The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-12-14
A GIGANTIC CANARD.
Gambling in Wall Street over the Sup
posed Corpse of NapoIeon-A Profit
able but Imaginary Death-Three
Millions and n Half Made by the
Financial Wake over Bonnparte.

During the past month, Wall street
has been in n state of comparative apa-
thy. The old exciting rumors of new
developments in the sale and transfer
of Erie stock died away, after having
effected their purpose, and the market
for gold and securities was left undis-
turhed, except by the ordinary illustra-
tiOns inseparable from their purchase
and sale. The most enterprising bro
kers, however, failed to amass fortunes
under such discouraging circumstances,
for speculations, based on the dull rou-
tine of daily prices, will only yield a
respectable income. These facts receiv-
ed the earnest consideration of a few
dashing sports of the gold room, and
they quietly resolved to startle the
street with sensational rumor. Their
plans to effect the object were we'll laid;
for the possession or loss of millions of
dollars depended on their development.
But, however daring tho conception,
the report which they designed to pro-
mulgate was net wholly original.
The cable was hurdened with news,
almost daily, of the alleged illness of
Napoleon, the news being based on ru-
mors circulated in Paris, and which
grew out of the temporary privacy of
the Emperor, who has not been seen in
public for some time. Of course, the
quid nuncs of the city of amours and
gaiety were obliged to account in some
way for the absence of their sovereign
from public life, and they-whether
true or false-hatched the rumor that
he must be ill, and they subsequently,
in order to become positive, actually
declared that he was suffering from an
unknown maladv. All these reports
suggested to some of the gamblers of
the gold-room the propriety of making
arrangements to have accounts of Ma
poleon's death published simultaneous
ly in New York and London, so as to
affect the prices of gold, stocks and Sc
curities in general, in the former if not
the latter city. By some unacconut-
able strategy, they captured the cable
for this purpose.
Before noon, according to the pro-
gramme previously agreed upon, dis
patch was received by German bank
ing house in this city from London, as
sertiug that the barricades had again
been raised in Paris, that the people
were in a state of insurrection, and that
France was in the throes of revolution.
This was followed by q companion
piece that Napoleon had expired. The
last report created a financial furore in
the street. The shrewdest brokers were
beginning to regard gold as the only
security" worth having; and it is .
marvel that, under the circumstances Of
the sudden fever thus created, coin did
not advance beyond the figure which it
reached, and that stocks should have
fallen only a few cents on a dollar.
But as it was, those Immediately inter
ested ia the success of the canard made,
it is estimated, about TIVE millions from
the sales of coin, and one million and .
half on stocks.
The report thus answered its purpose,
but it was burning disgrace upon its
propagators, who held such a profitable
wake over the imaginary corpse of b.
naparte. If the rumor had been true,
| the effect would have been far more dis
astrous to the shorts than it was but
| its untruthfulness was shown alike by
the fact that no legitimate dispatches
were received on the subject, and that
the evening headquarters of the bro
kers, in the Fifth-avenue Hotel were,
for the first time in several months,
almost wholly deserted last night. The
men who amassed fortunes by the reyal
lie went to their social haunts to count
their piles, and compare notes, and the
unlucky losers went to their homes sad.
| der but wiser men.