The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-12
THE GElsTLICH TRAGEDY.


QuEsr--wHERE The DRUos WAS BOUGHT
GlIsTLIcH sEEN WORKING AT HOME ON FRI
DAY EVENING" VERDICT AGAINST GEIsT-
LIcH AS THE MURDERER.
PHILADELPHIA, June IL. 1878.
The police are using all the means within their
power to discover the whereabouts OF Gcistiich,
tho murderer OF his WHO ana children, the
horror OF which has scnt q thrill through
the entire community. The impression prevails that
broad OF beng reduced TO poverty rendered the
insane, and led him to commit the deed. Last even
ing a Mr. Burns, OF Atlantic CITY, N. j.. received a
letter bearing no signature. The postmark was juno
3, ton r. NJ. 1t Is as follows
ANOTHER LATTER FROM rns MURDERER.
M, Do With the things What you psass before y0a get
i TOO asr III have Come down TOO low came down TO
in the bundle give them TO my vile SAID
woaid Cost. has Srsasht ms to
aas had bad May have s mercy w on ms
II was aiterward learned that man believed to DO
Goisttch had purchased ticket 10 Absecom for Phil
adcIpha. Several arrests have been Of parties
supposed 10 be tho missing man, but in every case
only to lead to disappointment.
The funeral took place this afternoon at Tour
O'Clock conformity with the usage OF the oh urch
Of which Mrs Gsistlich was n nem6ef.
THE INQUEST.
The Gr.t witness before the Coroner was William
Holderncss No 4l5 Redwood street, He testified that
the deceased was his mother; that he received let
ter from Gostlich yesterday hrst heard OF the MUIR
der last Saturday evenings hoard OF slight trouble
three days before; mother told my wife that there
disputes. but as lar as know, have lived happily
together
shown to the jury and read. letter written, found
on the person Of Mrs. Ge,s,icn, and without date
STILL ANOTHER LETTER
have t. leave you and % eavs the children TO your
Vn sDr . ss su Saa place as s 70
but without hardly. any mouny don't
sending money s1d go ':sas sss
yon think Ss. the children be not 50 lii:s any more he
may get hslphAad ~ someoody somewaore dar.g the
lord Il you tel him have loi. you for parts unknown
asa ~ IL. . end 1 .ss %s.sS tcw ts.ssi
s wS" for .na be- have sAsssp much eon 10
no mere s you may ss sysTyhns except our elo.lr
soSa bye would not have II, g. kissed =:
/ will be yours for ever rs 1.-Two
Mr. wsderness further said that he bad met Mr..
Geistiich nj least once week aud saw symptoms
OF insanity The last time he saw nim, on tuesday or
Thursday, no seemed despondcnI
Mr.. Francis Dougherty, living a. No. ], 1856 South
Tenth street, testncd In relation to finding the dead
bodies.
Rev. Thomas L. Franklin, OF tho Protestant Epsco-
pa Church, testified that he saw Mrs. Gcistich his
house on Friday evening; she vas seit.possesscd and
charity but only work; tiom what he saw OF Mrx
Ge,sch no thought ~ utterly impossible TO believe
her to be thu x my OF suicide.
Mr. J. T. Johnson testified that he had received a
otter from Gci,icb, which has been published in lno
HERALD; that Mrs Gctstich had told him tnat her
husband frequently threatened to commit suicide
said that she lived happily with her husband, who
was good, KIND man.
WHERE the cHLoRofoRM WAS OBTAINED.
W. II. hickman, aru4glst, No. '36 South second
street testified VA. NC has been IN The habit Of seing
medicines TO tho Gestiichs; lac sold prescription OF
DR.. shaituck 10 Geistlich on tho 9th INST; has
knoyn Geistlicn Tor some time; no member OF tho
family purchased cnoroiorm Mrs Geistiich spoke Of
being IN straitoncu circumstances ana Of the fact
OF ncr husband having TO leave her.
Charles Rutherford, druggist corner OF Teuth and
Reed strcels, testified that he did know Geistcn
personally; Sold an ounce OF chlosoiorm about
three weeks ago to Geistlch, VINO came over TO the
store sad his wife required tor an arcc ton OF
the heart; he bought u three times since winter
the bottle was oIe that had ocen used Tor Inc same
purpose before.
pr. George shuttuck testified that no attended
Geistlish's boy; wodncsAy evening was called irto
boy, anu called Doxt morning aud found nim some
What bottcr; ABOUT ton O'Clock tho woman said her
had gons look work. telling pitiiul story OF
the hard times; on Saturday morning stopped aud
tried to get in the door. having basket with her;
Geistlch appeared to be man easily depressed aud
inclined 10 DO respondent
AT WORK FRIDAY NIGHr.
Mrs. Wright testified that on FRIDAY evening she
saw Gcisteh sitting at the window mcnding shoes,
and that Mrs. Geislch was close BY sitling also; IL
oighi O'Clock AMI tho lamp was burning brightly
WINS confident she saw GolstIicn.
THg
DR.. Chapman tesincd that on the mother he four q
no signs OF vooncs; The neart was fatty and lungs
congesac, but all o the oncr organs .erc healthy
the little boy aud Rrl were then examined and every
organ was found IN a healthy condition except lhe
lungs which were cobgesied; this state ID produced
by chioroiorm
VERDICT.
Tho jury, on the conclusion OF the evidence, rem
dorcd q verdict nnoing that the and chil-
dren had died from tho effects OF chiorotorm admin
issered ny tho husband aud fathor.