The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-09
GOODMAN'S TRIAL BEGUN.
The Nan Charged with the Murder Of
Col. h. c. Parsons Arraigned.
CJYINGTON CROWDED WITH VISITORS.
Jury Obtained without TroubIe-Clerk
Marlin and Other Witnesses on the stand.
Richmond Witnesses to be Called.


for his life here to-day for the
killing Of Colonel II. c. Parsons at Cliff
ton Forge, on the 10Th OF June last. The
old-fashioned courthouse was uncom-
| fortably crowded at 1880 \. NJ, when
Judge G. +. Moore convened court, after
d recess Of an hour 10 await the arrival
/ Of witnesses.
/ Covinston is crowded with visitors.
! People are here from all over the state
! HlchmOnd being largely represented. Since
/ carry morning the Inhabitants Of the
surrounding country nave been pouring
/ Ihto Inc city, and the courthouse soon
nIed up with brdwny mOuntaineers, with
/ thcir slouch hats and high top boots, all
eager 10 witness the trial and eylnciug
( lhc deepest interest in the proceedings.
Inc morning session was occupied m the
| WoIk OF selecting "a Jury. Far less trOu-
/ pIe was experienced IN this than was
! expected, for out of the first Venlre Of
| twenty men, nine sturdy yeOmen admit
/ ted that they mad not formed an opinion
/ upon the case in question, and were
The same eager, sursiog crowd was
present when court reconvened, after the
aeeScess, reS1.',, at 2 =. NJ. Il required the united
Eyer, and his deputies to keep order
THE JURY sECURED.
They finally SUCCEEDED. however. and
Tue work OF empanrellng the jury was
resumed Another Nenirc of twenty was
'Nf'i wv tlRlis UNl DfiOlf IL mad been
hausled the requisite number was ACCEPT
ca. Inc men who hold in their hands
me tate of Captain Goodman are. Charles
tAouS - Gdliashan, James =. Gillespie,
iudge, j. W. Hughes, ). a. Mann Hugh
tanDerger, I. ID. Kyle, T.. T. Legg. and
-. *: Pessnser The prisoner. ~ the
meantime. had entered the courtroom
accompanied by his wife and two litfle
ChliuIen. a bright-eyed boy OF about ten
tIu 9Iu d soiueh-halred girl Of eight years.
me Hlle was dressed I'm black. and pre-
Sthled u SAD ana detected appearance
4le prisoner gave evidence Of the erect
or MS close confne en=nt lie is pale and
nioillo~-eyed, and has restless and anx-
The attorneys in the case are NIessrs.
X. j., Parrish, Of COvnWon: Bev. f.
SSTump' OF Richmond, and George X. An
de. son. Of Clifton Forge. for the defence.
4essrs. w e. Allen. CommonWeaIth's
Attorney Of Allegheny. and ~. r. craig.
OF Staunton,, for the prosecution. Mr.
.cndlns the trial as the legal representa-
Parsons.
GOODMAN ARRAIGNED.
AT 5:2o p. NJ, all Of the preliminary pro-
ceeIlngs being over, the prisoner was told
nm, ~ 5'dhu up, and the Indictment for
murder was read TO him I'm fun The
atutude or the prisoner during this try
ING ordeal was OF calm attention. lie
looked toward Clerk Hobbs. but every
-' rii'A Ai4til idFliIS Ills ewes tOMdr0S
the floor. He never faced the Jury
Squarely, but cast furtive glance at
them only once This over. the examina-
ton Of witnesses was begun.
CommonW ealths Attorney Allen read a
long lst OF names, witnesses for the
prosecution. Among these are Mrs. Nell
lea l.. Parsons, Miss Maud Parsons. Miss
Oracle Parsons, ana Mrs. Eliza Johnson
of Natural Bridge. besides about a dozen
men from the county Of Rockbridse.
Messrs. q. c. Walker, g.. b. Antrim. and
~ l.. Akers, Of Richmond, Va, are among
this list.
CLERK MARTIN on TIE STAND.
The first witness called was J. H. Mar
tin, the clerk at Gladys Inn. Clifton
orse, the only eyewitness ~ the trage-
dy. The examination Of Mr. Martin de-
Neloped clearly the line OF defence 10 be
pursued by Goodman attorneys. 1t Is
the cain of seif-defence as printed in
The Times over a month ago in an inter
view with Goodman, The first and only
one he ever gave.
The examination Of Martin was long
and tedious, but nothing new was deve-
Oped until he was cross-quesuOaed by Mr..
Parrish Under the poignant interrOgdtO-
ries of this shreWd lawyer, the witness
admitted that he could not see Alr. Par
sons hands during the shooting. and
could not. therefore, state what demon
strations he made before the shooting
began. Counsel for the defence dWclt
upon this point, and the motive IS appa-
rent.
The next move of the cross-examiner
was 10 shake the statement made by
Martin on direct examination, that Good |
man snapped his revolver dt Parsons after !
the latter had fallen. This he succeeded |
in doing. for the witness finally admit |
ted that he would not swear that the |
pistol was snapped The redirect cXami- |
nation failed 10 shake this. The first tilt |
between opposing counsel occurred when !
Mr. Parrish objected to the manner I'm |
which Mr. Craig was leading the wit |
ness. Mr. Crump joined In his associate !
protest, with the punScnt remark: The |
counsel is making a worry pretty speech. |
but there will be plenty OF time for that |
The witness was questioned mlnutely as |
TO the location OF the spot I'm Gladys Inn |
where the fatal affair took place. The |
prosecution dwelt upon the distance be-
tween the Offices and the front door. and |
the position the men occupied when the
shooting began.
GOODMAN HID PARSONS.
The witness also swore that Goodman |
held Parsons by the lapel Of his coat while
he shot him. ON crOss-eXaminatiOn the
witness adhered 10 this statement
The hat and clothing OF Parsons were
produced I'm court and identified by Wit
nesses. The hat was a lead-colOred slouch
with a black band. The defence induced
Martin to make the fatuous admission
that he was very much excited at the
time of the tragedy, which might have
affected his memory. lie also stated pos
itively that Parsons did not fall until the
last shot was f1red by GOODMAN. The de- |
fence, after hearing the witness only "A
few moments, suddenly announced that
they were Through with him." and after
few unmpOrtant questions by the pro-
secution, he was told TO stand aside"
MEDICAL TESTIMONY.
DR.. Miller. OF Clifton Forge. the only
physician who saw Col. Parsons before
he died, was next placed upon the stand
by the State. In his testimony nothing |
new was adduced, except the admission
OF the witness upon crOss-examinatiOn
that the wounds inflicted by Goodman
upon Parsons might not have been fatal
If the patient had been in a position to
have received the proper medical treat
ment.
The statement of the witness as to the
articles taken from the pocket of the
dead man was also interesting DR. Mil
Ter stated that among the Xaluables was
q pen-knife. The witness who followed
however. contradicted this. Or. Miller
testified that Parsons lived one hour ana
ten minutes after he MILLER arrived
ceiyed could have proven fatal.
The next and last witness was r. !.
Staley, the undertaken in the case. whose
testimony was unimportant. except tld'
he contradicted Or. Miller as 10 the nmno inl
ing of a knife in Parsons pochee' . |
prosecution has upon its list about iolH
other witnesses. and il is said that seN
enty five witnesses have Deeh suiiiho'i'"
by both sides. .,.-...,, ,,.,,t ba
/ learn that character testimony WIZ ir pe
gone into ouite fully on both Sides ne
LAWYERS exnect to get a verdict by oat-
Irday.