The prosecuting attorneys in the Jonas Parker murder trial of 1850 wrapped up their case against Horace Wentworth of Lowell, Massachusetts.

They claimed that he brutally murdered Parker by attacking him with a knife and razor on the night of March 26, 1845. But, there didn't seem much that could be believed in the testimony of their two key witnesses, John H. Brown, and Eliza Smith. According to historian L. Ashton Thorp, “The character of the witnesses was so bad that it is surprising that the vigilance committee, which included able lawyers, should have put the county to such an expense.”

Another prosecution witness, Stillman Fellows, reported that he saw Parker talking with the mysterious stranger (and presumed murderer) at the door to his saloon on the night of the murder. He later followed the two men as they walked up Manchester Street. Fellows said that this stranger wore a blue dress coat. Later he backed away from that statement, now claiming that he could see the shape of the man, but could not tell the color of his coat. In his early statements after the murder, Fellows had twice said that it appeared that the two men knew each other. At the trial, however, he declared that they acted as if they didn't know each other at all. Plus, Fellows now claimed that the stranger resembled Horace Wentworth.

Other witnesses who had seen Parker and his companion walking towards the woods that night said that it appeared the men were well acquainted.

As the defense was able to establish that Horace had never met Parker, the stranger couldn't have been him. The trial's judge, C. E. Potter, wrote in 1856, “…it is hardly probable that a man of Mr. Parker's well known caution could have been induced to go into those woods, in the night, with a stranger.”

The witnesses also described the stranger as being a heavy man with broad shoulders, about the same height as Parker, who was rather tall.

Horace Wentworth, who sat in the court room, was obviously a shorter man, and not “stout” as the supposed murderer had been. Witness William Moore was sworn in. He was an artist who had stayed at the Wentworth Tavern in early March 1845, when he was hired to paint portraits of several Wentworth family members, including Horace.

He stated, “…my profession led me to take especial notice of his looks and size; he (Horace) was smaller and lighter than he is now…he looked like a youngster and was not fully grown.”

The defense brought in several upstanding individuals from Lowell to testify on behalf of Horace Wentworth. They painted a picture of him as an upright individual who owned a shoe store in town. Hapgood Wright stated, “…he was honorable in his transactions and has always exhibited an amiable disposition.” A. Gilbert said that “He bore a good reputation for honesty and mildness of character.”

Jonathan S. French testified that “The reputation of Horace Wentworth has been invariably good.” French said that, on the day of the murder, Horace had bought a pair of pants from his store for $7.50. French's clerk, A. R. Boynton, recalled selling him the pants, and said that he had seen Horace in the street after 9 p.m. that night. He saw him again the next morning, and he had no bandage on his hand.

Other witnesses also testified that Horace was in Lowell on the night of the murder. According to a trial report, “The alibi of Horace Wentworth seems to be proved by the testimony of quite a number of the most reliable witnesses.”

Finally, after five weeks of testimony, “The defense here stated that they had no further evidence to introduce, and the government replied that they should not introduce any more.”

Defense attorneys J. G. Abbott, C. J. Atherton and Franklin Pierce made their closing arguments, attacking the morality and veracity of the prosecution witnesses. Pierce said that he feared for the fate of Horace Wentworth because, “Public sentiment has been cheated, misled, deceived.” He had faith, however, that the truth would prevail, saying, “From the evidence itself I can fear nothing.”

Next week: Who killed Jonas L. Parker?

Aurore Eaton is executive director of Manchester Historic Association; email her at aeaton@manchesterhistoric.org