The Principality

PROFESSOR WEBSTER'S CONFESSION OF THE MURDER OF DR. PARKMAN. Professor Webster has addressed a letter to the Governor and Council of Massachusetts, confessing that Dr. Parkman was killed by his hand, but that it was not a murder, and praying that the sentence may be commuted. The following is his account of the last interview with Dr. Parkman and the murder I was engaged in removing some glasses from my lecture- room table into the room in the rear, called the upper laboratory, when he came rapidly down the step and followed me into the laboratory he immediately addressed me with great energy, I Are you ready for me, sir? Have you got the money?' I replied, I No. Dr. Parkman,' and was then beginning to state my condition and my appeal to him, but he would not listen to me, and interrupted me with much vehemence; be called me scoundrel and liar, and went on heaping on the most bitter taunts and opprobrious epithets. While he was speaking, he drew a handful of papers from his pocket, and took from among them my two notes, and also an old letter from Dr. Hosack, written many years ago, and congratulating him on his success in getting me ap- pointed Professor of Chemistry—' You see,' he said I I got you into your office, and now I will get you out of it.' He put back into his pocket all the papers except the letter and the notes. I cannot tell how long the torrent of threats and invectives continued, and L cannot recall to memory but a small portion of what he said, At first I kept interposing, trying to pacify him, so that I might obtain the object for which I sought the interview; but I could not stop him, and soon my own temper was up. I forgot everything, and felt nothing but the sting of his words. I was excited to the highest degree of passion, and while he was speaking and gesticulating in the most violent and menacing' manner, thrusting his letter and his fist into my face, in my fury I seized whatever thing was handiest, (it was a stick of wood,) and dealt him an instantaneous blow with all the force that passion could give it. I did not know, or think, or care, where I should hit him, nor how hard, nor what the effect would be; it was on the side of his head, and there was nothing to break the force of the blow he foil instantly upon, the pavement; there was lio second blow; I stooped down over him, and he seemed to be lifeless blood flowed from his mouth, and I got a sponge and wiped it away I got some ammonia and applied it to his nose, but without effect; perhaps I spent ten minutes in attempts to resuscitate him, but I found he was absolutely dead. In my horror and consternation I rail instinctively to the doors and bolted them ••—the doors of the lecture-room and of the laboratory below —and then what was I do ? It never occurred to me to go out and declare what had been done, and obtain assistance; I saw nothing but the alternative of a successful movement, and concealment of the body, on the one hand, and of in- famy and perdition on the other. The first thing I did as soon as I could do anything, was to draw the body into the private room adjoining there I took off the clothes end began putting them into the fire, which was burning in the upper laboratory they were all consumed there that after- papei-s, pocket-book, and whatever they contained I did not examine the pockets, nor remove anything except the watch I saw that, or the chain of it hanging Out; I took it and threw it over the bridge as I went to Cambridge my next move was to get the body into the sink which stands in the small private room, by setting the body partially erect against the corner, and by getting up into the sink myself, I succeeded in drawing it up there; it was entirely dismem- L' bered; it was quickly done as a work of terrible and des- perate necessity; the only instrument was the knife, found by the officers in the tea-chest, which I kept for cutting corks. I made no use of the Turkish knife,as it was called at the trial; that had long been kept on my mantle-piece in Cambridge, as a curious ornament. My daughters frequently cleaned it, hence the marks of oil and whiting found on it. I had lately brought it into Boston to get the silver sheath repaired. While dismembering the body a stream of Cochituate water was running through the sink, carrying off the blood in a pipe that passed down the lower laboratory,—there must have been a leak in the pipe, for the ceiling below was stained immediately around it. There was a fire burning in the furnace of the lower laboratory. Littlefield was mistaken in thinking there never had been a fire there. He had pro- bably never kindled one, but f had done it myself several times. I had done it that day for the purpose of making oxygen gas. The head and the viscera were put into that furnace that day, and the fuel heaped on. I did not examine at night to see to what degree they were consumed. Some of the extremities were put in there, I believe, on that dey. The pelvis, and some of the limbs, perhaps, were all put under the lid of the lecture room table, in what is called the Well—a deep sink lined with lead. A stream of cochituate was turned into it, and kept running through it all night. The thorax was put into a similar well in the laboratory, which I filled with water, and threw in a quantity of potash, which I found there. This disposition of the remains was not changed till after the visit of the officers on Monday. "I When the body had been thus all disposed of, I cleared away all traces of what had been done. I think the stick with which the fatal blow had been struck, proved to be the stump of a large vine—say two inches in diameter, and two feet long. It was one of several pieces which I carried in from Cambridge long before for the purpose of showing the effect of certain chemical fluids in colouring wood, by being absorbed into the pores. The grape vine, being a very porous wood, was well adapted to this purpose. Another longer stick had been used as intended, and exhibited to the students this one had not been used; I put it into the lire. I took up the two notes either from the table or the floor, I think the table, close by where Dr. Parkman had fallen. I seized an old metallic pen lying on the table, and dashed it across the face and through the signatures, and put them in ray pocket. I do not kuosv why I did this rather than put them in the fire, for I had not considered for a moment what effect either mode of disposing of them would have on the mortgage or my indebtedness to Dr. Parkman and the other persons interested, and I had not yet given a single thought to the question as to what account I should give of the ob- ject or tie of my interview with Dr. Parkman. I never saw the sledge hammer spoken of by Little field, never knew of its existence, at least I have no recollection of it. The doctor admits that he took a dose of strychine after he Was apprehended.

