The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-21
SUICIDE FOLLOWS
 MURDEROUS DIED Crazed Trader Sheets s tsck
 Broker In His Office
VICTIM CANNOT SURVIVE
South Carolina Man Becomes Involved In Stock Deals, and, Going To
 New York, He Causes a
 Bloody Tragedy. 9

New York December 20.-James H. Oli- phant, member of the stock exchange trrl of Joseph H. Oliphant & Co.,, Is dying tonight from a bullet wound inflicted at his office this afternoon by Charles Geig- CT, a customer. of Buford. S. C., who after he had fired upon Oliphant killed himself.
 The men were closeted in Oliphant's pri- vate office at the time, and all that is known of what immediately preceded the shooting was learned from the lips of the dying broker Oliphant said that his refusal to extend further credit to Geiger caused the tragedy. There Is reason to believe, however. that Geiger has became mentally irresponsible. A note book found upon his person contained compu- tations by which the writer apparently had figured he would be worth s3.O00,0O0 by January 1, 1908. He actually possessed so far as his personal effects showed, less than $11.
 Geiger owed the Oliphants $5000. and had been asked for settlement He called at their office today, and after explain ing that he could not meet his obllga- tions, asked that the firm advance him sufficient credit to carry 2O0o shares of a certain stock until a rise in the price should give him profit. His proposition was refused and the shooting followed.
 The offices of James oliphant & Co. are at 20 Broad street, in the center of the financial district. and the shooting caused a sensation in the street and temporarily interrupted the business of the curb trad CTS, the scenes of whose activities are overlooked from the big office building.
 Clerks who pushed their way into Oli- plants office when they heard shots fired, stumbled over Geiger's dead body. He had shot himself !n the mouth and again clutched in the right hand. Oliphant had slipped from his chair and lay half con- cealed under his desk. bullet had en- tered the stomach. The broker was still conscious. At the hospital where the op- eration of laparatomy was performed, 1t was found that the bullet had grazed the kidneys and lodged in the back It was not removed.
 Oliphants ante mortem statement was supplemented by statement from the brokers partners. who included Oliphants son, J. Norris Oliphant.
 Geiaer Lost Fortune.
 According to young Oiphant Geiger was B years old, six feet tall, sender and wore a heavy dark moustachs, be- longed to the class of spectators lnown in the street as odd to the customers" those who always have something tn the board, buying or selling in 10 or 20 share lots, never investing a great amount, but frequently risking all they pos sess. Papers found in room which Gei- ger occupied last night in the Holland house indicate, however he had lost no less than s75,000 in dealings ir Steel common and that he still owed the Oli- phants 5000.
 It was also indicated by the papers and partially confirmed by acquainances that Geiger had lost all he possessed and that when he went to the br,ker's office today it was in the hope cf se- curing credit through which he migit re- cuperate his fortune. He opened an &C., count with the Oliphants on September 25, 1905, and operated In Steel conmon until September [, 1907, when he let for Beaufort S. C. At this time hi, &C., count was secured, but the recent de- pression in the price of securitiei re- suited in a debit balance against him of 5000. This he was repeatedly isked to make good.
 Wrote for Money.
 On November 30 while stopping at the Piedmont hotel, Atlanta, Ga., he wrote the Oljphants asking them to setd a check to the Fifth Avenue bank hert for s25O to be charged to his account. The Oliphahts replied that the request kould 
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