Sussex-Surry-Henrico-King William County-Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Edwards, Carrie H. Goodson, 1909 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ SHOOTS WIFE AND TAKES OWN LIFE Domestic Unhappiness of Former Richmond Man Cause of Double Tragedy. NORFOLK, VA., January 20.- Without a word of warning, and at the front door of her home, P.C. Edwards, a former commission merchant of Richmond, shot and fatally wounded his wife; attempted to shoot his little daughter, put a bullet through his own brain, and later died at St. Vincent's Hospital. The shooting was the result of domestic unhappiness. Mrs. Edwards was running a boarding-house at No. 171 Holt Street. When she reached her home this afternoon about 3 o'clock, accompanied by Mrs. Quigley, a boarder, she found her husband, whom she had requested to remain away, in the hallway near the front door. Without a word Edwards drew a pistol from his hip pocket. The first shot struck Mrs. Edwards just behind and below the left ear. Inez, the eight-year- old daughter of the couple, who had run towards the door to meet her mother, was next fired on, but the bullet went wide of the mark. Mrs. Quigley jumped out of a front window as a third shot was fired, and gave the alarm. Neighbors responded, finding Mrs. Edwards desperately wounded, and Mr. Edwards practically dying, with a bullet wound in his brain. Owing to Mr. Edwards continued drinking the couple separated two years ago in Richmond. Mrs. Edwards came to Norfolk and opened a boarding house. She was accompanied by her mother. Edwards came here, but on Tuesday was forbidden the house. Mrs. Edwards was twenty-nine years old, and Edwards sixty-four, and a Confederate veteran. There are four children. No Reason Known. So far as can be learned Edwards left neither writing or any personal threat that would have led to the expectation of such a deed on his part. It had been several days since he visited his wife, and at the time he was disagreeable and partly under the influence of liquor. It was this that led to the note sent him by Mrs. Edwards on Tuesday forbidding him to again visit the house. She feared that he would injure her boarding-house business by his behavior. The facts, according to the police, do not bear out the statement of Mrs. Quigley that Edwards tried to kill his eight-year-old daughter, Edna. But two shells in the pistol were fired, showing that he shot but twice, the first time wounding his wife and the second mortally wounding himself. The attending physicians to-night are hopeful of the recovery of Mrs. Edwards. It is not believed that her brain was seriously injured by the bullet that struck her back of the ear, coming out three inches behind the entrance wound. She is resting well and is rational. Child Tells Story. While tears stained her cheeks, and sobbing as if her little heart would break, Inez Edwards, the eight-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, told the story of the shooting. She said: "When my mother came in the front door, papa pulled out a pistol and shot her. He then tried to shoot me, but I ran in the next room. I heard another shot, and when I went into the hall I found my mamma and papa both lying on the floor." While Chief of Police Kizer placed his hand tenderly on the little girl's head and told her not to cry, that everything would come out all right; that her mother was going to live, the child could not stand the strain longer, and her little heart overflowed, and she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. According to Mrs. C.E. Goodson, the mother of Mrs. Edwards, who resides at No. 204 Hamlin Avenue, Brambleton, her daughter's married life has not been a happy one. She said because of Mr. Edwards's drunken fits of anger, when he would drive his wife and children from home and threaten to kill her, Mrs. Edwards left him two years ago. Married at Thirteen. Mrs. Goodson sald: "My daughter married Mr. Edwards when she was only thirteen years old. Mr. Edwards had been married before and has several grown children. His first wife died many years ago. He was fifty-five years old then. They lived together for several years, but often the husband would come home drunk, abuse his wife, and several times drove her from home, while she hid in the woods to prevent him killing her. "Once Mr. Edwards came home and drove my daughter and the children into the cold and darkness. She sought shelter from the snow in the woods until neighbors took her in. This treatment continued until my daughter could stand it no longer, when she came to live with me. Since she left her husband she has lived with me until three weeks ago. ****************************************************************************** FUNERAL NOTICE EDWARDS.- The funeral of MR. PRESTON COLEMAN EDWARDS, who died January 20, 1909, will take place MONDAY at 11 A.M. in the family burying-ground at Lanesville, King William county. ****************************************************************************** Mrs. Edwards Dies. [Special to The Times-Dispatch.] NORFOLK, VA., March 8.- Mrs. Carrie H. Edwards, who was shot several weeks ago by her husband, died last night at her residence on Holt Street, never recovering from the wound in her head, which later proved to have damaged the base of the brain, paralysis setting in. After shooting his wife Edwards, who was from Richmond, killed himself. The interment will be at Waverly, Va., the former home of Mrs. Edwards. Carrie Hall (GOODSON; Mrs. Prestley Coleman) EDWARDS, Surry Co. native, shot by estranged husband 20 Jan 1909, d. 7 Mar Jan 1909, at home, Norfolk, age 29, interred in Waverly Cemetery, "Times-Dispatch" (Richmond, VA), Jan. 30, 1909, p. 2, col. 4; "Times-Dispatch" (Richmond, VA), Jan. 31, 1909, p. 3, col. 7; "Times-Dispatch" (Richmond, VA), Mar. 9, 1909, p. 3, col. 5 online as part of the Library of Virginia's Virginia Chronicle newspaper database, at: https://virginiachronicle.com/ Additional information: Charles Edward GOODSON, b. Nansemond Co., sn/o W.H. & B.A. GOODSON, & "Carrie" Caroline C. MITCHELL, b. Petersburg, dt/o Thomas H. & Elizabeth (HALL) MITCHELL, m. 25 Jan 1876, in Surry Co. (Ancestry.com "Virginia Marriages") The family appeared in the 1880 Census in Cobham District, Surry Co. - "Carry" age 1. The family appeared in the 1900 Census in Berlin & Ivor Dist, Southampton Co. It gives Charles as a mill boss, b. Jan 1853, & his wife as b. Mar 1853. Caroline C. (MITCHELL) GOODSON is buried in Waverly Cemetery. Her D.Cert. (7214 {Waverly #3}) & Find a Grave Mem. #128010256 both give 15 Aug 1853 - 10 Mar 1943. Her son John Wesley GOODSON is also buried there. "Preston" (b. Sep 1843) & Carrie (b. Apr 1879) appeared in the 1900 Census on Virginia Ave., Brookland District, Henrico Co., m. 1 yr, with their dt Virginia (b. Nov 1899), & Preston's son Grover (b. Feb 1886). [Street name & occupation transcribed wrong at Ancestry.com] The Newport News Public Library's Daily Press Obituary Index gives the following Citations: Mrs. P.C. Edwards "Daily Press," Jan. 30, 1909, p. 1 P.C. Edwards "Times-Herald," Mar. 8, 1909, p. 2 Carrie H. Edwards "Times Herald," Mar. 9, 1909, p. 1 (http://engagedpatrons.org/database/NNObits/index.cfm) Prestley served in Troop H, 9th Va. Cav, CSA. (Find a Grave Mem. #87288284) He 1m. Mary Beverly ROBINSON, 26 Dec 1865, in King William Co. (Ancestry.com "Virginia Marriages" gives parents of both wrong) She d. 21 Nov 1897. (Find a Grave Mem. #87288331) Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/sussex/obits/e363c10o.txt