Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1873-10-29
rhe Chester CSua5y Trasedy.

.
zouK, AT WEST cnEsrER, Pa, roR THE
MURDER OF WINFIELD s. does-LIrE ISsUR-
ANcE COMPANIES DEEPLY iSIEREsrED IN
rRE REsuLr-EnrSESr couNsEs EMPLOYED
ON BOTH SIDES.
Many of our readers N.ll doubtless
remember the particu ars OF the mur-
der of Winfield S. Goss, neat Penning-
tonville, on the FIRST of July, 1873 !;
but inasmuch as the case Is ole Of Pc
culiar interest, inasmuch as II involves
= plot to dcfraud insurance companies
as well as a deliberate taking of human
life for the purpose of hiding the con-
spiracy, We have prepared the following
sketch, giving . brief summary Of the
facts elected at the cofoner's inquest,
which implicated William L. Udder-
sook as the perpetrator of the fearful
crime
The facts Of the Goss case are about
these: A married man named Winfield
S. Goss, who was in very moderate cir
cumstances. had life policy in the
Mutual, Continental, and Knickerbock-
er Companies. of $1,000 each, and
$4,000 in the Travellers of Hartford,
making S25. 900 in all. The premiums
on these policies amounted to over S4OO
pei annum, = sum larger than Goss'
annual income would apparently Justify
him in carrying. During the winter Of
1879 the insured man was reported to
have been burned to death in his shop !;
but the insurance companies believing
that all was not right, refused to pay
the policies, and Mrs. Goss brought
suit TO recover. On the trial which
ensued William 4. Udderzook testified
that be was intimate 10 the Goss family,
and on the night Of the disaster be had
called there with a friend and found
Goss fixing lamp, for which he wanted
4 chimney. He and bis friend went
after the chimney, leaving Goss in the
Stop working at the lamp. While they
we're gone he supposed the lamp was
upset and the building fred for when
they returned the shop was in flames,
nearly destroyed, and Goss missing
Goss was not heard of again, but
charred human remains were found
among the runs, and be believed they
we're shose of Goss.
1t was shown on the trial that Goss
had had especially beautiful teeth
They we're such fne teeth as to attract
the admiration Of prominent dentist
of Baltimore, who made overtures to
obtain cas-. of them. fhs teeth in
the remains found we're defective and
decayed. The widow recovered the
full amount of the policy against the
Mutual, of New York. The suits
agains: the other companies are still
pending.
During the trial in court on the part
of Mrs. Goss to recover the insurance
effected on her husbands life, brother
of Goss came forward and presented a
watch, bearing the look of having un-
dergone some fiery ordeal, aud swore
that he found it in the ashes of the
burned building, and also testified to
its identity as being the one carried by
his deceased brother.
A. Campbell Goss is a brother to
W. S. Goss. He was formerly life
insurance agent, and it is believed that
it was be that conceived Of the plan to
have his brothers life insured to large
amount in several companies, to then
proclaim his death BY burning, and thus
secure the amounts of his policies Of
insurance, winch we're to have been d.
vlded among the parties engaged in the
conspiracy. He has also been arrested
and held for trial.
The charred body was so mutilated
when discovered as to prevent identif-
cation, but investigation since the ar
rest Of Udderzook has brought to light
the supposition that it was resurrected
and taken to Baltimore to serve the
purposes Of the offenders. 1t was
expedient to keep ". S. Goss absent
from Baltimore, and for seven months
be is believed to have spent his time at
Newark, New Jersey, and Coopers-
town, near Bryn Mawr, in fennsylva-
mis- until he was joined by tdderzook
and finally disposed of. 1t appears
that Wilson, alias Goss, became weary
of the delay and feared to return to
Baltimore lest he might be discovered.
Undertook, being in constant dread Of
bis rettrn, is believed to have deter
mined to take his life and thus rid him
self of him forever. Accordingly, on
on Monday, June 30, be got of the
cars at Penn Station on the Baltimore
Central Railroad, in company with a
stranger, and that evening both took
lodgings at Mr.. S. Z. Jefferis' hotel at
Jennerville. The following day be
(Udderzook) hired horse and rode to
Penning,onville. and on fhe way back
stopped at bis brother in-law's, Samuel
Rhodes, and remained some time, after
which he continued his journey.
Rhodes testi6es that be endeavored