The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-02-26
MISSIONARY REACHES.

A MurdHrer's Curious Utilization of Prison
Cell ests-He Captures a Number IF
Reaches That Infest the County Hrison
and Uses Them to Convey Spiritual
Comfort to Fellow-Inmates.
The story of Baron Trenek, who sue.
ceeded, by almost incredible ingenuity,
in Willing away the hours of lifetime
of imprisonment with comparative con-
tent, is more than paralleled by the re-
markable ingenuity and curious In
ventive genius OF DR.. Albert G. F. Gocr-
sen, the wife-poisoner and murderer,
now in solitary confinement at Moya-
mensing. The story is almost beyond
belief, and certainly nothing so remark
able has ever been known IN the I'M
written history of prison-life in America.
Prior to his trial Goersen was man
of disslpated habits, and on that rested
one of the strongest pleas of the de-
tense, that the murderer was irresponsi-
BILE. Since his Incarceration, however,
and under the abstemious diet and
regulations of prison-life, he has again
developed the peculiar religious fervor
he once possessed, and is now warmly
interested in the future fate of his fell
low-prisoners. With this thought in
view, Goersen applied for permission to
read the Bible to the inmates of the
prison. The request, naturally, was re-
fused. GOersen, however, was deter
mined to impart to his companions in
durance his knowledge and professed
belief in the Scriptural writings, and
resorted to scheme which in all prob
ability has no smile in criminal annals
the world over.
Black reaches were the messengers
enlisted by DIR. Goersen to convey
spiritual instruction to the benighted
prisoners of Moyamensing.
The county prison is overrun with big
English beetles. These insects are from
an inch and quarter to two inches or
more in length, and infest every cell in
the prison. Goersen, who is of an in
ventive turn of mind, and at the same
time remarkable penman, saw In the
reaches medium through which it was
possible to attain the desired object. To
utilize the reaches became his hobby.
Filled with this idea, he captured a
herculean beetle, and, parting the wings
sallvated tiny strip of tissue paper and
stuck it, by the aiG of paste ingeni-
ously made from scraps of bread, on the
insects back. On the paper, written in
minute characters, and with the skill
for which Goersen was SO much noted,
were the words, small but legible:
.-.;.:..::.....
shall be as white as snow.
The insect was then released and
scurried through crack in the floor
The following day the doctor captured
fifteen or twenty of the largest reaches
out of the insectorial battalion that en-
tered his cell and concealed them in an
irgeniously-made box. Hiding the box
under his bed he prepared dozen slips
similar to the first, and, inscribing on
each microscopic selection from the
Scriptures, attached them to the backs
OF the captive reaches.
After keeping the insects confined
long enough to see that the paper slips
would stick, the reaches were released,
and they, like their predecessors, quickly
escaped through the cracks and crew
ices in the floor and walls of the cell.
The result of his experiment Goerson
awaited with feverish anxiety.
The lid of a pan filled with scraps was
placed on the floor as a bait. Three
days later Goersen found nearly score
of reaches in the lid.
Carefully he picked them up, one by
one, and examined them.
Speaking of his feelings to his keeper
afterward he said his excitement was
intense.
''My heart stood STILL" he said; s'the
tears stood in my eyes, and / thought
the disappointment would kill me. 1
examined over a dozen reaches and
could not discover single one with any
characteristic that would lead me to
believe had seen it before. Suddenly
saw among the mass something white
cleaning on the back of one of the
bugs. My breath came fast, and for a
moment hardly dared to look. Then,
piucking up courage, took the white
backed roach between my fingers and
parted the wings.
Il trembled as though stricken with
the ague, and could hardly see for ex.
citement. I examined the struggling
bug-I knew i'll had seen it before
on its back, fast and tight, was still
fastened a message had sent to my
unenlightened fellow-prisoners."
On the back of the roach, and in
scribed on the strip of paper, were the
woyds:
:''Be not deceived; evil communications:
corrupt good manners"
But this was not all. Written trans
versely across the paper. in scrawline
and almost illegible hand, were the
words:
Il no yure rite.-Sined, g."
Goersen was delighted, and the phe-