The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-01

a different name. He not only exacted
from 30 ITO 100 per cent interest from
every customer, but when, as often hap
pened, he had O victim so completely III
his tolls that there seemed, no escape
but death. this king of usurers would Of
fer, under another name, to lend the
I debtor enough TO square the account.
Not Knowing that he would be only the
| deeper in the same mans clutches the
unhappy borrower would consent and
then Gordon would proceed with his ex-
tortions. ,sss... ..-.-..,s..-....
/ . A few months ago Gordon decided that
business would be. better if ne became a
| naturalized Bhglishman. It was only
| necessary that he should secure the sig
natures of five native-born citizens vouch-
hing for his responsibility. For weeks he
| secured Birmingham in vain No one
could be found who would indorse the ap-
| plication. Finally he had to bride five
laborers to sign the paper. The home
secretary, however, declined to place hin.
on an equal footing with other British
subjects. Though cailous to every othel
! influence this action of the secretary
stung him to the quick. He became more
bitter of speech and more vindictive
towards his victims.
1t was consumption that finally con-
quered the implaeable money lender. AL
though in early life of vigorous enough
constitution, he lived at times in miser-
able quarters, and allowed himself only
the scantiest of food A few years of that
sort of existence made him susceptible
to disease, and the end came suddenly,
and to him unexpected.
When his clothes were searched after
death nearly $4,000 were found in bills
| and currency. In his Office was $135 eco
more. The reason he had so much money
about him was that no bank would per-
nit him to have an account.
| Some years ago he did have a d post
with the Bank of England, but the man
| ayers notified him that he would have to
| withdraw. After that he tried to get va
| rious private banking houses to handle
| his money, but, although the profit would
| have been considerable, none would b.
connected in any way with the notorious
| usurer
| No individual in Great Britain, not even
| excepting Sam Lewis, had as many suits
at law as Gordon. He was master of
the statutes governing debts OF all kinds,
mortgages, prOmissory notes, etc., and h.
| seldom sued without getting judgment.
| Almost every court in England knew
| him.
People often wondered why this wicked
| money lender escaped the violence of
| some of his victims-why some one did
not give him a sound thrashing. Gordon
was too clever a man. He never forced
! a customer to the wall until he he'd in
| his safe the power to ruin him. AS he
once said to a captain in active service
who did threaten to break every bone
| in his body:
Every we'll, strike; but tomorrow you
will be arrested for forging the indorse-
ment to the last note you gave me-"
| Arrest meant dismissal from the army
! and everlasting disgrace for his children.
| Is it any wonder that the captain gritted
| his teeth and rushed from the presence
| of his absolute master?
| OF Gordon's earlier life not so much Is
! known. Whether a Polish or a Russian
Hebrew is uncertain. but, at amy rate,
he came from the southeast Of Europe
| He landed IN ERgland with scarcely a
penny, and speaking no tongue but that
| of his race That he had natural aptitude
of high order is. shown by the Fact thai
/ he quickly learned English, and enough
| arithmetic to- qualify himself for small
| clerkship. n ~
| When about sixteen or seventeen years
| old he became an ,employe of a pawnbrok-
| er in WORCESTER Several people are Nv
1 ltl5 lISI0 LUCY 81 WIZ ACAAASAONE JON1A6
Gordon and his first start in business foI
| himself a RI
His first loans as a money lender were
] to other clerks in Worcester. The pos
| sibilities OF the business quickly dawne6
| upon him, and IT, was not long before ht
| opened a small office of his own. He
loaned to small tradesmen, farmers and
salaried folks, and in the course of two
! years his profits were sufficient to enable
him to move to Birmingham. From thai
/ point his accumulation of money and vol.
| ume of business grew like the proverbia
| mushroom.
The following incident, while not tragic
shows aGordon,s detestable spirit anC
craftiness. In his Office was boy about
fourteen years old. One day he yenturel
timidly 70 ask the loan Of O couple O,