People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1894 — IN HIS OWN DOORWAY. [ARTICLE]

IN HIS OWN DOORWAY.

An Indianian Assassinated in the Night. The Tragedy Ocean at Jeffersonville, and Is the Culmination of a Series of Crimes—Bloodhounds on the Murderer’s Trait. ABBASSINATED. Jeffersonville, Ind., March ft— About 2:30 o’clock Tuesday morning Stephen Geer, an aged German farmer residing in the suburbs of this city, was awakened by the violent barking of a small dog which he kept around his premises. On going to the door to ascertain the cause of the disturbance he found the animal crouched just outside the door whining and crying. As soon as the door was opened it ran inside and Mr. Geer, following it, picked it up and carried it outside. Just as he appeared in the doorway a shot was fired at him by some one standing not more than 25 yards away and he fell with about fifty shot wounds in his breast, abdomen and limbs. He lived only three minutes and did not speak a word after Deing shot The weapon used was a shotgun loaded with slugs. His wife and daughter heard the shot, and rushing to the door saw Geer lying in a pool of blood. Their screams brought the neighbors to the scene almost instantly, as several of them had been awakened by the shot When they reached the house Mr. Geer was dead.

The most intense excitement prevailed as soon as the news of the tragedy and the various burglaries spread, and soon a hundred people were gathered at the house. The chief of police w T as busy until noon doing everything possible to gain a clew to the assassin. Officers were summoned at once and they began scouring for tracks or anything that would lead to the discovery of the murderer. A dispatch was sent to Seymour for the bloodhounds owned by XV. A. Carter. Footprints were found back of the stable in the rear of the house, and these were taken up and followed for a quarter of a mile in a southeasterly direction towards the Ohio river. They were then lost and could not be recovered, as it began to rain. At that time Mr. Carter arrived with the two bloodhounds, which were taken to the scene. They took up the trail readily and started off in the direction of the Ohio, following the footprints found by the officers early in the morning. After following them up as far as the officers did they kept on toward the southwest and at last came to a cottage occupied by an old colored man, Paul Jones, his wife, daughter and son-in-law, Herman Stenson. They entered the cottage without hesitation, and after going around the house two or three times came out to the fence and seemed somewhat confused, and finally were forced to give it up, They w r ere taken back to the scene of the crime twice, and each time without hesitation took up the trail and ended at the cottage. The inmates of the house were immediately taken in charge by the officers and subjected to close questioning. The evidence seemed sufficient to justify the officers in holding them until the case could be further investigated. The actions of the murderer were such that it is not thought he was bent on robbery, as he had ample time to escape after Mr. Geer’s tirst appearance at the door, but instead waited and shot him on his second appearance. On the other hand, no motive can be given for the cold-blooded murder, as he was not known to have an enemy, and it would be hard to find a more inoffensive or harmless person than he. There was a wholesale chloroforming of residents by burglars in this city Monday night. The entire family of Frank Briggs were put uuder the influence and the house ransacked. A large amount of money was taken by the burglars. It was several days before the victims could be revived. The home of William Quick was then visited and the family chloroformed. Next the burglars visited Frank Bayers’ home. Here they chloroformed the entire family, but secured no plunder.