parkman
murder
Justice Lemuel Shaw
One of the most distinguished judges in Massachusetts history, Lemuel Shaw presided over John Webster's controversial trial. While Shaw's critics accused him of being humorless and slow, they concede that his plodding mind was a great one. Shaw's charge to the jury at Webster's trial is a notable, if especially stern, moment in his legacy. The version that survives in the trial report is considerably different, as is much of the rest of the document since it was re-written after the verdict.
