the principal witness against Dr Webster, now on 

 his trial for the murder of Dr Parkman. There was 

 much prejudice against this man, who was considered 

 more likely than Dr Webster to have perpetrated the 

 murder; and, with that prejudice on one s mind, he 

 certainly did appear to give his evidence in a suspicious 

 manner. So difficult is it for a man, who is conscious 

 that he is himself suspected, to give evidence in a case 

 of life or death in a natural manner. Dr Webster him 

 self sat very quietly and composedly in the dock. One 

 of the coollest things I heard of his doing while thus sit 

 ting in the dock, was that of thrusting out his arm and 

 shaking hands with the Rev. Dr Parkman, a brother of 

 the murdered man, as he happened to pass near him on 

 his way into the court. 



The trial of this man excited intense interest in Boston. 

 Every morning the report in the journals of the previous 

 day s proceedings was eagerly devoured ; and crowds at 

 all hours flocked to the courts to get a peep at the man 

 himself. Opinions were very much divided as to the 

 guilt of the man, the result of the trial, and the chance 

 of execution should he be convicted. The two latter 

 points were rendered doubtful by the strong feeling 

 against capital punishments, which has gradually arisen 

 in the State of Massachusetts. 



Perhaps the most remarkable circumstances in con- 



