The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-21
THE DOLLARS TRAGIC SIDE.
Men Who Have Been Driven to Suicide
by the Stories Told by the Ticker.
Unlucky Brokersand Business Men Who Have
tics-Adrian Iselin and His Family.


Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal
New YORK Nov. 20-One of the saddest
cases of suicide among the business men of New
York was that of Joseph Weeden. of the Cotton
Exchange, whose untmely death announced
some days ago. He young man, but had
grown prematurely old in appearance. Asabroker
in cotton futures he met with little success, and
then as dealer in the actual cotton he likewise
failed to gain secure footing. He was nat
ural Spectator, and finding himself short OF
the market on rising quotations. his courage
gave way. and the revolver ended the life
OF one of the most popular Young business
men IN the metropolis. His sunny disposition,
his never failing wit, his genuine kindness 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 bro
kers as a class are generous body of men, and
the melancholy end Of poor Joe" Weeden will
not soon be forgotten. Some years ago James
Bell, another cotton broker, committed suicide
because the market went against him. The
fluctuations of quotations and too frequent visits
to Delmonico's demoralize not few spectators
In downtown business life
few years ago man entered the Cotton Ex-
change with drawn revolver, and inQuiring for
member who has fortune of millions, threat
ened to shoot him He charged that the million
Rire cotton merchant had advised him to buy
cotton, and then had secretly sold him some of
his own heavy load; the market fell and the
was ruined The Dives of the cotton trade
had a narrow escape from this enraeed Lazarus.
Suicides among brokers are by means I'M
common though it is wonderful how we'll these
men endure the fierce strain put upon them in
n IN
the lard trade at the Produce Exchange years
ago. He was gentleman. and had an interest
ing family. He took tho long side of the lard
market, carrying, if remember rightly, some
$4,000 tierces The market went against him,
and he found his ample fortune slipping through
his fingers at the rate of 800 600 day. 1t drove
him crazy. One day he disappeared His
broker, the chivaric Gould Thorp. then power
in the market, made every effort to find him,
thinking the unfortunate man might yet regain
his foothold. But his whereabouts were not dis
covered for week. He had thrown himself in
a moment of insanity in front of railroad
train In Canada, and only his managed remains
were left to tell the story of commercial
ambition which had led to such fate as this.
Another provision dealer of very respectable
house 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
speculation imposes on its votaries The men of
coarser fibre, of steel nerves. are as rule, the
follows turn OF the fatal ticker which monot
onously ticks out the grim intelligence that the
victim must step down from his seat of wealth,
sell his houses horses and carriages, give up his
club, opera and u hundred other social comforts
aud enioyments which nave become In
necessities ana takes his place among the in
Vulnerable host of the hopelessly poor Many
man has left brokers' Office, his slow footsteps
timed to muffied drum beats. And it will be
as long as men have passion for speculation,
ac l0ruv az mart ira n fla eh " 6hpQ and
not of STEEL
But speaking of suicides, perhaps the most re-
markable case of this kind among business men
was that of broker named Hatch, who, about
three years ago, was found dead in his bath-tub
He had met with some small losses, but there ap-
peared to be nothing to warrant suicide, if we
may concede that anything justify so silly
an act. The case was remarkable In the fact that
1t was never publicly announced as suicide
Some extraordinary pressure brought to
bear on the police, eoroners and newspapers to
suppress what am assured was the fact, and
even the unfortunate brokers' most intimate
friends die not know that he had committed
suicide. Another remarkable case occurred in
the leather district of New York known as the
swamp" 1t thirty years ago, but is worth
recalling. At that time Jay Gould was
young man who had just entered New York
business life. He formed a partnership with
Charles N. Leupp, leather merchant in
the swamp. Mr.. Leupp was one of fortunes
favortes From financial stand point mans
seemed
than thirty years of age. he had accumu-
lated large fortune. He was man of sunny
disposition, and of high cultivation. He mingled
with the best men of the Century Club; he was
intimate terms with Bryant, and in earlier
days had enjoyed the acquaintance of Willis and
other literary celebrities of New York. He was
as keen Judge of pictures Durand or Bier
stsdt: he had read many books in many Ian
guages, and had contributed articles to the mag
azines. In cookery he had something of the
Gk of Ia Nnn Sal ~.
yachting and hunting he was an expert He
was also excellent dramatic critic
Shortly after his business relations with Jay
Gould began he became subject to fits of melan-
choly. which gradually increased in frequency
and intensity until his character was, to outward
appearance, entirely changed. The shadow of a
business thug had invaded this mans life. He
became so moody that his friends gradually left
him. Ore morning the swamp was startled by
the announcement chat the former favorite of
fortune. the once genial and happy Charley
Leupp. had ended his life with the revolver His
friends have always insisted that it was because
he had been overreached in business by Jay
Gould. The adherents of Gould say
that the leather business in which
they embarked proved Improbable and
that he bore his share of the losses. Personally
would as soon believe this as that tropical
crocodile would spare an infant within reach of
its jaws. The death of broker William Heath
is also laid at Goulds door, though this may be
unjust 1t Is charged, however, that Gould
had struck at hen Smith, the stock Spectator,
through his broker, and that the failure and con-
fnement in Ludlow street jail growing out of
this financial fend drove Heath to an untimely
grave. Then there is the story of the gold bro
ker alleged to have been employed by Fisk &
Gould in their Black Friday operations 20 buy
gold. and who. when he reported his Purchases
to his principals, met with the heartless re-
sponse from Fisk:
To hell with your gold!"
The broker crazed by such heartlessness
which meant his ruin, ended his life with re-
volver.
Sitting IN the elegant. but somewhat somber.
readirgroom of the Brunswick one night lis
tened to the story Of fashionable young man
whs. it was alleged, had invested his fortune as
Jay Gould had advised. and who, finding himself
impoverished. had ended his life One of the
party, close hard business man, observed be-
tween puffs OF his Reina Victoria: II have no