Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-08-17
you deem such necessary.

should you deem such necessary.
Yours truly, T. A. GOODMAN.
J. E. Staples, the section master whose wife,
Parsons letter charged, Goodman had attenip-
ted to ruin, was put on the stand. He was a
very ignorant man. and could not write much.
He testified that his wife had complained to
him of Goodman's advances to her, when she
was on his train, and he sent two letters to
Goodman protesting against it. The follow
ing are the replies sent by Goodman:
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company
| LynchbasY, "a, Sept. 6, 1S91.-Mr. J. A, Sta
| pies, Section master. Springwood, Va.-Dear
Sir: Your letter OF Sd instant received. and
will say that | was never more surprised in
my life at having such charge against my
character as you have made. l have never
spoken dozen words to your wife, She has
never been on my train but three or four times
| to my knowledge, and then l did not know
her name, and her actions have always been
that of perfect lady SO far as 1 know.
The idea of my having asked your wife to
take any trip myself, or asked anybody else
to take any with me, is absurd. When l do
take trips generally get off duty and take
my wife and children with me. What said
about fishing was one night your lady came
down on No. 80 from Saltpetre, and l said to
her in a joking way: "Was Springwood a
good place for fishing, and could she get up a
party and go?" thinking at the time she was
a single lady. The next time saw your lady
think l asked her if she was railroad people.
too, and she said yes that her husband was
section-master at Springwood. That was the
first time knew that she was your wife, That
is the full text of all the words that ever pass
| ed between me and your wife, and L can face
YOU both and make the same statement.
have been with the Chesapeake and Ohio
Company nearly seventeen years, except a
very short while with the Richmond and AL
leghany before the Chesapeake and Ohio
| bought it out, and my character is we'll
known by the company. My feelings have
been very much hurt by your letter to me, es-
pecially as have al ways been kind and cour-
teous to all ladies. Lastly, must know
your authority for making such charge
against me, as you fail to state it in your let
| ter.
Very respectfully,
| r. A. GOODMAN, Conductor.
| P. S.-A letter Will reach me at Clifton
Forge, Va, or Buchanan. Va.
THE SECOND LETTER.
"McCurdy House, Clifton Forge, Va, Sep
TENDER Is, 1s91.-Mr. j. A. Staples, Section
Master, Springwood, Va.-Dear Sir: Your
| letter of the 9TH inst was received to-day
was off duty for several days OF would have
answered sooner. 1 will say word or two in
regard to the matter. The whole story told
YOU by these people, Mrs. and Miss Phelps
is lie, and if it was not for the loss Of my
time from duty would have both of them
arrested, put in jail and prosecuted for mali
cious SANDER. 1t is a very serious matter il
I was to push it in the courts. The whole
matter is nothing but a lie from the start, and
as said to you before in my letter, have
never seen anything in the conduct OF YOU
wife but that Of perfect lady. do moi
know why these people should start such &
lie as that, except for the injury of your wife'>
character, and 1 think the sooner you cu
loose from such people will be the better fol-
YOU. That Miss Phelps was on my train some
few days before got your first letter. was
going to put her off the train at Iron Gate
but nv brakeman said he would pay her fare
to Saltpetre, which he did. think that l:
what she got mad with me about, and tina
was the first time l ever heard her name men
toned. She got on at Clifton Forge withou
any ticket; said she had brother on the rail
road, and that she went to Clifton Forge tt
get some clothes she left there, and did no
have money enough to get her ticket home
II you should hear any more such please lie
me know, and l will get off and come tt
Springwood and get facts in the matter, and
will have the whole party arrested.
Yours truly, T. A. GOODMAN, Conductor
MRS. STAPLES STORY OF WHAT GOODMAN
PROPOSED TO HER.
Mrs Staples was put on the stand. Sh'
went over the same ground covered by he.
husband, and told about the Goodman ad
vances. She felt insulted because he, stran
ger, talked to her, married woman, ever.
time he saw her on his train. The first TIM
(when she got on without a ticket and had tt
pay her way from Saltpetre to SpringWood
he asked her where she was going and where
she li.el. He did not ask her name, but sh'
told him she was Staples wife, and he ex
pressed surprise that she was married. o.
the occasion that the conductor asked her i
Springwood was good place for fishing, ant
would she get up party and 60 with him. h
said il she would go along and bait his hook
he knew he would "catch big fish," Gaugh
ter.)
He told her she was 'too fine a looking lad.
to be that old mans (Staples) Wife" Good
man, she said, told her he had plenty of mon
ey, and would take her to Richmond wher
he would rent room, and she could take an,
of her lady friends with her. He told her tina
she might leave home under the pretext o
going to her brothers, twelve miles from
Lynchburg, and keep on with him to Rich
mond. Once when she was going to Buch
anan he wanted her to keep on to Clifton
FORGE and when she arrived at the Forge on
night ell route to LoWmoor to see her sister
he asked her if she would not rather 60 to thu
upper depot and spend the night than to go OF
later train that night. AS to the Richmond
trip, Goodman was to throw note into he
porch, and he expected her to be in the dool
to get it.. She said when he came by next da,
he had the note in his hand but she was in thu
parlor, and Kate Phelps being in the door, h,
did not throw it.
Being asked the nature Of the insult offer
ed by Goodman when helping her Off the ca
Mrs. Staples said, Gle held my hand ant
scratched mein it, and looked in my face
Mrs. johnson was called to the stand. Sh
told how Goodman insuIted Mrs. Staples il
October, three years ago. when Goodman
handed her from the train, and heard Mrs
Staples tell him she would report him to he
husband
II THE NOTE TO MRS. STAPLES.
} Miss Corrie Phelps testified that she wa
standing in Mrs. Staples front door on TIN
morning that Captain Goodman was to have
thrown off the note fixing time when he
would take the section masters wife to Rich
inond. When the front OF Goodman's trail
reached the house Mrs. Staples, sitting in hel
dining room, but not leaning out of the win
, dow cav the (,onductor sta nfinU on the rea