The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-12-24

related briefly to The coroner.
Or Geiger as ked me to buy
more stocks for him without his put
ting up extra margin. refused be-
cause his collateral was exhausted
and ne owed us considerable money.
II told him that the best [ could
do for him was to keep his account
open for month.
HE said sharply: rs that all you
are gcin" to do for me?
II :. id: That's all,' and started
to turn away.
"Before T had time to take one
step ne had pistol out Of his pock-
ct and close to my stomach and he
fired without another word. After
that I remember hearing two shots
and wondered dimly if Geiger had
shot me again or himself.'
Mr.. Oliphant, when Geiger fired,
fell back on the table. lying there
unconscious for a short time, perhaps
fifteen or twenty seconds. As he
collapsed Geiger jerked the revolver
to h own head and fired. but his
hand was shaking badly and the muz-
zle of the revolver was SeeSawing in
the air. The bullet furrowed his
right cheek and clipped a piece off
Of his upper lip.
The next second he jammed the
muzzle squarely against his head,
lust back Of and little below the
left ear, and pulled the trigger. The
3S-calibre bullet split his brain and
he died instantly, dropping in a heap
by the table where Mr.. Oliphant lay.
The News and Courier received last
night from it's Beaufort correspond
emf the following dispatch, which
gives some of the details Of DR.. Geig-
er's career-a career which was un-
doubtedly marked by variety en-
counted by few persons:
"Charles A. Geiger was born in
Roswell, Ca, in 1862. His father
was at one time homeopathic ply
sician Of Baltimore. His mother was
Miss Helen H. Barnwell, Of Beaufort,
S. C. Geiger spent some time IN
Beaufort as a boy with relatives: La
ter he practiced as a homeopathic
physician at Roswell, Ga.
"efore returning to Beaufort, in
January, 1906, he aad spent many
years abroad. He told friends at
Beaufort that he had been at one
time court physician to King Men,
elek, of Abyssinia, and that while
there he became a friend of Count
Szechenyi, finance Of Miss Wander
bilt. In ais room at Beaufort are
many photographs Of himself and the
Count taken together in Abyssinia,
as we'll as many curios collected in
Africa. Geieer said that he had also
served as physician at the Court OF
the Sutton Of Morocco. To the very
few to whom he talked he showed
himself to be a man of culture, broad
education, wide travel and. skill in
medicine.
"When he returned to Beaufort
two years ago Geiger was suffering,
he said, from sciatica and jungle few
er, contracted in Africa. For the
first year he was very much Of al
invalid, suffered acutely and could
hardly walk with the help Of cane.
He improved steadily and recently
has rambled much about the coun-
try. taking a keen interest in making
a collection Of fossils from the phos-
pnate beds which abound in the
naighborhood of Beaufort.
"The two years Geiger has spent
at Beaufort, since his return i'll JAN
uary, 1906. he has lived at the Sea
Island Hotel. During the entire per-
iod ne exchanged telegrams daily
with James H. Oliphant, his brok-
er in New York, except during the
telegrapbers' strike last August, and
then he went to New York. stating,
however. that he was going TO Char
leston.
"Geiger left Beaufort last Tues
day, stating that he was going to At
lanta. Before leaving he stated
that he had lost heavily in the panic.
His improved health and spirits did
not seem to be in the least affected
and hn said nothinr ahnut q oTieV-