The New York herald., 1874-11-13
O'Mara and Irwin Expiate
Their pouble Murder.
A MOTHER AND SISTER SLAUGHTERED.
Details Of the Horrible Crimes and
the Fearful Expiation.
A THREATENED RESCUE THWARTED.

Su Tue iuorulus VI July IA, 1870, Tue ClIiIeus Vi
this comparatively quiet and secluded district
were aroused to an extraordinary degree OF indlg-
and horror by the casual discovery or one OF
the most inhuman outrages ever perpetrated in
Jne Annals OF crime.
A pedestrian, indlfferenty vending his way in
the neghbornood of grove located few miles
from here, noticed, on the morning designated
above. large dock OF buzzards wranglng and
fighting over what at first sight seemed TO be the
decaying remains OF some dumb brute.
The presence OF any dead beast In d grove so
wen guarded and secluded, however, somewhat
surprised the pedestrian and, prompted by SIM
pie curiosity, he approached neaier, when sight
greeted his eyes that according to his own state
ment stupeled his senses and literally
"FRozE HIS BLooD.n
There, underneath the trees and only few feet
away from nm, he discerned the unearthed body
OF murdered man, from which both arms and
legs were severed, and which was irghtlu.y cut
and acerated.
Fastening to this place the pedestrian communi-
Gated hts rightful Intelligence. and in the brief
space OF an hour all the citizens OF the town were
gathered at a particular point, their passions
lashei into O state OF madness and fury that can
be imagined better than described.
TIE MYSTERY.
AL tue informant could state was that by mere
the members had been severed, and in different
parts OF which were eight deep and gaping wounds.
Who was this man? From whence came he2 What
was his name, and what his history Through
what pique, through what revenge, or for the
qualification OF what remorseless animosity, was
his murder wrought? But, above all, who was his
murderer These were the few brief questions
which flashed like magic through the minds or all
the Inhabitants OF the little obscure provincial
town. none OF which any OF them for the moment
could answer. Alter recovering from the great
shock which the discovery first caused the people
began to reason among themselves and remem-
bered that little while before stranger had
arrived at the village. lie was man OF rather
prepossessng appearance, OF slight figure. ana he
wore a heavy black beard. NO one could recall his
name maeed, no one knew anything about him.
save that ne styled himself ian agent" who had ar
rived at the village by accident. But the townslolE
remembered mat shortly after ais arrival another
man named william Z. Udderzook came to West
Chester, and that The latter formed the acquainr
ance OF him who wore she dark beard. They re-
membered also tnat Udderzook invited the strange
man ont to ride, and that they both drove away
together. The team used upon the occasion had
been hired by CdderzooK at harrisburg, and in the
evening OF the same day Udderzook re turned from
the mysterious ride alone.
BLOOD MARKS
The party who received the carriage upon lis
return noticed upon it STAINS OF blood. lie spoke
to Undertook concerning them; but the latter
made plausible explanation and straightway
lett the place. The strange man with the
black beard was never seen alive again.
Grouping all these facts together, the c,tt-
zens OF this place drew their own conclusions and
straightway began an investigation. Subsequent
disclosure revealed the fact that or vi the
limbs had been partially buried near the house OF
a man named Rhoadcs and further inquiry
show ed that Rhoades was the brother.in Law Of
the man Udderzook VINO had fed the town and
who was regarded as the murderer.
THE FAMOUS INSURANCE CASE.
Now, short time before the body OF the un-
known discovered in the grave. fire
occurred 10 Baltimore. from which q corpse was
taken so burned and charred that it was impos.
siDle to be ldenti1ed. The name OF toe party " no
lived III the noase in which the connagration oc-
Cured was Goss. The main portion OF the
residence was devoted to '1nventive expert
ments," being sort OF laboratory, In
which, presume, Goss spent the greater
part OF ms time. At the hour Of
the confederation Udderzook was On the ground,
had been IN the house with Goss few moments
before the Ere showed itself, and was the first
party to give the alarm.
soon after this nre Mrs. Goss, widow Of the man
supposed 70 have been burned up. brought suit
against prominent li.e insurance companies Tor
s25,ooo, the amount for which her husbands lite
mad been insured. Ia this suit William f. Udder-
zook was OF the principal Witnesses. and
stated in hs evidence that he had left the victIm
Winfield ;. Goss. at the house performing expert
ments little While before the residence was IN
RUNS.
This important trial brought out peculiar testi
q crisp. Hence arose the question. MIGHT not
William L. udderzook and Wnheld S. Goss have
some third party, for the purpose Of swinding
the LIE insurance companies Indeed, there
buggy under an assumed name and driven out to
Greenwood Cemetery, and there was also evidence
tnat the charred body was not that OF W. +. Goss,
but corpse purchased from some physician and
placed IN this house before the connagration Tor
the simple purpose OF swindhng. The supposltlon
therefore was that at the time OF the IRE In Bati-
more Goss was en- route elsewhere. Desp;te this
suppostion, however, the Jury rendered a verdict
IN iavor OF the widow OF Goss, for, the amount Of
the insurance. After this strange man appearsi in
tnis city, of sIsnt figure and black beard VINO gives
see see,,s name o. A. z Wilson, and who SIMPLY de-
remarkable lew hours AFTER the coming Of this
olack-oearued stranger Udderzook appears upon
Zook returns rom that ride alone In carriage
saon wsn a oo9a asrAs upon 1t, while the stranger IS
TIE REVELATION.
, as 9oon n o. sue discovery OF tue murdered man
Dere was laace known hundreds OF people rom
different sections Of THIS state and the sfate Of
Maryano came 20 tois point, and the excitement
was intense no one Tor the moment could iden-
tify the murdered man, while ms sunnosad mnr
derer, udderzoos, mad hed 10 paris unknown
Teegrans describing Udderzook's personal appear.
Rnce were sent iar and wide and Udderzook was
arrested IN Baltimore, Md, by Detective carroll
July 15, 1873. on July 10, one day after the arrest
the correspondent OF the Baltimore AneTtcon ar,
rived at the scene OF the murder and Identified
the corpse as that Of w. y. Goss VINO was ann.
posed to have been burned 10 death In the consa
grafton above referred to, and Identified also
seal ring found In the wagon which Udderzook hai
nired as that which mad been formerly worn BY
Goss.
on July IS, 1873, the Philadelphia correspondent
OF the HERALD produced additional testimony
that Udderzook was the murderer by publishing a
letter which was addressed to O friend OF his
nan huiro Coz o1x,ao