The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-06-17
A MURDERER's CONFESSION.

IN november, 1919, William T.. ID
derzOok was hanged ut West Chester,
Pa, on the charge of having murdered
w. S. Goss. Public opinion has been
much divided as TO the guilt Of the
executed man, but his confession,
which Is just made public, sets the mat
ter Mt rest. The facts brought out on
Il G trial were as follows; A man named
w. S. Goss, living in the neighborhood
Of Baltimore, procured insurance on his
life to the extent of S25 900. A fire oc-
cured soon after in his workshop when
he was supposed to have been there, and
the charred body of man like him in
stature being found, his death was at
inst accepted as a fact by the public.
Wien the insurance companies had
been defeated in a suit brought by Mrs.
Cess for the money and it seemed in
evitable that they should have to pay,
parts OF the body of a murdered man
were found in Chester county, Pa. The
remains found were past recognition,
but circumstances connected a maker OF
edged tools, in Bal more, whose
mother resided near the scene of the
cOrpse's several graves, with the crime.
He had been Oh a visit TO his mother
about the time the crime was supposed
10 have occurred. Various other clews.
such as the hiring of a horse and wagon
and h S having been seen on the road
with n stranger, cast suspicion upon
the latter. This mans name was
William E. Undertook. He was ar.
rested, brought to trial, condemned and
hanged for the crime.
Uddcrzook says in his confession,
written while in jail, that it was at first
his intention to have it published i'm
mediately after his execution, but he
finally left it in the hands of his coun-
sci, j. F. Perdue, with the request that
he retain it for five years and then give
it to the world. Undertook and Goss
married sisters. The latter was dissi-
pated, and, after having got his life in
sured for So, 200 in the Mutual Life in
surance company of New York city in
1868 for the benefit of his wife, found
great difficulty in keeping up the premi-
ums. He accordingly borrowed money
of Undertook for the purpose. Finally
Goss broPcbed a plan to his brother-in
aw whereby the insurance companies
could be robbed. This was to secure
$50, 600 more insurance on his life, then
rent n shop OF some other building in
Baltimore, and have it take fire with a
dead body, corresponding in size and
appearance TO himself, in the structure;
then lie himself was to remain out of
sight until his wife, in whose favor the
policies were to be drawn, lad collected
all the money from the insurance COM
panies. Undertook was TO have one-
third of the profits rs the price of assist
ing in the conspiracy. Undertook con-
sentod, and the amount of insurance
mentioned was taken out. A. G. Goss,
a brother, was also privy to the scheme,
and rendered some unimportant assist
ance in carrying it out. The building
was rented, the corpse (where it came
from Undertook says lie was ignorant)
placed in it, and w. S. Goss and his
brother in-law took part in setting the
fire. This was in 1872, Goss then went
to Wilmington, Del, building on thence
to Delaware county, Pa, finally to New
ark, N. j. He spent a great deal of
money in his hiding, which Undertook
was obliged TO furnish out of his own
pocket. The suits against the insurance
companies to o the policies did
not prospar. The suspicion finally Oc-
cured to Undertook that Goss might,
in a moment of weakness, try to COM
promise with the companies; end, as q
natural consequence, the latter's death
in some way seemed necessary in the
view of the blother-in-law to secure his
own safety from the penalty of the con
spiracy. With the idea of numbering
Goss, Undertook lured him into Chester
county, Pa, the last Of June, 1873, and
and there took his life. At Pennington
vile, a carriage and horse were hired,
and, on some p~retense, the two men took
a ride into the country. The confession
says:
THE evening was warm I'M we
drove rather s owly. Goss was swear
ing about being brought into such n
country place and was complaining. |
Vas rather disposed to quarrel with
him, and going up we quarreled con-
s%iderably. When we got above
CochraLville to n woods | had no.
ticed in the morning, and which | had
selected for the purpose, | drove in
among some chestnut sprouts. | did
not think Goss would notice where we
were going, but he did, and exclaimed,
Where are you taking meP Are you
going to kill meP" / 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 little resistance, for / held
him like a vice. The blood, of course,
ran over everything; he bled awfully,
until, finally, his body became weak, !
released my hold, and it doubled down
upon the bottom of the wagon, smashed
the front of the dashboard over and
bent the iroAs. While | was holding
him, until he bleG, to'be sure my work
was complete, l stabbed, or e%ndeavored
to stab him in the heart, and this ac-
counts for the numerous wounds found
upon the body. Heavens, how / felt
for his heart with that long, slender
blade! When he was senseless took
him out of the wagon and laid him on
the ground and went back with the
wagon TO n stream of water we bad
passed. Here l washed the wagon
thoroughly, having first taken out the
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