Loss OF AN INDIAMAN AND A FRENCH GTN BRIG.— ONE HUNDRED PERSONS DROWNED.—ON Saturday letters were re- ceived at Lloyd's from Madras and Martinique, communicating the melancholy intelligence of the loss of an Indiaman, the Sulimary, from Bombay, bound to England, and of the wreck of the French "republican war brig Iegore, lost between Fort de France and Trinidad, both of which were attended with fiight- ful loss of human life. The Sulimary, Indiaman, was riding at anchor off the coast, and encountered, on the 24th of May, a dreadful gale of wind, in the height of which she parted from her anchors, and was driven ashore, when the splendid ship speedily became a complete wreck. An attempt was made to save the passengers, of whom there were several, by means of C the boats. They were, however, quickly destroyed by the fury of the sea, and upwards of 40, including the captain, his wife, and 33 seamen, perished. Another Indiaman, named the ic SA Guns, Was driven ashore on the; same coast about the- same time, and became a wreck. The crew of this vessel were more fortunate they all escaped. The loss of both vessels is aid to exceed C50 -000. The sad calamity to the L'Aigle happened on the 10th of June. She was suddenly overtaken in a heavy squall, and almost instantly cspsised, and went Ctown. Her. crew and otIkersamountecl to 60 men. With the exception of two, every soul met with a wàtÙygmve.

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TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRINCIPALITY. SIR,—A resident at Dowlais has found, it appears, two errors in a paragraph I sent relative to the row there. I beg to thank him, for a correct statement of facts is always to be desired, and in this instaacethe mis-statement was not wilful. But that I was not very much wrong a comparison will show. The report said, were drinking at a beei- house,"—" drinking at a ewrw bach, is correct, says Itesiletit. Your correspondent says, destroyed nearly the whole: the real fact is, destroyed a great I many windows and doors of the Irishmen's houses. Voltaire once said, "if in writing the history of a battle, you happened to place a squadron of dragoons some thirty or forty paces out of the place it was, be assured some friendly critic will very soon set you right." I thank Resident, though he did not tell you what had been done. Yours truly, YOUR CORRESPONDENT.

The following letter has been sent us for insertion Cardiff, July 23rd, 1850. SIlt B. HALL AND ROBYN DDU. HONOURABLE SIR, Though I sincerely appreciate your endeavours in favour of the Church in Wales, yet, having read in the public papers of the manner in which you was induced to introduce my humble thine before the Imperial Senate of Great Britian, I respectfully declare that I never wrote any sermons for a Dean never had I such a conversation with any Dean as you allude to—I never was an Independent Minister—never had any more than one child alive at the same time—never was taken before a Dean on account of not maintaining my family. I have been now nearly eight years a widower, I have also been more than ten years without a ehild; and I feel very sorry that any individual could be so unkind as to calumniate a venerable digtiiary-to attempt an injury to a British Bard-and to mislead such a highly-beloved patriot as Sir Benjamin Half. I am, honourable sir, Your very obedient and respertful servant, ROBERT PARRY, on ROBYN DDU, IRYRI.

