The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-11-16
A Romance OF Crime.
The UdderxOok Case.

Last Friday, at West Chester, Pa, the exc
cution of William E. Undertook for the MUIR
der of w. S. Goss, took place. AS usual in the
cases of such executions, the prisoner was
somewhat pale but walked firmly to the scat
fold and without excitement viewed the crowd
looking on. To the District Attorney he said !:
Il am sinner, saved by grace and accepted by
Cod To the Sheriff: Give my love to my
darling mother and dear wife, He then shook
hands all round, and as the cap was drawn over
his head exclaimed 4 look up to Jesus etc"
Rarely do story writers who delight to exer-
else their imaginatons in writing ga Romance
of Crime" succeed in evolving SO wonderful
plot as that which closed its last chapter in the
execution of Undertook. ..a
In 1868, man named w. S. Goss, living
near Baltimore, secured an insurance on his
life of $4,000, and before the first of January,
1872, had increased that amount to $25,OOO,
though having an income of but $500 year.
February 2, 1872 Goss, and Undertook who
married his wife's sister, were seen working 10
the shop of the former, who was picture frame
glider. Undertook was sent to get lamp re.
paired, and while he was gone the shop was
burned. When the ruins were examined a hui
man body, charred beyond recognition, was res
cued from the ashes. GOss was not to be found;
the body was declared to be his; demand was
made on the insurance companies for the pay
ment of his policies; they refused to accept the
proofs of his death, and suit was instituted
against the Mutual Company of New York as a
test case; the jury found for the plaintiff, and
an appeal was taken by the company. Be
fore the case was reached the murder took
place, and when the matter came before the
court new trial was granted on motion of the
company. The plaintiff has never moved in
the case since, and doubtless never will. Mean
WHILE according to the evidence which convict
ed Undertook, Goss was living quietly in differ
ent places, his identity and whereabouts being
known only to the persons interested in the con-
spiracy against the insurance companies. I'd
derzook engaged board for him at Cooperstown,
Fa., where he passed under the name of A. c.
Wilson. He seemed, according to the testimo-
ny Of his landlord, to be in trouble, often hest
and when he left sold some clothing and seal
ring to pay his expenses.
The next chapter oft he crime begins with
the appearance of Undertook at Jennerville,
Chester County, Penn, in company with the
so-called Wilson, on the evening of July 1,
1873, when the two men went out for ride to-.
gether. After that date Udderzook's compan-
ion was never seen alive. Ten days later a
farmer in walking through piece Of woods in
Chester county, noticed a flock of buzzards
lowering over and rising from a lonely spot
An examination disclosed to him human
body, partly buried, with the throat cut, with
numerous wounds in the breast, and with the
arms and legs lying at some distance from the
trunk. The fact Of Udderzook's having re-
turned on the night of July l without his COM
panon was the first clew to the crime and with
this to start from the whole plot was unrave-
ed. The interior of the carriage showed signs
of desperate struggle and was spattered with
blood. A photograph of Goss taken in Balti-
more identified the so-called Wilson as the
missing man. Persons to whom Undertook had
proposed q share in the crime testified against
him, and he was convicted on the ninth day of
November. 1873. His motive for killing Goss
was doubtless to facilitate the obtaining Of the
money from the insurance companies, which
it was now evident they would contest to the
end, and also fear that Goss, tired of the life
he was obliged to lead, would betray the con-
spirators. Every effort has been made to Sc
cure communication of his sentence, but in
vain, and every endeavor to induce the prisoner
to confess his crime has proved equally futile.
Other persons charged with participation in the
crime are awaiting trial. --.t
The above are the mere outlines of the TRACE
dy. The full particulars of the crime as devel-
oped by the government in the prosecution of
the case constitute an interesting chapter in
criminal annals and is notable illustration of
the certainty of well connected chain of cir
cumstantial evidence. rt.