The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-15
SENSATIONAL TRIAL.
Goodman Details on the Stand the
Killing of Parsons.

Richmond, Va. Aug H-When Good
man, the Columbus and Ohio cond uctor
charged with the murder of Col. H. G.
/ Parsons. went on the stand at Covington
this morning there was a ripple of excite
ment in the court room, aud the Judge
+ warned the crowd to be quiet. Goodman
was very pale but calm, and his voice
strong. He told his story in a simple,
T straight forward manner, and was the
Z best witness yet on the stand. He began
/ by telling when the Parsons letter was
( first put IN his possession. He took day
/ 70 consider, sought the advice of Lawyer
Crump and MIR. Crump wrote the reply TO
/ Parsons charges. On his way TO Clifton
Forge, he did inquire for Parsons. He
arrived at Clifton Forge, and went to
Gladys Inn, where he was accustomed 70
stop. He took tOddy at night and asked
the bartender if Parsons had been along
/ lately.
In answer to a question the witness
here said it was his habit as an oficer to
carry pistol while on duty. He had
pistol as usual when he retired. He arose
next morning and went downstairs, put
ting his pistol in his pocket The train
would leave at s 80 o'clock He brought
downstairs a small satchel he always car
ried, put the satchel on the hat rack, went
into the dining room and ordered break
fast. He heard some one clear his throat
in the lobby, looked and saw man he took
to be Parsons. He asked the head
waiter, who said it was Parsons. Wit
ness SAID he would go out and see the
colonel; went and saw Parsons at the par
tition in the lobby. Witness took the
satchel from the hat rack, went into the
reading room and took copy of Parsons
letter from the satchel and retired to the
lobby. Parsons was then standing with
his back to the fireplace. The witness
walked him b1lf pargnna HfA
seem to see him, and to attract his atten-
ton he took the lapel of his coat and
said: Come out to the front"
Just before we got to the door
l said: Are you the author of this
ruinous letter, not only calculated to ruin
me, but to destroy the peace of my fami-
llyE When they got to the door, both
stepped on the porch and faced each
other. Parsons held the letter up, looked
at it, threw it on the floor, and said:
Sir, you nor family are considered"
Parsons then started in, but the witness
put his hand on him and said: You must
retract that letter"
Parsons said WHAT" and at once
threw his hand to his hip pocket. wit
ness here left the chair and gave a
graphic description of Parsons attitude,
and how the shooting occurred.) When
Parsons threw his hand behind him the
witness pulled his pistol with the right
hand and, being left-handed, fired with
the left hand four shots in rapid success
sion. After the fourth Parsons grabbed
the right hand of the witness, in which
was the pistol He held it so firmly
that witness had to wrench the
pistol from Parsons grasp, and the wea-
pom was accidentally discharged The
fifth shot, which Goodman says was acct
dental, took effect in Parsons head, pro-
ducing the wound that DR.. Miller pro-
INN n iafn -
In shooting ducks on the river, il was the
habit of the witness to break the pistol
and empty the shells, and in his excite
ment he invOluntarily did the same
things after shooting Parsons. He did
not snap the pistol at Parsons after the
pistol was empty. He went to see Col.
Bryant, the station master and told him
to get another man to take out the train,
as he had killed Parsons. He did not
tell Bryant: Il collared Parsons and
gave him all had After seeing Bryant
he went down town and surrendered
himself
In answer to a question he said he in
quired for Parsons, but he wanted to see
him and ask a retraction But, if Par
sons did not grant it, he intended to go
before the Rockbridge grand jury and
have him indicted for criminal libel He
had already consulted Mr. Crump as to a
civil suit for damages. He was informed
that Judgment against Parsons would
be worthless, but he wanted not money,
but vindication. When the witness left
the dining room he had no other purpose
than to ask a retraction, and believed he
would make it With much emotion the
witness said: II cannot explain the deep
sorrow felt that he should try to destroy
my family relations, the sunshine of nv
life" He thought Parsons would give
him satisfaction, and did not expect to
shoot, even after Parsons had thrown the
letter down. The idea of shooting first
came into his head when Parsons threw
his hand behind him. Witness then
thought be would be killed. He would
not have drawn pistol but for this. The
last shot was accidental After the
shooting he picked up the letter where
Parsons had thrown it. He was then
questioned as to the charges in Parsons
letter. and said all were false-the letter
and its substance.
Goodman's eldest daughter, a very at
tractive girl of H. was in the court to day
for the first time. The impression at
Covington to-day was that Goodman
would be convicted in the second degree,
and that his punishment would be fixed
at from five to ten years in the peniten-
tiarV