Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 April 1894 — How Poor Tom Geer Died. [ARTICLE]

How Poor Tom Geer Died.

J. F. Iliff arrived back from his trip to Martinton, 111, last Thursday afternoon, having driven the entire histance that day. He brought the lull particulars of T. H. Geer’s sudden death. Mr. Geer arrived at Martinton on the Saturday evening before his death, and put up at the hotel, and remained until Monday night. All that night, as the landlord reports, he heard Mr. Geer moving about in his room, unable to sleep. About daylight Tuesday morning be went down- stairs and left the hotel. The landlord observed Mr. Geer’s talk and actions as he left the building and perceived that he was deranged and very wild, and he therefore thought it not prudent to follow Geer until he had called up some other men to go with him. In the meantime Mr, Geer walked about for and then at a private house, knocked at the door and demanded admission. The only occupant of the house was an elderly widow, who went to the door and talked with Mr. Geer, through the screen. He demanded to be admitted saying robbers were after him. The lady saw his condition and was of course greatl y frightened, and refused to let him in. He then asked where her axe was, saying he wanted it to break the door down. She told him back of the house, in the coal house. He left to go after it and the lady at once ran to the house of her son, across the street. In walking around the house, Mr. Geer was so wild that he tore down a water spout and also broke the cistern pump. He then stepped upon the back porch, tried to get in at the back door, and directly after was seen, by the lady whose house it was, and others who were watching, from the house opposite, to start to step down from the porch, and then to fall heavily forward upon his face, upon the frozen ground. Several people soon ran to him, but he was stone dead. His face was terribly bruised by his fall. During the day the coroner of Iroquois county came from Watseka, and held an inquest, the cause of death, by their decision being the bursting of a blood vessel. . - - Mr. Geer had, ioi some time past, according to all accounts, been addic--ting himself more than ordinarily to his taste for liquor, and his insanity, was, without doubt, an attack of delirium tremens. Mrs. Geer and her sister arrived at Martinton Wednesday evening and took the remains to Englewood, the home of Mrs. Geer’s parents, for burial.