The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-11-13

= Remarkable 5sms1acr Er;ta2.

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\ Remarkable 5Emsacr Esiaa2.
Oae Of the most remarkable murder trials
that has ever taken place in this country was
closed at West Chester, Pennsylvania, on Sat-
urday night last, in e verdict Of guilty in the
FIRST degree, against w. j. Udlerzook, for
the murder CT ". S. Cess. It will be re-
membered by our readers th9t about year
ago we gave an account of the progress of an
insurance trial in Baltimore in which YER
dict Of $4,000 was given against several
insurance companies in favor Of Mrs. Coss
for policies on her husbands life,wh was al
legged to have been burned up in his chops,
some distance from Baltimore. The name OF
the reputed dead man was w. S. Goss.-
After the verdict, the INSURANCE earnpanies
put detectIves to work, believing that Goss
was still alive. They watched Undertook.
who was one Of che principal witnesses in the
case against tbs insurance companies. They
followed man who passed for C. Wilson
for twelve months OR more They discover
ed that Udderzook had visited him, and cor.
responded with him. Wilson disappeared,
but he was last seen with Undertook, travel
ing in wagon through West Chester
county. After the lapse Of some time, the
evidences of murder were developed by bug
yards exhum,ng the remains from the shall
low burial place. A button and ring were
found in the wagon corresponding to similar
art'c es Goss had worn a nd also Wilson II 6
ohainof evidence seemed to prove the MUIR
dered man, Wilson, as the burned Goss.-
| Undertook was arrested, tried and found
guilty Of murder in the first degree, the cir
cumstances jusiifying the jury in determiu-
| ing that Goss was not burned-that the iu-
surance companies had been defrauded out
Of $40, 600, and under the assumed name OF
| Wilson, Goss had been seeeeted At different
places from the time OF his alleged burning
until his death at the hands Of Undertook
Probably there never has been more pro.
found succession Of great crimes connected
with any previous case ia this country
Perjury, robbery and murder, in their most
aggravated forms, have constituted the iustru-
meataiities with which the guilty party has
been working, until the terrible tragedy will
be fully consumnated in the hanging Of the
| 4ho o.,er,,1 suS
Singular to say,the guilty party had borne
an unexoeptionable character previous to the
suspicion that fell upon him. lie was Of q
good family. had married an interesting Ia
dy, and was surrounded by every social irau-
ence to educate him in the exercise Of the
more refined sensibiIities Of our nature.-
Notwithstanding all this jury Of twelve
men, after protracted and laborioua trial
have found him to be one Of the greatest
criminals, that the annals Of crime have ever
frecarded.
/ A feature Of tho trial vas she irrcsollti T
Of the jury. After the argument closed tie
first pcl taken resulted in seven for guilt
aud five fos acquittal. The poll was repeated
until it came our s for acqniatal and 4 for
guilt The jury appeared in court and ask
ed for Instructions The letters Of Goss and
| Wilson were given them, which we're believ-
ed to have been written By the same person,
thus identifying Wison as Goss, and Goss
as Wilson. This seemed to change the minds
Of the Jurors, and finally verdict was agread
upon, after 43 hours elaboration There
was one ealored man on the jury.