The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-11-12
The Case Of UdderX00k ..

The Case Of Undertook.
A man named Goss kept small store
Oh the outskirts Of Baltimore. One
night the store was burned down, and
among the smouldering ruins the body
of man was found, charred, but yet
retaining sufficient marks Of person to
be family recognized as Goss. There
was nothing positive as to the ideHtif-
cation, but the general impression was
that the remains we're those of the
store-keeper. Inquiries were made by
the insurance companies, for Goss had
policies for several thousand dollars.
The day before the fire Goss had drawn
out all his bank deposits, fact which
looked suspicious. and the insurance
companies required further time to
settle. Undertook now Eakes his ap-
pearance. A short time after the fire
Undertook visited a small town in
Pennsylvania: near the Maryland line,
where he met friend. They rode off
together in buggy, bat Undertook re-
turned to the town alone and planned
that he had left his associate at the
railroad station. A week or 81 after a
gathering of crows in retired spot at
tracted the attention Of some country
people, who found the skeleton of a
man upon which the feathercd scav-
engers had been feeding. There was a
single garment with the body, which,
with a ring found in the buggy, has
been identified as belonging to Goss.
Persons have sworn to photographs of
Goss as the likeness Of the man who
went out with Undertook in the buggy,
while others have testified that Udder-
zook proposed to them the murder and
concealmcnt Of an unknown man!
For this II urder of Goss, Undertook
has been tried and condemned to be ex-
ecuted, and will probably suffer the
penalty of the law, as the governor has
refused to interpose the executive
clemency.
The theory Of the prosecution is that
Undertook and Goss had planned to
burn the store, and had placed dead
body in it to be burned, when being
recognized by certain articles as that
of Goss, would entltle his widow to the
policies. In this conspiracy the widow
of Goss is included. 1t is then sup.
posed that in consequence Of the rcfus-
al of the companies to pay. disagree
ment arose between the men, and that
in order to prevent detection by a re-
lenting purpose on the part Of Goss and
his wife, that Undertook determined to
murder him. Undertook also
may have supposed that Goss carried
on his person part or all the money
which he had drawn from the banks.
The theory of the prisoner is that Goss
persisted i'll his store. which, as the re-
mains were partially identified at the
time as his, his portially presumptive
evidence of the validity of that line of
defence. The resemblance of the man,
who rode away with Undertook. to the
photograph of Goss, is oircumstantially
strong against him, as is also the find
ing Of the ring and garment, but limo.
cent men hive been hanged on circum-
stantial evidence even stronger than
this.
Jonathan Bradford, an inn-keeper,
was found standing over murdered
man in his own house and with bloody
knife in his hand; yet he was innocent.
y tramper had entered the room Of the
victim to rob him and had murdered
him. Bradford had gone up for the
purpose of robbery. His ascending
footsteps had alarmed the assassin, who
himself, and when Bradford
entered the traveller S room the actual
murderer gave the alarm, and the limo.
cent inn-keeper with,a guilty purpose
was detected. as it were, in the act.
Bradford was hanged and the real muir
derer afterwards made death-bed con-
feSsion. Another memorable English
case is that Of Ambrose Guinnet. He
slept with man in a small tavern in
seaport town. aud during the night
Guinnet's bcd-fellow was suddenly
taken with bleeding at his nose. He
partially dressed himself, went out of
the house and was Immediately seized
upon by the preSs-gang, who in the
good old times were permitted by act Of
parliament to seize upon any one and
impress him for naval service. He was
taken on board ship which as it so
happened, Immediately sailed. Next
the man was missing, Guinnet
was found Slimed All over with blood,
the absent mans money and watch
we're found as it We're in his possession.
and the blood copioNS'y smearing the
stairs and hand-raiis- was construed as
evidence of his having descended with
,he body. and disposed of 1t in some
unknown way. Guinnet was hanged.
A few years ago Dr. Schoeppe was con.
'icted in Pennsylvania Of the murder
If Miss ST. neke on circunstantirl evil
lence. A delay WAS granted and his
innocence was finally established.
rhe Altitude Mt Which Nnr Tn ~