The Washington herald., 1907-12-21

Geiger. Of Beaufort S. C. shot and
probably fatally wounded James II.
Oiiphant, senior member Of the stock ex-
change firm Of James OIiphant & Co,
with Offices at % Broad street. this ar
ternoon. Oliphant was Immediately taken
to the hospital. where de died at 2IO
O'Clock this morning.
It is believed thar Geiger was rendered
temporarily insane through heavy losses
sustained as the result Of speculation in
stocks It is said that Geiger's losses
amounted 20 Sss.0o0 Previous 70 the
shooting the men were heard by the
clerks in the Office in a, heateg( wra1gle
over money which Geiger alleged the con
eern owed him.
When employees Of the firm rushed into
the Office, after hearing the shots. they
found Mr. OIphant lying on his face be-
fore his desk. He was unconscious and
breathing only family. Ten feet away
from him lay the dead body Of Geiger.
the revolver gripped in his right hand.
Customer for Two Years.
Geiger had been a customer OF Oliphant
& Co for more than two years. At Hot
Springs Ark where he once lived. he is
said 10 have possessed a good reputation.
He ran into debt with the OIiphant firm.
his brokers, here. and. il Is said. several
letters demanding a settlement were
mailed 70 him within the last two weeks
The stock exchange was in the whiri OF
the closing hour when the news OF the
shooting reached there Business on the
floor was suspended Immediately and for
The next five minutes there was no trad
ing Groups OF excited brokers ran hither
and thither. trying 70 get details OF the
tragedy, and business virtually stood al a
lstandstHI for the remainder OF the day.
Mr. Oliphant was one Of the most popu-
lar men on the noor, and had been a
member Of its board Of governors for
twenty years.
After Air, Olphant had BEEN taken to
the hospital The coroner was Summoned
and took his ante-mortem statement
Inquiry from the excited employees Of the
broker revealed the fact that Geiger had
been in the Office and had had an inter
view prior 10 the one which resulted in
| the shooting
Thirty Days TO settle
j Il is said that in this first interview
Mr.. Oliphant told Geiger that he could
have only thirty days TO settle his bal
ance and make good the losses which the
firm had sustained for him by carryi.g
out his commissions
/ In Geiger's pockets were found several
letters and an account book in which the
figures ran into the millions.
| The following statement was issued 70
Police Captain Hagan. Of Old Slip Sta
/ ton. BY the firm of James h OHphant &
! Co. this afternoon
Mr.. James H. Ohphant. senior men,
| Der of the firm Of James H Oliphant &
/ Co, OF No. 20 Broad street. was shot
| by Charles A Geiger. of Beaufort, 5. C,
at Mr. OliphanTs Office Mr. Geiger.
I had an account with the firm and was
| indebted 10 the amount OF $4,000. He
| had been South for couple of months
and appeared in this Office to-day
THE firm had written to Mr.. Geiger
| several times requesting him 10 settle
/ his account After having a talk with
/ Mr. Oliphant. without any warning he
shot Mr.. OHphant and then shot and
instantly killed himself Mr.. Oliphant
was taken 10 a hospital
The body of Geiger was taken 10 the
! Old Slip station. When a reporter went
TO the home Of Mr. Oliphant. al $50
/ Clinton avenue. Brooklyn, il was found
that q message had come TO Mrs OIL
phant saving that her husband had met
with an accident and asking her to go
at once TO the Hudson street hospital
This is all Mrs. Oliphant knew OF the
matter She arrived at the hospital
I later. and was naturally overcome.
Mr.. Oliphant lived with his wife and
brother. He is about forty-fiye years
old.
DR.. BarUgh. who although a physi-
| clan. is in the brokerage business, was
the hrst physician to attend Mr.. Oil
phant
All Nr oIphant said in answer to
| questions as TO what was the cause OF
the shooting" said Dr. Barugh, was
| 'Geiger owed me money and I called
on him for payment"
Recent EmbezzIement Case.
Some ten weeks ago the firm OF
James II. OliDhant * Co. was forced
into public notice by the arrest OF
George II Brouwer, for six years con-
hdential man in the concern. at his
nome. Ss5 Washington avenue. Brook
| lyn. after an indictment charging him
with theft, which had been returned by
the grand jury. At the time Of his ar
rest. Brouwer was reported to have
confessed enbezzling amounts esti-
mated at Sl00. 900.
The surgeons at the Hudson Street
Hospital said tonight after an unsuc-
cessful operation had been performed on
Mr.. OHphant. that >he had perhaps one
chance in ten TO pull through. He came
out OF ether satisfactorily, but the dread
fuI nature Of the wound a bullet
through the center Of his abdomen. which
| pierced the larger intestine. made u
practically impossible to expect that he
would survive
DR.. Gelger for more than a year had
been a most luekless trader with the
| firm Of James H Olphant & Co. as A
suit ease full Of statements and daily
reports. found tonight in Dr. Geiger's
room at the Holland House. showed that