Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-21
SUICIDES AMONG BROKERS.
The Recent sad Case of Joseph
Weeden of New York.

NEW lOhhs NOV. 2U.--On6 OF the sad
dest cases OF suicide among the business
men OF New York was that of Joseph
Weeden, OF the Cotton Exchange, whose
untimely death was announced some DAYS
ago He was young man, but had grown
prematurely old In appearance. AS a
broker in cotton futures he met with little
success. and then as dealer in the actual
cotton he likewise failed TO gain a secure
looung. de was natural specu latOr
and unding himself short OF the mar ct on
rising quotations, his courage gave way.
and the revolver ended the life of one of
the most popular young business men In
ne metropolis. His sunny dispos itton,
MS never-iaillng wit, his genuine kind.
ness OF heart, secured him not merely the
esteem but the deep affection OF wide
circle OF friends. In the fierce rush of
New York life this young man, whose
very faults were ingratiating, Is beaten
down into an untimely grave. The cotton
brokers as class are generous body OF
men, ard the melancholy end OF poor
joe" Weedcn will not soon be forgotten.
some years ago James Bell, another cot.
ton broker, committed suicide because
the market went against him. The f1uc.
tuatlons or quotations and too frequent
visits TO De!monicO's demorallze not
ieW spectators in down town business
life.
A few years ago a man entered the
Cotton Exchange with drawn revolver,
and lnqulring Tor member who has a
fortune OF millions, threatened to shoot
MIN. he charged that the million aire
cotton merchant had ad Used him To buy
cotton. ard then had secretly sold him
some OF his own heavy load; the M arket
lell and The man was ruined. The Dives
OF the cotton trade bad narrow escape
from this enraged Lazarus.
Suicides among brokers are by no means
uncommon, though it is wonderful how
well these men endure the fierce strain
put upon them in the battle of business
recall poor kingan in lard trade at the
Produce Exchange years ago. He was
gentleman and had an interesting little
family. He took the long side of the lard
market, carrying, il l remem Der rightly,
some $4,000 terces. The market went
against him, and be found his ample
fortune Shipping through his ingers at The
rate Of $4,000 day. Itdrove him crazy.
One day he disappeared. His broker, the
chIvarlc Gould 1hOrp, then power IN
the market. made every effort to find MIN,
thinking the unfortunate man might yet
regain his foOthOld. But his where a bouts
were not discovered for q week. III had
thrown himself IN moment Of insanity
IN front of railroad train in Canada, and
only his mangled remains were lett TO tel
the story OF commercial ambition w Mich
had led to such a late as this. Another
provision dealer of very respec Ia be
mouse in Broad street took poison in a
Chicago hotel. 1t Is the genial, loVabe
men, the men OF fine sensibilIties and
winning traits OF character, who usually
succumb TO The stern tests which specula.
tInn i'm DOaGs VnfQ rios Tho nf
coarser fibre, OF steel nerves, are. as
rule, the only men who Withstand the
moral shock which follows q turn of the
Ia al ticker which so monOtOnOuslY ticks
out the grim intelligence that the VICTIM
must step down from his seat OF wealth,
sell bis houses, horses and carriages,
give up his club, opera and a hu ndred
other social comforts and enjoy ments
which have hecnme in a sense ueces tiles,
and take his place among the innu mer-
able host OF the hopelessly poor. Many a
man has left a brokers' office, his slow
footsteps timed as to muffled drum beats.
And it Will be so as long as men b ave a
passion for speculation, as long as human
nerves are of deshy fiOre and not of steel.
But speaking OF suicides, perhaps the
most remarkable case OF this kind mong
business men was that OF broker n AIMED
Hatch, VINO about three years ago was
found dead in bis bath tub. He had met
with some small losses, but there ap.
peared TO be nothing to warrant suicide,
il we may concede that anything can
Justify SO silly an act. Tnis case was
remarkable in the fact that 1t was never
publicly announced as suicide. Some
extraordinary pressure was brought to
bear on the police, cor0ners and news.
papers to suppress what | am assured
was the fact, and even the IN orr innate
brokers' most intimate friends did not
know that be had committed suicide.
Another remarkable case occurred In the
leather district OF New York kn0 wn as
the Swamp" 1t was thirty years ago,
but is worth recalling. At that time Jay
Gould was a young man who bad just
entered New York business life. He
formed a partnership with Charles NJ.
Leupp,.a leather mercbantin the swamp.
Mr., Leupp was one of fortunes tavorites.
From a financial standpoint no mans
III ure seemed brighter, Although not
more than thIrty.fve years of age, he had
accumulated a large fortune. He was
man of sunny disposition and OF high
cultivation. He mingled with the best
men OF the Century Club; he was on init
mate terms with Bryant, and in earlier
DAYS had enjoyed the acquaintance OF
Willis and other literary celebrities of
n w York. He was as keen Judge OF
pictures as Durand or Bierstadt; ne had
read many books in many Languages and
had contributed arLIcles The magn zines,
La cookery he had something OF the skill
OF tie famous bon vIYant, Sam Ward; in
Yachting and hu"ting he was an X pert.
He Was also an excellent dramatic critic,
Shortly after his business relations with
Jaw Gould began be became subject to
hts OF melancholy, which gradually in
creased in frequency and intensity until
his character was TO outward appearance
entirely changed. The shadow OF O bust
ness thug had invaded this mans life. He
became ~ moody That his friends gradu-
ally left him. One morning the swamp
was start ed by the announcements that
the former favnrite of fortune, the once
genial and happy Charley Leupp. had
ended his life with the revolver. His
friends have always insisted that IL was
because he had been overreach d in busl.
ness by jaw Gould. The adherenLs of
Gould say that the leather busIn ess IN
which they embarked proved unprofi table,
and that be bore bis share OF the LOSES.
Personally 1 would as soon believe this
as that a tropical crocodile would epare
AN infant within reach OF Its jaws. The
death OF Broker William Heath 10 al
laid at Gould's door, though this may be
unjust. IL 10 charged, however, that
Gould had struck at "Hen' Smith. the
stock Speculation, through his broker, and
that the failure and confinement In Lud-
low street jail growing out OF this finan-
cial teud drove Heath 10 an untimely