Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-06
THE UNDERTOOK TRIAL.


l
Particulars of the Case-Evidence for
the ProseeutiOn-Identif Utlder-
z0Olx's Alleged victim.
The Undertook trial, now going on at
Westchester, Pennsylvania, is likely to de-
| velop evidence sufficiently horrible to slim
ulate the most morbid fancy. Udderzook
is accused of numbering his brother-in-law,
W. S. Goss, for the purpose of securing to
the family an insurance of S25, 600 which
the murdered man had on his life. So far
| as known the evidence is purely crcum-
stantial. The main facts III the case are
| that GosS has disappeared, that body re,
sembling his has been found, and that I'd
| derZook is declared to have been seen in
the vicinity OF the woods in which the mys-
| terious remains were discovered.
WEST CHESTER, Penn, Oct. 31-At the
opening OF the trial of Undertook this
morning, the examination of David r. N[ul-
len was resumed. The prosecution desir-
ed to ask the witness what the man calling
himself Wilson said when he came TO Null
lens house to board. The defense object
ed. Mr.. Hays, for the prosecution ARMED
that the allegations of the man who fbev
claim was murdered, were a part of tbe
testimony as to his identity with Goss.
The Cout decided that what Wilson said
on leaving one place to go to another was
evidence, but what he said afterwards At
Mullen's house must be ruled out: Mr.
Mullen testified that Wilson was in tbe
habit OF drinking to excess. tboucb
this occurred but once after his
boarding there six months, and Mullen
dismissed him, and lie left; the beard of
Wilson, he said; was totally unlike that
shown in the photographs of Goss; while
with witness Wilson let his Whiskers grow
all over his face. The photograph of Goss.
from the same negative as the double pic
ture, but with Langley omitted, was shown
to the witness, who said he was not posi-
tive, but thought it was Wilson. Mrs. Null
len thought the likeness of Goss in the
double picture resembled Wilson. Testi-
mony was introduced showing that Goss
was of Incorporate habits before he disap-
peared from Baltimore.
AT the afternoon session, Mr.. Backerack
said that the scar on the forehead of the
body found would not show in picture
very distinctly. VIM r. Ramsey, Annie
Z. Muller III. g. Lightbody, and Thos. Il.
Haley, who knew man calling himself
Wilson, identified the photograph as closely
resembling him.
Miss Emma Taylor, who boarded at Mrs.
ToOmbs' in Newark, testified TO having ex-
amined Wilson's ring; Wilson pointed out
to me two spots on the stone with drift
between; the ring was not round. On the
ring being shown she said: This looks like
the ring, but | do not see the spots as dis
tinctly as | remember seeing them; with
that exception the ring fully answers my
description; | had The size and all: he gave
the ring to me; l kept it for three weeks,
and then gave it to Mrs. Toombs to return
to him; Wilson wore Congress CATERS with |
out buttons. Onthe CATERS being shown she |
Saidthey TeSembled Wilson's gaiters:she saw |
the prisoner when he called on Wilson: |
witness frequently received notes from Viii |
son bat destroyed them; have not, she said. |
heard from him since he left; witness gave |
the usual description Of Wilson's appear |
ance and recognized the photograph as his |
likeness; could see the Shaven face in the |
picture rs the one she saw with a full |
beard; thinks he was intoxicated when he |
gave her the ring. The prosecution pro-
posed to show Wilson's letters to witness |
to see if she could identify the hand-writ-
ing. The defense objected, but the obiec-
ton was overuled by the Court, and the I
letters were shown to witness, who said she
knew the writing to be that Of A. G.. Will |
son. Isaac TOombs, of Newark, gave the
same description of Wilson and recognized |
the photograph as his likeness. He also
identified the valisc. The court then adj
jOurned.
q. WEST CHESTER, Penn, Nov. Frank
lin Mills, fellow boarder with Wilson, at
Newark, was the first witness in the I'd
delZOOk trial to-day. He recognized the
ring and identified the photograph. James
K. Williams, a manufacturing ieweler in
Newark, testified that he knew Wilson and
that Wilson offered to sell the ring to him:
he identified the ring and described its pc
differing from any other he had
ever seen. Augustus c. Sawrie, of New
\ orL, fellow boardcr with Wilson, identi-
fed the CATERS as closely resembling those
worn by Wilson; Wilson had them half
5oled i'll Newark, and borrowed an old pair
Of boots to wear in the meantime; he re-
cognized the photograph and also the ring
Edward Sutton, also fellow bOarder, posi-
lively identified the ring and photograph;
ne saw the prisoner when on a visit to Will
son at Mrs. ToOmb'S house.
On crOss-examination the witness said
he recognized the ring by its peculiar
make" and also because he noticed when
{ was first shown to him by Wilson that it
lad been cut and soldered again at the |
Jack; he noticed this popularity because it
vas poorly done. Michael O'Donnel, a
recognized thevaliSe, having |
it on one occasion when Wilson {
wanted to ''swap'' with him; witness said |
N the the day he left he presented Wilson (
With a fine collar-button Or stud; had worn 6
himself nearly two years. Witness des- :
ribed the button. \ button found in the
hiIt was shown to him, and he identified
as the one he presented to Wilson;
e also identified Is the photograph
S likeness of Wilson. o. F. I
'reeze, of Baltimore, General Agent f
the Mutual Life Insurance Company, of +
lew York, was sworn, and, the jury being
AIKEN out, the prosecution proposed to
rove by the witness that W. S. Goss had
cen insured in several companies to the
mount of $4,000; that UdderzoOz had Z
9stified in a suit against the Mutual Life l
insurance Company that Goss had been L
urned to death by the destruction of a 8
ore on York Road, Baltimore County; L
nd that Undertook afterward enticed V
oss, alias Wilson, to Baer'S Woods, the i
lace of the murder. /
Pending the argument the court adjourn 8
1, and on Resembling decided to allow !,
violence as to GOss in connection with the e
lsurance companies in Baltimore. A let =
+ to DR.. Helle, signed by A. c. Wilson,
as identified by John W. Butler of Balti- e
Iore as in GOss's handwriting. W. F. I
reeze testified to having insured GOss'S e
fe in the Mutual Company of New York t
r 5000, also in the Continental Of New s
Orly for G. ono n q McCIuirp testified ',
to GOSS's inSuring his life for $4,000 in G
lie Travellers and Accident Companies. j. n
Smith testified as to the burning of his 4
lOp near Baltimore and his rescuing a =
)dy from the building. The court then .
ljOurned until A. NJ, on Monday. D
THE $4,000 cow. "
From the New York News, Nov. 2. p