Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1878-06-29
HORRIBLE.
SHOCKING; STORY FROM THE QUAKER CITY
MURDERS AND SUICIDES IN DREAD
OF DEATH FROM STARVATION.
Cincinnati: Enquirer.

OF DEATH FROM STAR|AlloN.
=
.Cincinnat; Enquirer.
pIuLADEIpIn A, June 9-The tiEding OF
the dead bodies of three members of the
Giestlican family-the mother and two
children-a Tenth street tenement under
circumstances winch show thai the
mother killed the children and then her
self in dread of death by starvation, has
created profound sensation in Philadel-
phia. c,.,
The house was teuanted by Charles
Giestlich, an old German shoemaker
there being in his family Ann Elestllch
his wife, Charles Robert Ernest, their
son, who was born August II, lo(7, ana
their daughter Elizabeth Ann, who was
born august II, 1869.
Closed all day, the house was broken,
open last night by the neighbors, Mr.
Douwherty and Geo. Stuck, who crawled
from the yard of No. 1885 over n pretty
whitewashed fence, covered by grape
| vines. to the fragrant flower yard OF No.
| 1897. The latch of the back door OF the
| shomaker's house was lifted, and the men
walked in. They found the key to. the
|
| a kerosene lamp. The stair door was
| open The men went up to the second
story bed room. Tho two beds in the
| room were occupied , they saw the dead
body of Mrs Gestlich in the Large bed;
a step moro, and they came upon the dead
| bodies of the children i'll the little trun-
| die. cot. The boys shoulders were bent
from under the coveret; the girls head
rested upon her brothr's neck, and about
the mouths of the two little ones were
bound with red handkerchiefs, poisonous
| with the fumes of cholorform. The coun-
terpane was tucked closely about the
bolies' and there was no further evidence
of Il struggle than the crooked sholders
of Charlie The mother lay as If in sleep.
The upper sheet was spread loosely about
the stark form. The head leaned forward
as if to escape the pillow, and the chm
touched alctl handkerchief held by her
i"ht hand, which like the left, was rln-
~ed, This handkerchief also smcllcd OF
the drug. There We're blood Sashes upon
her neck and breast From the mouths o.
the children had come particles OF blood.
Tlc news was quickly borne to the
ears of VIM Hallcrness. son OF the dead
woman Young lIaldcrness tainted, and
when restored enough to go up to the
house of the tragedy, he met the Kew
; DR.. j. T.. johnson, rector OF st. Johns
Evangelist Church. DR.. Jones had par
L tial KEY to the mysterious deaths. A body
had tcen found the same day i'll the
) Manayunk, of an old man drowned. Ii
: WAS concluded by the Coroner that the
+ old shoemaker had drowned himself al
Manayunk and that his wife had nur
dered the children II! d killed herself
II Such was the general belief yesterday
!; morning. The links atfording grount
II for this conclusion arc as follows: There
y WAS found beneath the leaves of Char
II lies primary speller in the dead room TIL
< note from Mrs. Gicstlich:
'c :'To my 'dohter:' Good'by all can
II firht for existence any longer TN
u world did use us bad. We forgive all
re Pap will be with us, hope. We owe no
b. body one cent. Will you give after tn
T. burial expenses arc paid what is lett
nj DIR. Johnson's knowledge of the cas-
re WAS from letter re ievcd by him
st Thursday. in which Chas. Gicstlich use
- these words;
IN .All want you to do is to speak t
II NV wife aid children words OF enco'
" rarcmert, as l have to leave them !
o. great distress, on account OF not oclh
ny able to support them any longer. al
's' tired ofmy life there is nothing but II
OF suits and disappointmcnts, and to
'6- nubbed, as l often have been, ant
have people remark, if l tell my story,
am too dumb to live. O. what do the
mean to call an honest man dumt
Yes. sir, honesty is what made nc po
and help others to heap up riches.
have proof to show that we all were :
up Industrious family, and that wo tried
ret a little home tor our older days b'
St real estate agents swindle us out OF o
jhc little savings, and gave us worthle
nj papers, and there they lay worth nothln
lys Yes, I was dumb. l dld not undcrsta1
en- the art of dealing, o, Mr.. johnson,
Ter myself am just as worthless rs them p
ne pcrs. 1 am getting old. Times ha
try changed. If attempted to try to 9
her work in a factory they look at me a
her say they cannot bother with old poop
'ws 'I was for sixteen years Il soldier;
nS, ways done my duty; never Snfteied a
an punishmcnt; was always sober. l ha
adc now been twelve years in business
nto ways but these past four years WE
his prosperous, but 1 have been swept
hcartlcss pretendcrs and deccivers il
povcrty and in the depressed times i