The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-12-28
gttulua Fres Sraner.
a swell Financier DisgoTges.

a swell Financier Disgorges.
As goose to be piucked-as "a carrion I"
be pcked-as the old horse on the pain, sur
rounded by IL thousand hungry crows, that
.'Perched themselves his backbone
Ana pieSed his eyes one by one,
The Erie railroad has for the ten years past
been the most noted victim the world has any
note of. Uncle Sans strong box has been
subjected to some pretty rough experiences
in that line; the Credit Mobier swindle was
something quite original and stupendous IN
its.vav: but for downright, shameless scan
dalous thievcry, the Erie railroad management
eclipscd them all. It was in this mine that
Jim Fiske wrought and stole those mlliens
that he lavished So profusely on opera houses
ballet dancers, Josey Mansields and seaside
cottages at Long Branch it was from this
mine that the pious Drew extracted the treas
ure with which ne built such aristocratn
churches IN New York and it was with steal
ings from the Erie that Jay Gould was able SO
many times to corner the stock market, aud
clear II million 10y crushing halt the brokers
in Wall street Ye, it was no great wonder,
after al, that men of the vast "inancial' ablli-
ties of Drew, Fiske, Could &C., and having
such splendid opportunities, should steal
massiyey and mugnificently. Tine amazing
part Ct The business comes in at the wind up.
Some months ago-shortly after the death
of Jla Flske-tAe management of the Erie
Railroad, by one Of those financial cops Ietot
that even astonished Vail street by its adrot-
ness, passed from the thieves into the hands
of an honest directory. The first serious bust
ness the new managers turned their attention
to was to take an account OF stock trace out
the thieyeries OF their predecessors, and then,
as tar as such thing was practicable, to go
for them II WAS natural, Fiske being dead,
that they should give their first attention to
tn. next biggest thief, jay Gould. A three
months careful examination OF he books and
accounts demonstrated hat Gould's robocries
Of tAe Erie company amounted to not less than
S9,OJO,O0O. Watson, the new President OF the
Eric, having got his proofs in order, therefore
proceeded 10 take legal steps to compel Gould
not only to dlsgorge bat to answer an indict-
pent for sNindllng. What would man like
Gould naturally do under such circumstances
What cid Tweed do, after robbing New York
city Of its millions and being threatened
with prosecution? What did Ben Butler do,
when prosecuted ior his robberles in New Or
leans What have al! the noted "tinanclers"
4 i
lawyers by Iha dozen, bought up judges aad
jurcs, and made a"bod and nanly fight" OF
course, the reader will say, Gould did the
same. Not exactly. 1t Goud's financial ope-
rations were wonderful and his theveries as
toundua, hl, action under these trying cir.
cumstancyN Was simply stunning lie flew
INTO no ra3e--Ee summoned no sharp lawyers
to his aid-hc never once said fight, but in
the gehtieSt and most innocent business way
dropped line to president Watson, remOu
stratiDg that his book-keepers had rated his
steaIlngs II tritlc too high,-that i"stead of
nine lie had stolen but seven millions, and as
he was uverse to the annoyance of litigation,
he preferred rather to pay over the latter lit.
tie balance than stand lawsuit. ''Let US have
peace" Theamazemento Of Watson may be i'm
agined but he accepted the offer; and Gould
ESCAPES life long litigation, ending perhaps
in the penltentiary, by paying down the
$7,O00,OOO.
Of course, the captious will say the new
Erie management did wrong in thus com.
pounding felony with Gould and they may
further urge, that if Gould stole enough to en-.
able him, without embarrassment, to draw his
check for 100000, he must have stolen an
Immensely larger sum. Money attained in that
way is not usually boarded. Nobody imag.
ines, for instance, that when the city of New
YORK gets Judgment for ten millions against
Tweed, the sheriifw will find 1.-THE of that cum.
Stolen wealth usually take wings, and no legal
fowler has ever been able to recapture it. But
whether Gould stole ten or twenty millions, it
is big and unheard Of thing for the Erie to
have recovered such sum and that Erie
stock has gone Up enough to enable Gould to
get back bis restitution in the shape of an al
vance on the $50, 100000 of Erie stock he still
holds, is not the least noteworthy feature Of
this marvellous financial event.
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cooking range is doubtless nice instltu
ton to have about, and 1t il no less so whcr
i, supplies ones bathing room plen,eousl,
with hot tr 'epid water these cold mornings