Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-20
GAIT. GOODMAN CONVICTED.
Eighteen Years I'm Prison for shoot.
ing Col. Parsons.

Capt. Thomas A. Goodman was found
guilty of murder In the second degree at
Covington, Va. Saturday evening by a fury
or his peers. After ten days OF hearing
evidence and argument, twelve citizens de-
creed that the prisoner, whose life was in
their hands, should serve eighteen years in
the penitentiary for the killing of Col. II.
@. Parsons. on the 9th of June last. 1t
required the jury only twenty minutes to
reach this verdict. retiring at O'Clock
Saturday afternoon and returning at go.
When the verdict was announced a most
heartrending scene occurred Mrs. Good
man, the wife Of the prisoner, who had
borne Up under the trying ordeal of the
past ten days with almost Spartan courage,
gave way to grief that was agonixing to
her and painful 10 the spectators. She
leaned her head upon the shoulder of her
husband and sobbed loud and bitterly. The
prisoner seemed struck dumb with horror
ana disappointment. and when he dropped
in his seat. after hearing the verdict, turned
to comfort his wife. His sorrow did not
find expression in tears, for when he left
the court room his eyes were dry, and his
step firm and elastic.
The grief-stricksn wife's weeping inter-
rupted the proceedings Of the court until
the sheriffs cold, unsympathetic voice
shouted, ''Silence in the court ROOM" and
then she was almost borne away from the
scene by her husband, accompanied by sew
eral stanch friends, who had gathered
around to comfort her. The prisoners
daughter, Miss Alma, a beautiful girl OF
seventeen years, who stood in the door of
the jailef's Residence, only few feet from
the court room, nervously awaiting her
fathers fate heard the shrill sohs of her
mother, and, surmising the result, rushed
into the house. where she fell into q
paroxysm Of grief.
Mr.. Crump made the usual motion to set
aside the verdict, which was overruled with
out being argued at n night session of the
court. 1t was decided to pass sentence to-
day. Bills of exception on which to take an
appeal will be considered at the same time.
was tried was composed Of sober. thought
full intelligent men, picked by Judge Moore
frcm among the best in the county. They
are not such men as are swayed by argw
inert or sentiment.
All of them were in favor OF hanging ex-
cept T. u. Kyle, who thought that the
Cffense was manslaughter. and 9. W. Fudge,
who inclined TO murder in the second de-
gree. Those two would not yield, and in a
conference held during The recess the yer-
dict was practically agreed upon.
The killing of which Goodman was con.
victed grew out of a letter which Colonel
Parsons wrote to the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad Company, for which Goodman was
conductor, accusing the latter Of immortality
and of improper advances toward a woman
who rode on his train. Goodman and Par
sons had words over the matter, and after
the latter had refused to make retraction
at the trial, and made an effort to show
that Parsons had moved his hand back
ward, as though TO draw weapon. The
shooting occurred in the lobby of the
Gladys Inn Hotel at Clifton Forge on the
morning Of June % last.