GORHAM v. THE BISHOP OF EXETER. ARCHES COURT, SATURDAY, JULY 20. Dr. Addams stated that, in obedience to the monition of the Court, the Bishop of Exeter had brought in the presen- tation. His lordship had desired him to say that lie had never had the slightest intention of resisting- the monition since the rule for a prohibition had been refused by the Court of Exchequer. The presentation was accompanied by what was called a protest, but which was in fact merely an explanation. Mr. Bowdler (the proctor for Mr. Gorham) said that he had had no Opportunity of seeing the protest; its reception was a matter for the consideration of the Court. It affected the question of the regularity of the proceedings. The learned Judge said that, unless the presentation had been brought in, the prayer of Mr. Bowdler would have been to pronounce the Bishop in contempt, and to proceed according to the tenor of foi-ii-ior' acts. The protest ought not to have been brought in in the manner in which it was now done it should have been delivered long ago. Dr. Addams, in reply, said, that it could only be brought in with the presentation. The learned Judge thought he ought not to receive the protest. Dr. Addams said, that it was the desire of the bishop that the presentation should be accompanied by the ex- planation. The learned Judge thought that the Court had not been well used the protest ought not to have been brought in without notice, Dr. Addams inquired whether the Court would allow the matter to stand over until it sat again? The learned Judge, after again stating that the Court ought not to have been placed in such a situation, directed the presentation to be received, and the protest to be dis- annexed. Mr. Bowdler then prayed the Court to appoint a convenient time for the institution of Mr. Gorham. The learned Judge doubted whether he could proceed to the institution without a fiat from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Mr. Bowdler stated, that an arrangement had been made for issuing the fiat. The learned Judge was quite ready to do whatever the Archbiship directed. When the fiat was obtained he would proceed to the institution, but it was not necessary that that should take placc in open Court. 'The cause was remitted to that Court by the Judicial Committee under very special circumstances; had he been aware of the motion he would have brought the papers with him. Mr. Bowdler would, with the permission of the Court, take another opportunity of mentioning the ease. He had no wish to hurry it at all. The case then stood over.

COMPANY OF COPPER MINERS IN ENGLAND. We regret to announce that the valuable property of this company is about to be offered for sale at the Auction Mart, on Friday, the '28i.li instant, by order of the trustees, under a mort- gage deed. Our readers will remember that, on the 17th July, 1849, the property was put up to auction, but on account of the difficulty of finding a purchaser, the sale was withdrawn. The mortgagees were then, as now, the Bank of England. For a long period great dissatisfaction has been expressed in the trade, on account of that influential and powerful corporation carrying on the Nvoi-ks and trading establishments of the Copper Miners' Company. The committee of shareholders, appointed at the annual meeting in April, 1819, finding all attempts to reconcile the different conflicting interests fruitless, prepared a bill for the amendment of the constitution of thecompany." By this they proposed to raise new capital, to obtain the works from the bank, and to commence operations de novo. One of the most important clauses of that bill was the appointment of aa emCient and inde- pendent audit, as to the want of that, in a great measure, they attributed the deplorable position of the company. After going through two readings, the bill was committed. The gentlemen, however, who sat on the committee, after five days' investi- gation, declared the preamble not proved, iatid, consequently, it was thrown out, and cannot be forward again this session. Thus, after fifteen mouths' arduous labour, through some technical deficiencies, the shareholders' committee find their hopes frus- trated, and their exertions negatived. The consequence of this is, no arrangement being possible to be entered into, the bank not wishing longer to hold the property, have determined to offer it for sale. The Mining Journal, after pointing out difficulties in the con- ditions of sale, which would prevent capitalists from purchasing, says: "In our humble opinion, the-wisest course that could be pursued is, th-,it,the;debeiitur preference,. and old shareholders should sink their several differences, and by a united effort, endeavour to effect such arrangements that the property could again revert to them, the original proprietors. We are aware that, however easy this suggestion is made, there will be considerable difficulty experienced in carrying it effectually out; but we are con- vinced, that if all parties were manfully to put their shoulders to;the wheel, an eqoitable and just arrangement might be promptly and