Trial of Professor John W Webster for the Murder of Dr George Parkman 1850

Description: Trial of Professor John W. Webster, for the Murder of Dr. George Parkman in the Medical College, November 23, 1849 Author: [John W. Webster] Title: Trial of Professor John W. Webster, for the Murder of Dr. George Parkman in the Medical College, November 23, 1849 Publication: Boston: John A. French, Boston Herald Steam Press, 1850 Description: Very Good-. Boston: John A. French, Boston Herald Steam Press, 1850. Octavo (24cm); contemporary drab stitched wrappers; 92,[2]pp.; woodcut illustrations throughout. Wrappers quite chipped and worn along margins, spine partially perished, wrinkling of wrappers and textblock from exposure to damp with dark shallow damp staining along top margin of the majority of the textblock, else a Good to Very Good, sound copy overall. Trial transcript for one of the most sensational and gruesome murders of the 19th-century. The two players involved were both upstanding Boston citizens and members of the Harvard medical school faculty, the defense Dr. John W. Webster and the victim, Webster's acquaintance and colleague Dr. George Parkman. Webster had been a highly popular professor a the medical college, "less by his lectures than by establishing in 1838 the annual 'Senior Spread'—an outdoor dancing and dinner event in the Harvard Yard on Class Day" (ANB). However, as sometimes comes with being a lavish host and easy spender, Webster found that he had overextended himself and when George Parkman discovered that Webster had fraudulently borrowed from both him and his brother-in-law using the same collection of minerals for security a heated argument ensued in Webster's campus office during which Webster brained and killed Parkman. In a panic, he proceeded to dismember, destroy and conceal Parkman's body parts, many of which were discovered in various hiding spots around Webster's office when searched. This trial transcript includes some rather graphic witness testimonials (the detailed description of dismembering of a pirate's corpse gets a couple inches on p. 19) as well as numerous detailed illustrations showing a diagram of Webster's office, the remains discovered there, a reconstruction of Parkman's skeleton, and a not terribly flattering portrait of Parkman on the day of his demise. Provenance: Contemporary pressure stamp of E.J. Thompson, Dentist, Lynn, Massachusetts. Evidently this trial appealed to the masses for myriad reasons, perhaps in Thompson's case because one of the pivotal witnesses in identifying Parkman's body was Dr. Nathan C. Keep, the dentist who made Parkman's mineral teeth discovered in Webster's office. COHEN 13182; McDADE 1067. Seller ID: 31069 Subject: 19th Century, Americana, Law, Massachusetts, Medicine, True Crime Capitol Hill Books is a used bookstore located on historic Capitol Hill in Washington DC, with three floors of quality used books, first editions, and rare books. [Note: Our online inventory is stored and managed at a separate location from at our brick and mortar shop. If you have a question about an item listed online, please send a direct message here rather than calling the store so that we can make sure someone familiar with the item in question can respond.] Terms Books described only as First Editions are First Printings unless otherwise specified. All items are guaranteed to be as described or they may be returned within 30 days of receipt for a full refund. All orders ship within two business days. Standard mail is USPS Media Mail. Expedited and international shipping are also available (please contact for estimates). We offer combined shipping on multiple orders. This listing was created by Bibliopolis.

Price: 150 USD

Location: Washington, District Of Columbia

End Time: 2024-12-31T20:15:43.000Z

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