The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-06-29
A CORNER tn SHAWNEE.
c,on.Ii..aea I.om Paos gro.

"Iam glad to hear that you are get
ting on well, Mr. Hardy. If can be Of
any assistance to you in the way Of in
formation. or otherwise. let me know"
"Thanlee, slr. Wellman, 2 responded
Daniel, grayely, II may call on you
some day.
The time came, after several years,
that Daniel Hardy YVES int5sed into pools
for effecting deals II, various securities.
He accepted some Of the invitations and
refused others. From the well known
character of the men with whom lie as
sociated wonder how he escaped ruin
more than once. His conservatism never
deserted him, and beneath his uncouth
exterior was a tenacious intellect, won
derfully sharpened by contact with the
world.
Now all through these years be had
been studying one thing more than all
else: Theodore WelIman's business hab-
its. he learned what the bankers favor
ite stocks for speculation were, through
whom be dealt, and many details I'M
necessary to repeat here. At last came
the famous Shawnee railroad deal.
The common stock OF this road amount
ed at par to $40, 600. 900, but it ruled in
the market at about 90.
1t was one OF the .sfanciesn in which
Mr.. Wellman delighted to speculate. A
selling movement began ia this stock
one day and it proceeded from Well
mans house. The price had gone down
q full point, when an obscure broker on
the floor of the exchange began to take
every block Of it that was offered. The
decline ceased and contrary move
ment set in. Still this obscure broker
bought. Everybody began to rush for
his Shawnee and offer it to this broker.
and pretty soon the question ran from
mouth to mouth:
Whom does Brown representa-
Nobody could tell Up went the price
OF Shawnee and at the close of the DAYS
proceedings it was quoted at 20. The
next day the movement continued and
leading among the sellers was Mr.. Theo-
dore Wellmans broker. Every effort
was made to break the mysterious pur-
chaser, but without avail, and at the end
of trading Shawnee was at 113. with a
record Of three thousand more shares
sold than were in existence. On the
third day the effort to break the pur-
chaser ended in offering to him lot of
stock sent from distant city by special
train. Every share was taken.
The bears were In despair. They had
to get Shawnee stock with which to full
fiji their engagements to deliver. The
obscure broker was ready to sell. but he
wanted something like 800 for his shares.
1t meant ruin to many, and there were
several speedy suspensions. Among
them was the house Of Theodore Well
man.
soon after the announcement a mes
senger brought word to him that if he
would call at Browns Office PROPOSE
ton for a settlement would be laid be-
fore him. He went over at once and
found others of his ruined associates on
the same errand, but he alone was adj
mitted in a back room. There sat Daniel
Hardy, somber as of old, but there was
an expression of cold satisfaction in his
eyes.
sYou, Mr.. Hardym exclaimed Well
man.
Hardy made no reply at once. He sat
stock still, looking straight at the ruined
speculator. Wellman appreciated the
situation Immediately. and sinking with
a groan into chair. he covered his face
with his hands. Presently Hardy spoke.
Il understood that you hev' contracted
to deliver 'bouttwo thousand more sheers
Of Shawnee than was ever took out Of the
stock book.
Wellman nodded.
HIM" continued Hardy; s'someof the
sheers is in tibet safe in the corner; pra. III
cally all the rest of them as wasissued is
in my control, where / kin git sem when
l want EN-. Eff I understand it. that
means that you hev got tosettle with me
at my own figger. Amt tibet SOP
ut is, Mr.. Hardy groaned Wellman.
"Praps, went on the torturer, pr
APPS you may be able TO sell those fetish
yous 2 900 shares to a somebody for suth-
in, but l don't keer for 'em. Lemne
see, i think you clever people, YOU with
the dedicated inteilecks, calls this ar
rangement corner. believe you used
that word to me once. Didn't your
Wellman's answer was convulsive
shudder. There was silence for mo-
ment, and then Hardy fairly shouted:
Look up, Mr.. Wellrpanls
Startled, the broken speculator raised
his head. Hardy stood up, and looked
down at him for full minute. Then he
said slowly:
1--WE been lookin' for'ard to this long
time, an now you've got to settle, an you
can't, you can't do ii"
''For Gods sake, Daniel Hardy cried
Wellman, ''do not continue this useless
cruelty. am in your power. You have
ruined me; it win take much more than
| possess to satisfy your claim, but name
your figure and let me do my best.
Cruelty, is III Huh. S pose It's That's
what I've cornered ye fer. I could ha'
thrown you over the falls at Posket. Now
Eve licked you at your own game
Wellman was completely broken by
the sudden blow, morally as well as
financially. His nerve and dignity left
him, and for an hour Daniel Hardy kept
him fawning, begging and crying in alb
ject misery. Then other ruined men
were admitted and settlement was
arranged on terms that need not be de
tailed here. Some of the nnfortunates