Private Zion T Parsons
Kentucky Post, Friday, 3 April 1903, page 1
While attempting to overpower a sentry to effect an escape, Harry Pulver, 24, a military prisoner at the Ft Thomas Ky. barracks was shot late Thursday and died from his wounds. Zion Parsons, 22, Company M, was the sentry. He was in charge of Pulver and another prisoner, W O'Brien in the paint shop at the northern edge of the reservation. Pulver died at the Post hospital in a few hours. Before death he stated that he and O'Brien planned for five days to escape.
Pulver was a Company B Third Regiment, private from Astoria L I and was serving a two years sentence at hard labor for theft, following his arrest in Cincinnati for stealing a bicycle.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 27 August 1903, page 5
Private Zion T Parsons, of Company M, Third Infantry, Ft Thomas, was Wednesday adjudged to be of unsound mind by an army board and will be taken to the Army and Navy Asylum at Washington DC. His mental condition is due to brooding over taking another soldiers life, although he was held blameless under the civil and military law.
The tragedy which preyed heavily upon Parsons mind occurred last April. He was detailed to guard general prisoners, Harry Pulver, a deserter from Company B and Pat O'Brien of 117th Company, Coast Guard Artillery. A plan to escape was made by Pulver and seizing an iron bar, he struck the sentry on the head with the iron bar. He then seized the Krag-Jorgenson with which Parsons was armed. As he got hold of it Parsons fired the gun and Pulver fell, mortally wounded. The contents of the rifle entered the bowels and the prisoner died early the next morning.
Private Parsons was exonerated from all blame, but the affair preyed heavily on his mind since that time. At the rifle range during the summer he was noticed to seek a secluded spot and brood for hours at a time. He was tried and adjudged to be insane. Sergt. Ewell, of the Hospital Corps took him to the asylum at Washington Thursday.
Parsons is 28, his home being at Middletown O. He enlisted at Dayton in 1902 for the Third Infantry. His only known relative is a brother at Staunton C H Va. who has been notified of his brothers sad fate.