Harriel G. Geiger

Hal Geiger
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 27th district
In office January 14, 1879 – Jan 11, 1881 Serving with J. D. Grant
Preceded by	George U. Mead
Succeeded by	E. C. Mobley
In office Apr 6, 1882 – Jan 9, 1883 Serving with J. D. Grant
Preceded by	E. C. Mobley
Succeeded by	Robert Coleman Foster
Personal details
Born	c. 1840 South Carolina, U.S.
Died	June 11, 1886(1886-06-11) (aged 45–46) Hearne, Texas, U.S.
Cause of death	Gunshot wounds
Political party	Republican (before 1880) Greenback (after 1880)

Harriel "Hal" G. Geiger (c. 1840 – June 11, 1886)[1] was an American politician, blacksmith, and lawyer. Born into slavery in South Carolina, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives as a candidate for the Greenback Party.[2] He served from January 1879 to January 1881. He lost his re-election campaign to E. C. Mobley but won the seat in a special election, after Geiger moved out of the district, and served from April 1882 until January 1883. He lost re-election in 1882 and was convicted of bribery under 18 U.S.C. § 201.[2] He was murdered by a judge for being insolent. Geiger and Robert A. Kerr were the only African-Americans to be elected into the Texas Legislature as representatives for the Greenback Party.[3]

Geiger was also a candidate for sheriff of Robertson County, Texas in 1884. He was murdered, shot 5 times at point blank range, by Judge O. D. Cannon for making "insolent" remarks and not showing enough deference to his honor. Geiger survived for a while before eventually succumbing to his wounds. A trial was held and the jury cleared Cannon after a brief deliberation.[4][2] Judge Cannon was convicted of murdering another unarmed lawyer, one of his neighbors, in 1899.[5]

Geiger is described as having had one eye.[6] He opposed the poll tax and criticized the convict lease system.[2]

See also

• African-American officeholders during and following the Reconstruction era

References

1. "Harriel "Hal" G. Geiger". Texas Legislators: Past & Present. Texas Legislative Reference Library.
2. "TSHA | Geiger, Harriel G." Texas State Historical Association.
3. "Robert A. Kerr". Texas Legislators: Past & Present. Texas Legislative Reference Library.
4. https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2828&context=ethj ^[bare URL PDF]
5. "Cannon v. The State, 41 Tex. Crim. 467 | Casetext Search + Citator".
6. Pitre, Merline (July 25, 2016). Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898. Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 9781623494834 – via Google Books.