The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-03-18
GOODMAN ACQUITTED
FOR the ElihpE OF C"Isusi II. Z. Parsnn
pten of snif,n.f.a.. = .,,s,l.,t

Tor the hliiIpE OF C"tsusi II. Z. Parsons,
Plea OF sOif.DsfSA,s Sastattsd.
CnArtorTr'yitLr, Va, March H.
Tho !uty in the eaIe Of Captain Good.
man, tho ex.railroad conductor, for the
murder Of Colonel Pa,sons, Of the IA.
tural Bridge Hotel, yesterday morning
fcndetod a verdict OF not guilty. The
announcement. was received With gtea.
shouts Of approval. Goodman received
q number Of conlrAtulatoty kilograms.
Friday. June y, 1894. the startling
intelligence was received Ia this city
that Colonel II. G. Parsons, builder OF
tho Richmond ( Allegheny railroad and
owner Of tho natural bridge property
and man Of national reputation. had
boon shot and Instantly killed by I. A.
Goodman. u conductor on tho James
River division Of the Chesapeake x
Ohio railway, in tho lobby Of Gladys
Inn, at Clifton Forge, Va.
Goodman and PAriouS had been on
bad terms for year,, Parsons claiming
that Goodman had boon rude aud cruel
In hia treatment OF Miss Parsons, a
daughter OF the colonel. The Parsons
family had pass over the road. and on
n certain occasion, Misc ParBons board.
ed Goodman's train without having tho
pass IN her pocket. Goodman demand.
cd fare, and, 1t 10 said, threatened TO
put tho young lady oil the train II she
failed 10 pay. Sho had In her posses.
zion no money and was forced TO Dor.
row from Il passenger. Parsons resent.
ed this and cooIness sprang up be-
tween Goodman and tho Parsons family.
Parsons finally wrote 10 tho Chesa-
peako < Ohio authorities, complaining
Of Goodman's conduct, and disclosed
that tho conductors manner was 80
offensive that members OF his family
would not ride on Goodman's train,
and then said that no had heard that
Goodman was n man OF bad morals. He
asked the officials 10 investigate these
ruinor1. Steps were taken by the Ches.
apeako & Ohio people 10 investigate,
but il the meantime Parsons and Good.
man mot at Gladys Inn. The fatal
letter OF Parsons Was unsigned, but the
absence OF the signature was conceded
to have been an intentional omission,
as there was every indication In the let.
tor that it 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 aiiirma.
tive. Goodman demanded o retraction,
which Parsons declined TO 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.
nent at nightccn years. An appeal was
taken to the circuit court, and Judge
Mclaughlin granted now trial. The
case WINS removed to the county court OF
Albermarle, and tho second trial began
at Charlottesville on Tuesday, March 8.
Goodman's defense was, az 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 retraction and Par.
sons drew his hand to his hip pocket rs
though he would draw pistol, and, be.
lieving that Parsons was going to kill
him, he drew his pistol aud fired to pre-.
vent his own destruction.