Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-05-07

the house for several weeks and could not
write 20 him, and was out of work and
could not send him money. In the early
part of June, on n warm, bright Sunday
morning, when l wasabout ~ell, some one
come to the door and inquired of our girl
for me. | went to the door. and to my
horror and surprise saw t was Goss
He had his whiskers shaved off and no
one who was not well acquainted with
him would recognize him. l at once put
on nv hat and started with HIM so as to
get him to an unfrequented part of the
town. Ipersuaded | him that he should
leave Baltimore at once. He accordingly
left that night for Philadelphia and thence
to Mr. d. Il. Mullins at Bryn Maur
Here he stayed until fail or in that neigh
borhood
We tried every possible way to get the
money from the insurance companies
without suit, but all of no avail and in
September, 1872, suit was brought to re-
cover the money The insurance. COM
panics alleged that Goss was not dead,
but was concealed, and that they were
employing detectives to find out the place
of his hiding. We then thought it best
that he should go to some more secure
hiding place, ard wrote to him and sent
him money to go to some place in the
vicinity of New York. Accordingly in
November he went to Newark, N. j.
Here he remained all winter, but l was
constantly in dread of his suddenly ap-
pearing in Baltimore or getting drunk
and making injudicious or ungmrded re-
marks about himself.
APPARENT VICTORY AND REAL DISASTER.
The trial came on about May &c, 1873,
and the jury gave verdict in our favor,
but motion was made for a new trial.
This was great disappointment to Goss
he charged in his letter that we misman
aged the matter, and, as he had several
times suggested before, spoke Of n COM
promise He wrote to me very often, and
in one letter said he believed the insur-
ance companies would give him some
thing handsome to settle The idea now
struck me that in a moment of weaknesshe
might try to make terms with these COM
panies, and while did not doubt that he
could do ii and save himself knew that
the burden would fall upon me, for had
not only been in the conspiracy but had
testified in court At once the State Pris-
on and disgrace stared me in the face.
All care about the money fled and | only
thought of my own safety thought If
/ could only supply him with plenty OF
money he would drink himself to death
but that, fast as it is, seemed slow to me
with the danger of exposure every mo-
ment over him. Oh how many times
have | wished some calamity would be-
fall him, but at this time L never thought
Of being myself the instrument of his de-
struction.
MAKING TIE KNIFE.
1t seemed to be question of self f-preser-
vation with me, and Mt last determined
to do something-I would go to Newark,
n. Y, and see him. By this time the
idea had taken strong hold of me that
the only salvation for me was TO kill him.
But could not make up my mind to do
it. used to look at pistols and knives
in the store windows, but l was afraid to
buy one. and as | was myself a maker of
edge tools one day went to work and
made fine dagger or dirk. made it with
great care, feeling that if it became neces-
sary to use it, it should rot fail me.
LAST VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA.
thought it best to see Goss at once. |
accordingly sent him word to meet me i'll
Philadelphia. Goss was nervous and dis
satisfied, and again spoke of acompromise.
We stayed all night at the hotel, and on
Sunday morning 1 suggested to him that
We go up to Chester county, to Sam
Rhoades, who is brother-in-law Of mine.
This he consented to do. My idea was to
get off at West Grove and walk up toward
Sam Rhoades', or Gennerville. where my
mother lived, and beguile Goss into n
woods used to know of on the way, there
do the work. conceal the body until dark
and then procure shovel from some
farmhouse by stealth. bury the body,
return the shovel, and the next morning
go to my mothers house just as if l was
on n summer visit to her, stay few days
and return to Baltimore. We arrive" at
West tirove and started to walk toward
Gennerville | complained of the sun
being hot and proposed We should go to
this woods. The sun was beginning to
affect him very much and he consented.
! also persuaded him that it was danger
our for us both to be seen and that We
ought to conceal ourselves during the
day. This he at last consented to do, as
he was growing weak he had been sick
and was getting sick again. We according
" went to the woods and sat down by a
stream and Goss went TO sleep. This
was my time but, rs | looked at him,
my heart failed me- Several times tried
to summon Courage To do 1t, but | could
not. 1 hadn't it in me- About dark, we
started, but l found that he could
not walk US far as Rhoades' that night
and concluded to stop at my mothers.
We accordingly went to Gennervllie and
left Goss in an orchard, nearly oppo-
site my mothers house, and went to see
her but | found that she was not there,
but was down at a neighbor's nearly a
mile away. My fears about Goss reveal |
ing something in the condition he was
now in made me decide that 1t would be
unsafe 10 trust him with Rhoades, and
that the final resort must be reached. L
decided to kill him at once. | talked
with Goss and told him We would go up
to Rhoades' and that / would slip down
and see my mother as had not yet seen
her, and as 1 should perhaps have to
make some such excuse in case of suspi- |
cion had better 60. therefore told him
to wait for lie short time, and l went
down there. When l came back ! settled
the bill with the landlord, Mr. Jetlries,
and got from him some whiskey for Goss
and good sized bottle to keep my nerves
steady After being thus prepared We
started in a team on our fatal journey,
and upon one which sends us both to dis
honored graves. The evening was warm
and we drove rather slowly. Goss was
swearing about being brought into
such country place and was COM
planning | WIS rather disposed to
quarrel with him, and going up We
0unrrelled considerably. When We got
above Cochranville toa woods l had
noticed and which had selected for the
purpose, | drove in among some chesnut
sprouts. l did not think Goss would no.
tice where We were going, but he did,
and exclaimed Where are you taking
me are you going to kill me?" at that
instant stopped the horse, threw down
the lines and putting my left arm around
| his head covered his mouth with my left
hand; with the right drew out the knife
had made at Baltimore for the purpose
and cut his throat. 1t was the work OF
an instant He made no noise and very lit
] tie resistance, for l held him like n vice.
! The blood of course. ran over everything;
he bled awfully, until finally, his body be-
coming weak, | released my hold, and it
doubled down upon the bottom of the
wagon, smashed the front Of the DASH
board over and bent the irons. While
| was holding him, until he bled, to be
sure my work was completed, | stabbed,
! or endeavored to stab him in the heart,
and this accounts for the numerous
wounds found upon the body. Heavens,
1 how felt for his heart with that long,
slender blade
HIDING THE BODY.
When he was senselcss took him out
/ of the wagon and laid him on the ground
and went bach with the wagon to II
stream of water We had passed. Here |
washed the wagon thoroughly, having
( first taken out the oilcloth that was in the
bottom. | also washed the blood off my
self. After washing the wagon | was
very much exhausted and drank the bal
ance of the whiskev in the bottle, fixed
up the dashboard Of the wagon rs best !
could, and took the wagon bnck to