Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-07-04
Awful Tragedy at Clifton Forge.
COL. H. C. PARSONS KILLED BY CON
DUCTOR THOS A. GOODMAN.

COL. H. C. PARSONS KILLED BY CON-
DUCToR THOS. A. GOODMAN.
In the Gladys Inn at Clifton Forge
about 7 o'clock last Friday morning,
June goth, Col. H. G. Parsons, of the
Natural Bridge, Rockbridge county,
was shot four times and killed by
Thos A. Goodman, a passenger CON
ductor on the james River branch Of
the Chesapeake u Ohio railroad,
formerly the Richmond & Allegheny
Railroad. a special to the Richmond
Dispatch from Clifton Forge, under
date of June 29th. says
The scene of the tragedy was the
lobby of the hotel. The shooting was
witnessed by only one outsider, Mr..
Martin, clerk Of the inn, who was at
his post OF duty when the gentlemen
met and the deadly com bat ensued,
The affair was so sudden that very
few persons in the hotel realized what
had happened until Colone! Parsons
lay PROSTATE and dying upon the floor.
-FOUR TAKE EFFECT.
Captain Goodman emptied the five
took effect.
One ball entered the brain at the
centre of the forehead, and was prob
ably the first fatal wound, although
two shots went into the abdomen and
would have caused death, even with
out their predecessor.
Colonel Parsons was conveyed to the
buffet of the hotel and died in an hour
and ten minutes, and without speak
ing. His slayer Immediately gave him
self up and was committed TO jail.
CAUSE OF THE SHOOTING.
The alleged cause of the shooting is
charge said to have oeen made
against Goodman to the officials of the
Chesapeake and Ohio railway by Par
sons.
Colonel Parsons returned to Clifton
Forge this morning from Washington,
where he went about ten days ago.
III went directly to Gladys Inn. Con-
ductOr Goodman was at the breakfast
table at the time.
Upon seeing Colonel Parsons enter
the hotel, Goodman left the dining
room, and went into the lobby, and
accosted Colonel Parsons, but the
clerk, Mr. Martin, did not hear what
was said He saw the shooting, how
ever, but declines to make statement
at present.
Immediately after the firing Good
man went to W. H. Davis, Mayor of
Clifton Forge, gave up his pistol, and
surrendered himself. He was taken to
the county jail and committed for the
action of the grand jury next tuesday.
After giving himself up Conductor
Goodman wired Mr.. Beverly Crump, of
Richmond, his attorney, directing him
to procure and take charge of a certain
letter, which it. is alleged had been
seht to General-Manager Stevens, Of
the Chesapeake and Ohio railway, by
Colonel Parsons, making grave charges
against his character and conduct as an
officer.
DID NOT CONSIDER THEM GRAVE.
Mr.. Stevens, vino is stopping at ella
dys Inn. informs the Dispatch cores
pondent that he remembers having re-
ceived several mouths ago a letter
from Colonel Parsons III liking charges
against Goodman, but that he did not
consider the charges grave, and had
sent the. letter to Superintendent
Doyle, since which time he had heard
nothing from it.
THE ACCUSATIONS.
1t appears that Goodman had been
furnished by some one with copy OF
the charges, and that he had shown
them to some of his railroad friends
here after the killing. They accused
Conductor Goodman with having in
| suited Parsouss wife and children
while On his train. and said that in con-
sequence these persons had refused to
ride on any train he had in charge :;
| that Conductor Goodman had been
seen INDUCING in conduct suggestive
of extreme immortality upon his trains:
| that Goodman upon one occasion took
negro woman from Maiden's Ad-
venture to Clifton Forge and return,
and did not behave toward her as he
should have done. The charges are
said to wind up with q request for
Goodman's discharge from the railway.
After the killing, Goodman, it is
learned, in speaking to a particular
friend, said that he approached Col
onel Parsons in the hotel lobby, and
asked him three times to go before Gen
eral Manager Stevens and rectify the
wrong lie had done him) Goodman.)
THE MEETING.
According to this statement Good
man caught the Colonel by the shout
der and Parsons placed his hand in
his hip pocket, as if to draw a revolver.
1t was then that Goo oman drew his
own weapon and fred the fatal shots.
1t subsequently developed that Col
onel Parsons had no pistol about his
clothing.
DR.. Miller, of this place, local sur
geon of the railroad company, reached
Parsons ten minutes after the shoot
ing, but could render no aid. No post
norton was held, as none was deemed
necessary, nor was there any inquest.
Colonel Parsons remains were turned
over to Undertaken Frank P. Staley.-
During the morning they were EN-
balmed and placed in a costly cloth
covered casket.
THE FAMILY ARRIVE.
Colonel Parsonss wife, two of his
daughters, Miss G. J. Dodge, friend
of the family, and DR.. G. M. Miller,
resident physician at Natural Bridge,
came to Clifton Forge on a special
train about 1:15 P. NJ, and returned
with the remains on the regular train
over the James River Division of the
Chesapeake and Ohio railway at 6
o'clock. The funeral will take place
from the Presby terrain Church at the
Natural Bridge on Sunday afternoon.