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


the Phelps with esses quito their own mouths,
but their design now was to prove the repnta-
ton of Mrs. Staples intimate associates
The evidence of Mrs. Staples had shown the
Phelps women to be her close friends, and
the defence proposed to prove that they were
VIGOROUSLY bad characters, and such as no
woman of good moral character or worthy of
believing would have anything to do with.
Judge Moore ruled that testimony as to the
immoral character of the witnesses was not
admissible. The defence excepted, and MI.
Parrish stated that they would la 81 on try
and accomplish their purpose III another
way.
Mr.. Smith, on his cross-eXaminat ON, prac-
ticany answered the question that III. Parrish
wanted him to. He said he had neN Ell known
Mrs. Phelps nor her daughters to hs Witness
es, but would not believe either Of them on
oath, and ninety-nine out of hundred men
in Clifton Forge would testify that they were
women OF very bad reputation in every
respect.
Mayor w. H. Davis, ex-Mayor T. P. Bowles,
Capt. 4. Ii. Davis, Henry Saunders, and l. S.
Wood all corroborated Mr.. Smith, and said
that the reputation OF the women was very
bad and none Of them would believe either
the mother Or her daughters in court.
GOODMAN TELLS HIS STORY.
7. A. Goodman the accused, was put on
the stand. He began by telling when the
Parsons letter was first put in his possession.
He took day to consider, sought the service
of Mr.. Crump, and Mr. Crump wrote the lie
ply to Parsons charges. On his way to Cliff
tou Forge he did enquire for Parsons. lie
arrived at Clifton Forge and went to Gladys
Inn where he was accustomed to stop. He
took toddy at night and asked the bartender
il Parsons had been along lately.
In answer to question the witness here
said it was his habit as an officer to carry a
pistol while on duty He had a pistol as
usual when he retired. He arose next morn
ing and went down stairs, putting his pistol
in his pocket. The train would leave at
$50 He brought down stairs small satchel
he always carried, put the satchel on the hat
rack, went into the dining room and ordered
breakfast.
He heard some one clear his throat in the
lobby. looked and saw q man he took to be
Parsons. lie asked the head waiter, who said
it was Parsons. Witness said he would 60
out and see the Colonel; went and saw Par
sons at the partition in the lobby. Witness
took the satcheI 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 up to him
but Parsons did not seem to see him, and to
attract his attention, he took hold of thelapel
Of his coat and said, "Cone out to the front. ~
just before we got tot he door 1 said care
you the author of this ruinous letter, not only
calculated to ruin me, but to destroy the peace
of my family?"
When they got to the door both stepped Oh
the porch and faced each other. Parsons
held the letter up, looked at it, threw it OIL
the floor and said ''Sir, you nor family are
not considered"
Parsons then started in, but the witness
put his hand on HIM and said: "You mus
retract that letter.
Parsons said. "What?" and at once threw
his hand to his hip pocket (witne ss here LEFT
the chair and gave graphic description Of
Parsons attitude and how the shooting oc
Cul1Cu w HGu L dISOIlS Gul6W Ills udUu U6
hind, the witness pulled his pistol with the
right hand, and being left handed, fired will
the left hand four shots in rapid succession
After the fourth Parsons grabbed with the
right hand the left hand OF the witness, il
which was the pistol. He held it SO firmly
the witness had to wrench the pistol from
Parsons grasp and the weapon was accident
ally discharged.
The fifth shot, which Goodman says was
accidental, took effect in Parsons head, pro
ducing the wound that DR.. Miller pronounce
the immediate cause of DEATH
In shooting ducks on the river it was the
habit of the witness to break the pistol an6
empty the shells. and, i'll his excitement, liz
| involuntary did the same thing after shooting
Parsons. He did not snap the pistol at Par
sons after the pistol was empty He went te
see Col. Bryant, the station master, and tolG
| him to get another man to take out the trail
as he had killed Parsons. He did not tel
Bryant II collared Parsons and gave him al
| l had" After seeing Bryant he went down
town and surrendered himself.
| In answer to a question, he said he enquirei
for Parsons because lie wanted to see him ant
it he intended to go before the Rockbrldgt
grand jury and have him indicted for crimi
| nal libel. He had already consulted MI
Crump as to a civil suit for damages. HI
| was Informed that judgment against Parson:
would be worthless, but he wanted not money
but vindication.
When the witness left the dining room HI
had no other purpose than to ask a retractiol
and believed he would make it, With mucl
emotion the witness here said, 81 cannot eX
plain the deep sorrow felt that he should try
to destroy my family relations the sunshine
of my life.'' He thought Parsons would give
even after Parsons had thrown the Letter
down.
The idea of shooting first came into his heat
when Parsons threw his hand behind him
Witness then thought he would be killed. II,
would not have drawn the pistol but for this
He stopped shooting as soon as he saw Par
sons right hand The last shot was acciden
tai. After the shooting he picked up tE(
letter where Parsons had thrown it,
GOODMAN AND MRS STAPLES
Goodman said he received two notes from
MIS-. Staples IN August, 1891, one about the
18th, and one week or more later, both sign
ed IN. Staples" They were love-sick epis
ties, and the first proposed trip to Rich
mond and that they carry her friend, Kate
Phelps, along A few days later a lady go
on his train. and he heard her called Mrs
Staples.
lie took her to be the author of tine note
and when she was about to get off, he asked
her if Springwood was good place for fish
ing, and told her to get up party, and he
would come up. This. he declared, was
| mere matter of pleasantly. The second letter
was like the first, and he put both away, as
they had put him to thinking, and he did moi
know what they meant. On another trip hs
asked her if she was RAILROAD people," and
she told him her name. He then asked if she
wrote the letters, and, lowering her head, she