Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-03
KILLING OF PARSONS.
Grand Jury 10 Investigate the Clifton
Forge Tragedy To-Day.
THELETTER STILL WITHHELD.
Neither The Railroad People Nor Counsel
Will Give Il Out.
WAS SEVERE ON GOODMAN.
An Incident That Occurred on His Train
The staunion Shooting sunday
Funeral at Natural Bridge.
THELETTER STILL WITHHELD.
WAS SEVERE ON GOODMAN.

pcetcd Tint true hin will b. found
against Conductor Thomas \. Goodman
far tao murder of Colonel Henry G. Par
sons.
Inquests are usually held In cases Of
this character hut this Formally was
Dispensed with M Clifton forge pr Nil
Der reached Colonel Parsons few min
ufc~ after hc was shot and remained wish
hm until Dr. hreathri his last His GER
uucatc as the attending physician met the
icsa. requirements ana was regarded as
suGicicnt
SIR Beverly r. Crump. one Of the trio
of counsel for Captain Goodman. returned
10 the city yesterday morning having
spent saturday and sunday al Coylngton
and Clifton Forge Mr.. Crump stll de-
cIlles o. discuss the shooting lie has
known the conductor for wears and has
represented him as counsel several times.
Nr Crump VIII not Doe al 'oynston to-
day. bat his associates. Mossrs. Anderson
and Parrish. viii look after The interests
OF Captain Goodman. II Is understood
that o.. cas-. viii go over 10 the August
OF possibly the september term Of the
court. Go is not likely that any motion
fcf BAH will De- submitted just now. IL in
ccel u is at aM
THAT FATAL LETTER.
Up o. the present the press has been
unnhlo 20 obtain copy Of the fatal letter
from colonel Parsons to General Mama
scr Stct ems. Of tnr Chesapeake and Ohio
IlNuuy COMPANY Although this com
muuicaU,u. as before published by the
lf.pef.h. was NOT signed. the railroad
officials sag Tint there was evidently 10
Intention ou The part az the colonel 10
,rncea his identity. There is no question
t.0t tro contents ~ this missiVc are IN
Substance what was printed I'm the DIS
patch concerning 90 Saturday last. Until
Superintendent Doyle gets back 10 the
c.g u p.Iu D. impossible To obtain
copy az thr letter. ana IT is said that II
Will DOR Doe EiF.u out until the case Is
tried. TNa prisoners counsel have the
copy that was shown 10 Colonel Parsons
arl schaoW lodged hy him as having been
written hy nina. They viii not consent
o. .ts publication
A DETERMINED MAN.
Conductor Goodman while peacealle.
unpr-teruous. ana very polite IS 70 most
determined nam. and. 70 is said knows
D., fear The nght in stanton between
himself and Engineer Charles Porter is
reported Oh have been a desperate one.
The gentleman who sWorc ont the war
rsrt Don fhie case IS now resident 81
Richmond. nud tol Dispatch man yes
r.rirr that Goodman IN this instance,
,r..lt. r,l tn avoid diihculty ana
v-rt.l Porter placed under bond 70 keep
che peace. captain Goodman ieit 'hc
fs-t.., 90 draw lp Che warrant and even
whsle fhe S'anrfIu c'Hc.ai was DONG inns
Doe heard tn, pistol shots
Another ,-r. .eman. who knows the de-
tails Of tha t-ht. said o. the scribe yes
'orlfv that Porter first started az Good
.r,. with n kuifa. and that the latter
o...hlv lr., q little Dcrringcr and snap
r.l JIG at the other engineer. Porter OBJ
serving ft.s ran AMI cot % rrN'iFer.
Whom Goodman saw his adversary coming
toward him With pistol ~ hand. ," SAID
i. rI. Characteristic way. "\ow. you are
..-.r.- .. rre r.rhf" As Goodman ut
tered these words be- drew his own re-
vnIyer. and both men begun iiring. when
irav la4 discharged every chamber oI
th,r r.,0ly,r- they clinched and WIN
tt.tr v.tp.r- beat each other in the
face Th'. lai been going on ior some
time. when Coo Imam again drew his Der
r.ree. and placing the muZzle against the
Ell. ~ p.rtsf's head pulled the trigger.
