The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-11-23


without any intimation as to how he
obtained possession of the facts. Both
substantially agree on the following
remarkable narrative:
After a campaign Of manipulation
which stirred Wall street to its depth
jay Gould had succeeded in so secur-
ing control of a certain stock as to
| become the absolute dictator of terms
| to q powerful opposing interest. Dur
ing this long and bitter struggle no
quarter was given or expected by the
| contending factions. By a series of
moves brilliant and audacious almost
| to the point of being INSCRIPTIONS. the
great operator COMPOUNDED his OPP
/ ponentS, and the day was at hand
/ when they must submit to the terms
named by the wizard of Wall street.
| Mr.. Gould received scores of anony-
nous letters from small spectators
who had been caught in the net set
! for larger fish. These letters INDUCED
! in the usual threats against his life
| unless he would release his grasp on
the market Though usually impervi-
, Gus to matters of this kind, Mr. Gould
! called on Inspector Byrnes and turned
! these letters over to him in the hope
! that some of the writers could be iden-
titled Acting on the advice of the
famouS detective, he employed a body
guard and the Wall street magnate
and Byrnes had daily conferences.
There was one man whose feet We're
| entangled in the Gould net who wrote
! no threatening letters. He was young,
I handsome, athletic and resourceful. In
a fateful moment he entered into a
/ speculative deal, and almost before he
/ knew it ruin was confronting him. His
fortune was in the balance. He occu-
pied d high position in society. His
approaching marriage to a beautiful
I girl was the topic of conversation in
/ the gilded circles.
Like others, he realized that it was
useless TO appeal to Mr.. Gould for
mercy. and he knew full we'll that there
was nothing in the market situation
which promised relief But, unlike
others who saw ruin in the impending
! settlement, he had no thought of tame
I surrender. The crisis nerVed him to an
act which for boldness of conception
/ has no parallel in the history of specu-
lation.
! He preached his plan to friend, who
stood to lose a million. At first he met
indignant refusal But so eloquently
did he urge his cause and so specious
! was he in extenuation Of the proposed
crime that he won the support and CO.
/
/ confided their plot to eight Others and
| the ten bound themselves to a compact
/ by oath.
These ten men were worth millions
and most of them were prominent in
/ the financial and speculative affairs of
| the metropolis. They pledged them
! selves to kidnap Jay Gould and to hold
him until such time as he signed such
/ papers or delivered such stock as
would cancel the contracts which
! threatened them with ruin.
Confident of the success of their
plans. they did not hesitate to sell large
| blocks of stock in anticipation of the
panic which certainly would follow the
disappearance of the master mind of
/ Wall street Unconscious of the plot
ting of these wealthy desperadoes and
secure in his position, Mr.. Gould OBJ
served all their offerings and smiled at
the rashness of those who dared chal-
lenge his supremacy.
@ g 9
The plot agreed upon was a COM
bination of the one outlined in Mr..
Adams novel and the one employed in
he famous Cronin murder case in
Chicago several years ago. In the Gro
min case the crime was committed in
the Carlson cottage, which was rented
The Gould conspirators leased quarters
and furnished them as club rooms. They
contemplated no violence. Their weap-
on was the proffered hospitality of
club fellows.
A swift steam yacht. the property of
one of the conspirators, was in the East
river and anchored off Fourteenth
street. This was the prototype of Hes
tors shark in The kidnapped Mil
I = ~
yacht was differed by men who would
Every move was carefully discussed by
the plotters, and the day drew nigh
when the crucial step must be taken.
They assured the cooperation of
clerk in Mr. Gould's employ and kept
in accurate touch with the daily move
ments and with his future appoint
monts. They had a dozen expedients
with which to induce Mr.. Gould's pres
ence in the new club rooms, but by
accident a means suggested itself which
promised absolute safety and success.
. - O.
The ten grimly congratulated them
selves that night over many a basket
of wine, and the following day sold
more blocks of stock, in anticipation of
the approaching denouement. Their
tingency had been foreseen and pro-
vided against-so they argued.
The following afternoon a letter was
delivered at Mr.. Gould's office which
was signed with the name of one of
the leading financiers and statesmen of
New York state. 1t was, of course, a
forgery. but it was a perfect one. The
signature was apparently that of Dan
iel Drew. The letter was an invitation
to spend an evening at a select social
club to which Mr.. Drew belonged. 1t
was a new organization, composed of
men most of whom Mr.. Gould knew,
and he had promised to be Mr.. Drew's
guest at the latter's earliest conven-
fence.
Mr.. Gould had, therefore, been ex-
pecting the invitation. He was read
ing it in his office. when Inspector
Byrnes was announced and admitted.
All threatening and suspicious letters
were daily examined by the detectives,
in the hope that some of the writers
might be captured.
Mr.. Gould turned over the usual
batch of anonymous letters, and
watched his companion as he read
them He dropped the invitation from
Mr. Drew on the table, and stepped to
the door to talk in whispers to bro
ker who was in charge of his interests.
Inspector Byrnes picked up the letter
and read it. He was just reading the
signature when Mr.. Gould returned to
his desk Mr.. Byrnes handed the letter
to Mr. Gould.
"I don't suppose you intended that
I should read that letter" said the de-
tective.
q guess there's no. harm DONE" said
Mr. Gould. with a smile. TITS only an
invitation from Mr.. Drew"
Are you going to accept it?" asked
Byrnes.
Mr.. Gould answered in the affirma-
tive. and asked if there was any rea-