Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-07-06

getting breakfast at restaurant. accom-
panied Constable J r. Brown on the 10 A
M. train to Covington, where he was com
mitted to jail. Goodman's counsel al
Beverley T. Crump of Richmond, Ito whom
he telegraphed directly the murder wa
committed), Il. L. Parrish Of Covington
and Geo. K. Anderson of Clifton Forge.
THE NEWS AT THE PARSONS HOME.
| The news Of the murder was sent at one
to the home of Col. Parsons, and his wifi
and two Of his daughters, with lad.
friend of the family. and Dr.. G. M. Miller
resident physician at Natural Bridge, cam
up here on special train. returning hOm
with the remains at 2. M. The funera
took place there on Sunday afternoon a
the Natural Bridge, conducted by Rev. MI
Long. of the Natural Bridge Presbyterian
church, and the interment took place il
the Presby terrain cemetery near there
There was large crowd from the neigh
borhood. gathered to witness the burial o
their kind hearted neighbor. The pal
bearers were, Hon. S. Houston Leteher O
lexington; Col. Robert Catlett, of Lex
ington; Col. Edward Dillon, Of Botetourt
Dr.. A. n. Johnston, r. r. Witt and J. P
AckerIey of the county, and Capt. J. W
Talley Of Buena Vista.
THE COMMONWEALTH S ATTORNEY
TO HAVE AID.
1t is very certain that the prosecuting
attorney of Allegheny, W. E. Allen, vii
have aid, and the names of S. H. Letcher, o.
Lexington, and Benz. Haden, of Botetourt
are mentioned. but by what authority,
do not know. Yesterday evening, Mr.. w
J. Parsons of Huntington, w. Va, {
brother Of the murdered man, was here OF
his way home from his brothers funeral al
Natural Bridge. He seemed much crush
ed by grief. AS he slowly promenaded
bound train, he spoke very freely with the
VINDICAToR reporter. Speaking Of his
brother, he said he was not fighting man,
and had never carried pistol. He said
that his people had taken steps to have as
sistance in the prosecution of his brother s
slayer, and that MI. G. P. n lair, the Mana
ger at Natural Bridge, had the whole mat
ter in hand, and would manage it independ-
ent of family interference.
l have in this report given, think, the
most accurate statement of the facts of the
murder that has been published. 1 have
avoided the inaccurate statements which
were m ade just after the crime and which
it was hard to avoid making in a town
suddenly excited as this was. The state
ment that Goodman made repeated threats
to kill Parsons when he met him, is nowhere
verified; the statement that Parsons put
his hand to his hip pocket, has nothing in
it, and the alleged conversation between
Parsons and Goodman over the letter, has
no foundation; but one man, Clerk Martin,
could have heard it and he did not hear it.
THE MURDERED MAN.
Col. Fl. G. Parsons was a native Of Yer
mont, aged 81. He was captain in the
Vermont cavalry, was brave soldier and
was badly wounded. He has lived many
years in the two Virginias, and has been a
promoter in many public ventures. In
West Virginia he was a long time attor-
ney for the Raymond City Coal Co. 1t was
he that inaugurated the plan of convert
ing the James River and Kanawha Canal
into the Richmond & Allegheny Railroad
He was bosom friend of MI. Blaine7s,
and was once the straightout Republican
candidate for Congress in this district. He
was cultivated gentleman and was very
popular with his neighbors at and around
Natural Bridge. He leaves wife and
three daughters.
THE MURDERER.
Thomas A. Goodman. the murderer, is a
native of Virginia, said to be forty-eight
years of age. He commenced railroading
as a freight conductor in 1877. He had a
shooting match with another conductor in
Staunton named Porter, about 1880, He
then left the road, and going West, enlist
ed in the U. s. Army. When his term ex-
pired he became conductor on the Rich
mond & Danville Ry. He later became a
conductor on the Chesapeake & Ohio BY,
ssiiI "uuC Ill tIdC pOolGlOu, NdS UIltu LII
Henrico for killing negro who was tray
cling on an excursion he was running. He
was acquitted. His reputation for homes
ty and strict attention to duty, is excellent
with the officers of the road. He is a men,
Der of Baptist church in Richm ond, is a
member of Masonic lodge there, and has
a wife and five children, who are now at
Alton.
INDICTED FOR MURDER IN THE FIRST
DEGREE.
This morning, besides the witnesses and
others from here who had business at the
county court at Covington, large number
of people went there through curiosity to
see and hear all that was to be seen and
heard. The grand jury there brought in
an Indictment against Goodman for
murder in the first degree.'' At
ter the usual picket skirmishing
by the lawyers the trial was set for
August sth, the second day of the August
term. There was nothing before the grand
jury not contained in the account [ have
given.
Got Off Lightly.
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