Fortunately -ome one knocked up the pis-
faI u-t u- 10 was about o. IRE ana the
bah LODGED in the ceiling In this ARRAY
Porter WAS shot three times. Goodman
was eNonerattd.
Cool y AND GAisSDNS.
I, was stated here yesterday that Good
man ans Parsons had some words about
tvr, v,lr. ac, Oh the train Of the former
According o. IN" story Goodman was
about o. put some one ou the train who
hal LOT paid his fare. Colonel Parsons
took the matter up. and, IL II sald'
ABUSED the conductor quite severely. zap
tai. Goodman f. said TO have ben very
poltt. o. tho colonel. but 20 have told
friend afterwarl that che would Ike TO
WIG up Che floor with him
Coming ny 10 the recent trouble there
seems 90 he no room % doubt that Cap
ln Goodman had determined TO demand
satisfaction 81 the hands OF Colonel Par
sons u Dee should see him on the trip,
though 90 is not believed that he antici-
Iatel any such tragedy as occurred.
a., carried a copy ~ the letter from Colo
mel Parsons % General-Managcr Stevens
with him. and showed It 10 one or more
a. his friends who went up on the train
with him. II was evident that he was
greatly wrought up over the matter, and
meant % seek TttractiOn from the man
whom De considered 50 unjust TO him.
A Richmond gentleman, who went TO
Clifton Forge on Captain GOOdmans train
on returned the next night remarked 10
Dispatch reporter saturday that he read
the letter in the conductors possession,
szd that 10 was certainly very harsh and
Insulting
Colonel Parsons" this gentleman con-
tlnuel. went Up from Richmond on the
Chesapeake and Ohio 1910 train Thursday
uiaht. and arrived at Clifton Forge just
about breakfast time. He was returning
from Washington. and IL was his inten-
ton. 1 understand. 10 10 from Clifton
Forge % Natural Bridge on Captain Good
mans tfain. When the conductor walked
W 10 him IN the inn and confronted him
with the offensive letter Colonel Parsons
admitted being It's author. lie was re-
quested 10 rctTact its language and undo
the wrong that be had done. lie re-
fused 10 do this. and IL was then that
Goodman drew his pistol and emptied it,"
This gentleman has known Captain
Goodman for many years. and speaks Of
him In the highest terms.
THE DANYILLE ACCIDENT.
The accident % Captain Goodman. for
which ne sued the Richmond and Dan
VILE railroad and recovered damages. oc-
CURED some ten years ago at Belle Isle
Junction, when he was then freight con-
ductOr Ia the employ Of the company.
one Saturday morning about o'clock,
while he was bringing his train Ia. he
started % descend the ladder on one Of
the cars and The handle OF the ladder.
which projects above the car, breaking
he Was thrown violently 10 the ground.
lie sustained internal injuries, which in
c4pacitated him FOR work for some time.
On the trial Of The suit IL war shown that
the ladder was defective. and the Jury
gave hun verdict FOR about $3.50.
FACTS IN THE LEWIS TROUBLE.
Reference has been made In the Dis
pa.ch 10 difficulty in which Conductor
Goodman became involved In 1891. which
grew out OF a row In which negro
named Charles Lewis was injured. Mir
Goodman was arrested on the charge Of
assaulting and beating Lewis and kick
ing him from train on the James River
Division Of the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
way with intent 10 Kill him At the pre-
lminary examination only two witnesses
we're examined. and neither OF them
could testify positively as TO the identity
OF Mfr. Goodman. The Dispatch OF AU-
gust q, 1891, IN us report Of the proceed
ings before the justice, says: Captain
Goodman. who lives at 3Qi st Cary
street. and is considered In eV. way a
peaceable and kind-hearted gc...ieman.
was placed on the stand. He testified
tf.s he la q. al