efficaciously executed. The shareholders' com- mittee are at present powerless, and the whole concern is in a fix," and must be irretrievably lost, unless some decided and united measures are immediately taken. The ship is now among the breakers, and the crew in theii several copacities must use their exertions to preserve her her, or the whole will be a total wreck, engulphing all in ani common run. There i, no utlIty in past evil manage- maut.s, and fatal errors which c.uinot now be retrieved present that should be looked to, as without that there w: future for the Company of Copper Miners in England Wi' the exception of some of the great houses (and they WOLicl purchase under such conditions of sale), there are few men who would be so fool-hardy, single-handed, as to enter on so vast a speculation. Were the property divided, there might be some hopes of a purchaser as it is, the sale will cither be nominal, or it will be sacrificed at such a low rate, that nothing will return to the proprietors. The collieries consist of 4,050 acre3, and are situated in the Pennant rocks, in the South Wales coal basin— the strata between the Tormynydd and Golden seams being in thickness about 10 fathoms. In another portion of the Pennant rocks, two seams—the Wernpistell and the Wernddu —are worked by the company, in addition to several others this district is rich in blackband iron ore. The surfacelatlrls comprise about 1,4HI acres. The rentals of the different houses are iC5,735 per annum. The iron furnaces, which are furnished with coke ovens, 21'; capable of returning from 801 to 850 tons per week the iron miIl; 3,000 tons per month the tinplate works, 1,200 boxes per week the copper smelting works, 600 tons per week the copper rolling mills, 40 tons per week and the brickyard, 100,000 per week. At Oakwood, the furnaces are capable of turning out 160 tons per week; the rental and estimated value there, and at the Bryn, is E720 4s. per annum. There are about 17 miles of 4ft. 8-Jin. sur- face, 18 miles underground, and surface tram and colliery railways on the Cwm Avon property, 26 miles on the Oakwood, 14 miles on the Bryn estates, about 2,2.50 iron and wood trams, together with three locomotive engines. The dead rent for ironstone on the Oakwood leases are—ironstone, £ 300 coal, £ 1,350; the royalty, 6d. per ton. On the Bryn estate, the dead rent is £ 600 for coal and iron; the royalty, 6d. per ton. There are workmen's cottages, dwelling houses for agents, a villa residence for the superintendent, shops, market-place, establishments for worship, &e. Employment is given to a vast number of individuals and we can conceive no greater calamity to the surrounding districts than the stoppage of these works—their partial suspension being productive of the direst distress and we trust that all concerned will see the necessity of a vigorous effort to rescue them from the impending ruin which appears to menace, if »not their existence at least their well-being.

MELANCHOLY CASE OP DROWNING.—On the evening of Fri- day week last, Mary, the third daughter of Mr. John^Bell, of Penrith, draper, was drowned while bathing in the river Eamont, near Yanwath Hall. The deceased, who was a fine young woman about 17 years of age, had accompanied Mrs Bell and a servant girl to the Eamont for the purpose of bathin" the children. Deceased took off her clothes and put on a bathing gown. She then went into the water intending to have a plunge herself prior to bathing the children but she lost her footing and fell into the stream which filled her bathing gown with water, and carried her rapidly away. Mrs. Bell and the servant girl did all in their power to save her, and their shrieks soon brought assistance from a neighbouring fartnhousu —the Red Ilills. Deceased was carried down the current; about 50 yards, when she was stopped by coming in contact, with a large stone in a formidable part of the river. One cr the farm servants immediately plunged in and brought her out, but she was dead. An inquest was held on view" of the body on Saturday night, and a verdict of Accidental death returned. --[This is one only of the'numerous cases of accidental drowning which appear in the provincial papers cf t p week. It is truly melancholy to read of the frequency thes<^ accidents at this season of the year, many of which*—i.ideed-, most of them—being the result of a want of caution on trio part of the individuals, and of a proper supervision on the part; of the local authorities. Although accidents cannot of course be prevented, their numbers clearly admit of considerable mitigation, were the proper steps taken to effect that object, -Eel. Daily News.] ABOLITION OF CORONERS' FFES.—There is a bill in the House of Commons, "which is printed, for abolishing the fees paid to county and other coroners, and for providing for the payment of coroners by salaries. The amount of salary is to be fixed in committee. The bill states that it would be of public advantage to discontinue the payment of fees to coroners. ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.