The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-08-22
CELEBRATED CASE
The Famous oss-Udderzaok Tragedy and
the Still More Famous Trial Recalled.
AN INEFFECTIVE INSURANCE SWINDLE.
A Conspiracy 60 Palm OF Body as
that orGoss Fails and Lends 10 the
Murder OF Cos. by His Confederate
The Insurance Company win
Their Case After q Hard Struggle.

Poe, with his wonderful invention and
morbid imagination, never conceived o
story moro wild and tragic than tho I'M
adorned record of what was known "a
years ago Us the Goss- Uddorzook tragedy.
Tho Baltimore daily papers Of Feb. 8,
1879, contained an account of the burning
to death of w. S. Goss. residing at 314
North Utah street in that city. Goss was
German by birth; but, coming to Ameri-
ca when child, spoke the language like O
native. He was remarkably Intelligent, q
well built man of above the average height,
and Mt the time Of his reported death was
sS years OF ago. He WINS married, and his
brotber-in-law, William Undertook ma
chinist was interested with him In tho
perfection of q patent for the production
Of material that was to take the place of
india rubber for mating and the rougher
purposes.
AS the materials used IN experimenting
were inflammable and the odor offensive
Goss rented n little frame house which
stood alone on the outskirts of the city, and
In this he and his brother-in- Inv did their
work.
On the evening of Feb. 9, 1879, Goss
went to this place, as was his custom, and
when it'bccame dark he lit n lamp, which
went out suddenly. He tried to light it
again and again, but without success He
then sent his brother-in-law, Udderzouk,
to O neighboring house to borrow a lamp.
This house was about 100 yards away and
was owned by n German laborer. Udder-
zook was asking for tho lamp when ho
heard dull explosion, and looking in the
direction Of the laboratory hc snw 1t illu-
Ha,,, I,,,., to-.
windows. 1t was an old rattlctrap Of an
affair, every stick in it as dry as finder, SO
that before Uddcrzook could get back or
give an alarm the whole structure was
nblnze.
The fire died out only when there was
nothing left to consume, and then a charred
body, answering in every way to that of
Goss, was found amid the hot ashes, tho
hair and cxtremities burned off and IND
features destroyed beyond recognition.
| a coroncr's inquest was held on tho re-
mains, and the verdict was that tho body
was that of W. $. Goss, and That he had
come to his death Through the agency of
divine Providence and fire caused by tho
explosion OF n lamp"
| Goss was thrifty man. and so had
made provision for his wife in the event of
his death. His life WAS insured for S25,-
/ j.
| country.
Tho body was duly buried the widow
| assumed the heaviest mourning, and being
dependent upon her husband IS efforts for a
living sho very properly applied to tho life
| insurance companies for the amount of
tho policies Goss' character was good, OK
cept that M was addicted to periodic sprces,
during which, however, he injured nobody
nut himself. He was good husband and
| STOOL we'll with his associates, vet the In.
surancc companies did not ray with the
promptncss that was expected. Indeed
they refused to pay Mt all and insisted
upon an Investigation
One thing that excited tho suspicion OF
the insurance people was the fact that A.
Y. Goss, the brother of the dead man, un
der an assumed name hired horse at q
livery stable in Baltimore ON tho night OF
the lirc, drove into the country unnccom
panied ana came back in the same way
ABOUT midnight. Acting upon the advic,
OF her brotherin law Undertook and he,
lawyers Mrs Goss sued the insuranc,
companies for the full amount OF tho poli
cies. The companies joined issue and EN-
ployed the best lawyers In the Monumen
City to defend their cause
AS an essential preliminary to the de
tense the chnrred body was cxhumed nat
given over to a committee of the foremos
physicians, among them professors in tn
medical college, for examination
When the trial came on, Mrs Goss, VIII,
had been married for l2 years and so shout,
know all her husband s physical peculiar
tiles, spoke of him as a strong, bToat
breasted man, feet inches in height
with brown hair, q Inustacie OF lighte
color and good teeth. The trial lasted 70
several weeks and was ono of the most ex
citing that Baltimore had known up t.
that time. Many witnesses corroborate,
Mrs. Goss and Udderzook, and the cas-
seemed dead against the Insurance compa
MES when the counsel for the plaintiff
closed
The defense summoned Drs. +. Il. Miles
Il. Mysong E. Lloyd Howard and +. l. s
Gorgas. These learned men, one and all
swore: 1.-THE teeth were defective. onI
two OF the whole set being sound and NOR
than ono-hnlf being missing. The remain
were those of male He was n whit
man, between the agcs of 25 and 90. ii
was OF fair average height, of stout bull
and Of great muscular strength. 1t we
Impossible to determine whether til
! burning was the cause of death or wa
post mortcm"
The witnesses for tho defense, althoup
not disproviDg the plaintiff, cast seriou
doubts upon the death OF Goss and create
: strong suspicion that another man ha
been killed and the body burned there, @
that corpse had been procured and place
IN the building, which was fred by Cos
himself with the full knowledge Of Udde,