The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-03-18
GOODMAN ACQUITTED

Tor the hlihpE OF C"isuei II. q. Parsons.
Plea OF soIf.DefrA,s s4statsd.
cHAntorfryitLr, Va, March H.
Tho Jury in the eaIc Of Captain Good.
man, the e1.railroad conductor, for tho
murder Of Colonel Parton,, Of the "a.
tural Bridge Hotel, yesterday morning
rendered verdict OF not guilty. The
announcement. was received with grea.
shouts oil approval. Goodman received
number Of eonerAtulntoty kilograms.
Friday. June %, 1894. the startling
intelligence was received Ia this city
that Colonel II. Q. Parsons. builder OF
tho Richmond ( Allegheny railroad and
owner Of tho natural bridge property
aud man u national reputation. had
boon shot and Instantly killed by I. A.
Goodman, u conductor on tho James
River division Of the Chesapeake K
Ohio railway, in tho lobby Of Gladys
Inn, at Clifton Forge, Va.
Goodman and PArionS had been on
bad terms for year,, Parsons claiming
that Goodman had boon rude aud cruel
In his treatment Of Miss Parsons, a
daughter Of the colonel. Tho Parsons
family had pass over tho road, and on
certain occasion, Misc Parsons board.
cd GoodmRn's train without having tho
pass in her pocket. Goodman demand.
cd fare, and, II 10 said, threatened TO
put tho young lady oil the train II she
failed TO pay. She had In her posses.
elon no money and was forced 10 Dor.
row from Il passenger. Parsons reGcnt-
cd this and n cooIness sprang up be-
tween Goodman and the Parsons family.
Parsons finally wrote 10 tho Chesa-
peako K Ohio authorities, complaining
OF Goodman's conduct, and disclosed
that tho conductors manner was 80
olensive that members OF his family
would not ride on Goodman's train,
and then said that no had heard that
Goodman was man OF bad morals. He
asked the officials TO investigate these
ruinorH. Steps were taken by the Ches.
apeako & Ohio people TO investigate,
but il the meantime Parsons and Good.
man mot at Gladys Inn. The fatal
letter OF Parsons WAS unsigned. but the
absence OF tho signature was conceded
to have been an intentional omission,
as there was every indication In tho let
tor that 1t was from Parsons. Goodman
called Parsons gu. OF the lobby. showed
him copy Of the letter and asked him
II no was tho author OF the letter, TO
which Parsons replied in tho atiirma.
tive. Goodman demanded q retraction,
which Parsons declined 10 make. and
Goodman then shot and killed him.
Goodman was tried In the county
court OF Allegheny in August following
The jury found him guilty OF murder in
tho second degree and fixed his punish.
ment at nighteon years. An appeal was
taken to the circuit court, and Judge
Mclaughlin granted now trial. Tho
case was removed to the county court OF
Albermarle, and tho second trial began
at Charlottesville on Tuesday, March 8.
Goodman's defense was, as he tcsti.
fed on the stand, that when he showed
Parsons the letter Parsons threw it
down contomptuously and said:
81 do not consider either you or your
family" or words to that effect That
he then demanded a retraction and Par.
sons drew his hand to his hip pocket as
though he would draw n pistol, and, be.
lieving that Parsons was going to kill
him, he drew his pistol aud fired to pre-.
vent his own destruction.