—Up to the present time only thirty- fire" public Acts have received the royal assent. It is probable that in about three weeks the number will be doubled but it is expected that the session will not be very productive in legisla- tive enactments. Last year the public Acts numbered o:;e hundred and eleven. DI1. WISEMAN.—According to the competent authority of the Tablet, the dignity of a cardinal is destined for the Right Rev. Dr. Wiseman, and he will proceed to Rome in the month of < August next. It is also stated that the hon. Rev Georgo Talbot has been summoned to the Holy City on the express invitation of the Pope, with a view to his appointment to a place of high trust near to the person of his Holiness. UNADORNED ELOQUENCE.—At a recent meeting of Bucking- hamshire agricultural labourers, held at Haddenlmm, to consider the allotment system, and to devise the best means of obtaining land, the curate of the parish presiding, Robert Rose, a labourer, said—" 1 don't want to be independent of my master. I want master and man to be united for each other's interests. I want Tom and Tom not one thing for the master and another for the man and I say, let a poor man have a piece of land, and then you give him a chance to bring up his family—all of them then can try and earn something. Then they could get wholesome food, and not eat just anything —rang-tang, or such like. I say again, I want Tom and Tom. If a bit of land was let out, I think our street corners would not be just as they are now—a place where all the young chaps get blackguarding about. I want to see a little feeling among us but the poor are often against the poor. If they would stick together they would soon get their rights granted them. One of the labourers present here made some sneering remark, to which Rose replied)—Yes, Richard, if you had a bit of land you would not have so many idle hours to loiter about. (Cheers and roars of laughter). I know what the value of a bit of land is. My bit has kept me from the parish oftentimes for I would rather make any shift than do that. I had a bit of the worst land in the parish. When I took to it I could not stand on it, it was so swampy but now you might drive a four-horse wagon over it." The meeting unanimously adopted a memorial to the vicar and other landowners of Haddenham, expressing the earnest hope that a portion of land, when vacant, may be allotted to the poor.—Bucks Ad- vertiser. POISONING.—Some few week since, Thomas Harris, a hatter of Frampton Cotterell, in Gloucestershire, died after a few days' illness, and was buried. Suspicions arose that he had been unfairly dealt with a fortnight after his death, his widow, an. infirm woman of sixty-two, married a man named Curtis. This increased the suspicion. The body was recently disinterred, an inquest held, and a post-mortem examination made: Mr. Herepath detected arsenic in the viscera, and a witness proved that the wife of deceased had bought arsenic. The verdict was Wilful murder" against Hannah Curtis and she had been committed to Gloucester gaol. She had saved some money during her first husband's life. FUNDS OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.—The total amount belong ing to friendly societies invested with the Commissioners for the Redaction of the National Debt, on the 20th of November, 1849. Was £ 2,103,281 4s. 3d. Of this amount, interest at the rate of 3d. per cent. per diam was payable on EI,539,821 18s. Od., and 2Jd. per cent. per diam on £ 534,581. The number of members in the societies, ranged from 8 to 8,000. ENGINEERING FEAT AT THE NEW SOAP WORKS, THORNES. —The large chimney built by Messrs. Mellin and Craven, for the use of their dye works, has long been overhanging the centre of its base from four to five feet, and ere lorn* this huge mass of 200 tons of brickwork would in all pro- bability have fallen with a tremendous crash. To prevent, this, Mr. Simpson, the proprietor, applied to our townsman. Mr. Green, engineer, who engaged to bring it back to a perpendicular position. On Thursday morning weekthe work- men commenced, under Mr. Green's directions, to cut our about four-fifths of one course of bricks near the bottom cf the chimney, taking care to fill the cavity thus made with a mixture of new lime and earth. On Wednesday, during a heavy gale of wind, the last brick was cut out; and, as was expected, during this last operation, the chimney began to move slowly, but still perceptibly; the new lime and earth gradually yielded to the immense pressure, and were re- moved so that in three hours the open space of nearly four inches, which had been made as above described, closed. The chimney had lowered on one side nearly four inche, and gone over at the top more than four feet to a perpcndi cular position !—Wakefield Journal. EXTENSIVE SEIZURE OF SMUGGLED MALT.—In of secret information conveyed to them the office at Maenclochog, South Wales, have made several 3 zures of smuggled malt lately. Many of the inlir r place took part with the smugglers, and a n » offered, in which the officers received rom? rough e seizures, however, were ultimately effected.—Dn