The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-07-22
CONSPIRACY AND MURDER
UnrayeIing the Dark Plot of the Cos,
Insurance Case.

Insurance Case.
The dark plot of the Goss insurance case,
which eliminated in the murder of the
man who fegned to be dead, is being grad
ually unraveled. The Baltimore Ameri-
can says: 1t has been ascertained that
W. II. S. Goss, of whose death in Febru-
ary, 1872. twelve intelligent Jurors in the
United States circuit court were convinced,
few weeks since, was concealed at Coop
erstown, Delaware county, Pennsylvania,
from June, 1872, to December of the
same year. A. Campbell Goss, brother
to William s. Goss, and one Of the princi-
pal witnesses in the insurance case, was
arrested yesterday at his residence in this
city, 3l4 North Eutaw street, upon
warrant sworn out by MIR. A. r.
Carter, solicitor of the Continental
insurance company, charging him
with coDspiring with VIM. L. Udder-
zook, w. b. S. Goss and others to defraud
the Continental, New York Mutual. the
Knickerbocker, and the Travellers Acct
dent insurance companies. He was brought
before Justice Hagerty, and, at the sugges-
ton OF his counsel, an examination was
waived, and he was locked uplor the night.
Justice Hagerty fixed his bail at $25 900
NehO Suiii Ill tilC WdIIdlll, DuJ llLl-
mated that he would lower it, with the con-
sent of the states attorney, who was not
present. He will probably be admitted to
bail this morning.
A special correspondent of The Ameri-
can writing from West Chester says:
THIS SCHEME TO DEFRAuD THE INsU-
RANCE COMPANIES.
was carefully planned, the details being
arranged over a long period. Goss was at
work ostenslbly in perfecting substitute
for India rubber which he had invented,
and Udderzook was his partner, borrowing
$500 from his mother to put in the affair.
His India rubber was no doubt fraud.
Upon the trial two witnesses, one of them
a skillful physician, testified that Goss had
shown them a piece of stuff having all the
properties Of India rubber. which he de-
clared had not particle of India rubber in
it, but that he made it from materials taken
from Chesapeake bay, and that there was
fortune in it. Both the witnesses de-
clared that it was undoubtedly piece of
genuine India rubber.
THE TEMPORARY WORKSHOP.
Goss hired a small shop on the York
road, near Waverly, ostensibly to carry on
his experiments. When their plans were
perfected, he increased his line OF insur-
'n.e, ~ 1anI,s uu' poi,o'es III tiie AraVeir
the conspirators did not permit them to
stand the heavy premiums, and 1t was not
until few weeks before the affair was to
come off that the last two were procured,
the Travellers being taken out January Is,
1872; the Knickerbocker's on January
2G, 1872 the fire coming off on February
2, 1872. On the afternoon of that day
Goss and Undertook went out to the shop,
and on the way purchased pint of whis.
ky and gallon of coal oil, and borrowed an
axe from Engle, neighbor. Together with
Gottfried Engle, they went to the shop. A
quantity of stove wood was cut, and about
dusk Goss took out glass lamp, that
would hold about quart of oil, but it
wouldn't burn well, and Udderzook and
Engle left the shop to get another lamp.
They had not been gone long when they saw
the shop in blaze. They ran back, and,
with others, were about the house until it
burned down, when Udderzool mentioned
that Goss was in the building. When
| asked why he didn't say so before, he said
he was afraid of making an excitement.
Others about did not bestir themselves, be-
cause they saw man run down the lane
from the house, as they testified on the
stand.
THE Eyp1ANAr1oN
~: !. -, !, 80 -
OF tnls IS saiu 70 oe as ioiiows on she
aiternoon OF t4at gay "A; A. Y. uoss hired q
buggy IRON oohh =. lhorne, veterinary
I surgeon ana proprietor OF ligery stable,
ana When M II was aark drove OUT 10 tne Ian lane
near tile mouse; 9oss pled ,he kindilng
wool over the pooy, procured from some
cemetery OF aissecslng room, drenched II
WIN coal on, anu see Sc nre 10 II. Ihere
was ho GAproston, as lnose iivlng near ,estl-
neu. ". -. -. ?. uoss ran aown the Zane
Jun'Pea into Lo Z pusgy ny; ~ Waslng anu drove
oas away " heua tno ato'pn'a In uepo., is sup
Posea, wneie ne .ooh .le ualn. Lhere
Meie sun,e Sety susp'Iious olieuliistances t1
aoout I'M Inns % .nat were pr9ugnt out az the
triai 'ne pouy iouuo iia9 relilafhaDiy pao
1eeth, WINE :, uoss haa an unusual UNUSUAL
| nne set, Ihe nan Was Oh a alilerenl
Golor, anu .lleie were o.ner Porl's @ Wnefe
.lere was ~ ieseu'oaahGe, Ing agent Q
an insurance. a O,o company h llSissea .llat tns
Ma.oit % diu L sna G.ne "tto,.s co peLongg 70 uos'
stiouiu oo aoa. aou ~ s e",oh nao oeen ihaue
lae uay al.et t a,a;n tio nae anu anu Oh otner ocea
slons ,rna msnoa' Gu l's those Articles, ana
W. Nus seh re1etSeu ~ ,o h.oh - Loss un ~ n.