Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-05-07

vance between TWO DTOkeTS W cSldu
lish the basis for the trades that are
to follow-one Of those minor frauds
of stock gambling by which the pub
lie is deceived and the traders and
plungers are handicapped with loaded
dice. In principle, it is device older
than stock exchanges themselves, and
is put to use elsewhere than on the
floor. For instance, four genuine buy
ers want a particular animal worth
5000 at a horse auction. Its owners
pal starts the bidding at $400. and the
four not being up in horse values, are
thereby induced to reach for 1t at be-
tween $400 and $500. But human ma
ture, whether at horse sales or at
stock gambling. loves to be "hinkey-
dinked" as much as the moth to play
tag with the candle flame. In five
minutes Sugar was selling at 221, and
the frantic shorts were grabbing for
II as though there never was to be an
other share put on sale, while Barry
Conant and his lieutenants were mos,
industriously pushing It just beyond
their reaching finger-tips. either by
buying it as fast as 1t was offered by
genuine sellers. or by taking what
their own pals threw in the air.
| was not surprised to see Bob's
tall form wedged in the crowd about
two thirds Of the way from the CEN
ter Every other active floor member
was there, too. Even Ike Bloomen-
stein and Joe Barnes, who seldom
went into the big crowds, were on
hand. perhaps to catch flier for their
Thanksgiving turkey money, perhaps
to get as near the killing as possible.
Bob was not trading, although on the
day before, he never took his eye on
Barry Conant. l said to myself: He
Is trying to fathom Barry Conant's
movements" but for what purpose
puzzled me. The hands Of the big
clock on the wall showed that trading
had been 80 minutes under way, and
still Barry Conant was pushing up the
price. His voice had just rung out
"25 for any part Of 5000" when, like
an echo. 1t sounded through the hall:
Sold" It was Bob. He had worked
his way to the center of the crowd
and stood in front Of Barry Conant.
He was not the Bob who had taken
Barry Conant's gaff that afternoon a
few weeks before. I never saw him
cooler, calmer, more self-possessed.
He was the incarnation Of confident
power. A cold, cynical smile played
around the corners of his mouth as he
looked down upon his opponent.
The effect upon Barry Conant was
different from that Of Bob's last bid
on the day when Beulah Sands hopes
went skyward in dust 1t did not
| rouse in him the wild, furious desire
for the onslaught that he showed
then. but seemed to quicken his alert,
prolific mind to exercise all its cum
ming I think that in that one mo-
ment Barry Conant recalled his suspi-
cions Of the day before, when he had
wondered what Bob's presence in the
crowd meant, and that he saw again
|
he himself had ditched Bob's treasure
train. He hesitated for just the frac-
| ton of second, while he waved with
lightning like rapidity a set Of finger
signals to his 'lieutenants. Then he
squared himself for the encounter.
"25 for 5000" Cold, cold as the voice
Of a condemning judge rang Bob's
Sold" "25 for 5000" sold" "25
for 5,00O." Sold" Their eyes were
fixed upon each other, in Barry's de-
fant glare, in Bob's mingled pity and
contempt. The rest Of the brokers
hushed their own bids and offers un-
til it could have truthfully been said
that the floor Of the stock exchange
was quiet, an almost unheard-of thing
in like circumstances. Again Barry
Conant's voice, "25 for 5000" Sold"
"25 for 5000" Sold" Barry Conant
had met his master. Whether 1t was
that for the first time in all his Won
derful career ne realized that the
system" was to meet its Nemesis,
or what the cause. none could tell,
perhaps not even Barry Conant him.
self, but some emotion caused his
olive face for an instant to turn pale,
and give his voice a tell-tale culver.
Once more pealed forth "25 for 5,000.'
That Bob saw the pallor. that he
caught the quiver, was evident to all.
for the instant his sold" rang out, he
followed 1t with 5000 at "a, %, 22,
90" Neither Barry Conant nor any
of his lieutenants got in a"take it,"
although whether they wanted to or
not was an open question until Bob
allowed his voice to dwell just like a
pendulum swing Of time on the 20.
1t was as If he were tantalizing them
into sticking by their guns. BY the
time he paused, Barry Conant's nerve
was back, for his piercing Take it,
had linked to it 100 for any part Of
10000" The bid was yet on his lips
when Bob's deep voice rang out
Sold" ANY part Of $4,000 at 10, IS,
Is, TO-" He'll was now loose. Back
and forth. up against the rail, around
the room and back and around again,
the crowd surged for Is Of the widest,
craziest minutes in the history Of the
New York stock exchange, a history
replete with records Of wild and crazy
scenes.
At last from sheer exhaustion there
came a ten minutes lull which was
used in comparing trades. At the be-
ginning of the respite Sugar was SELL
ing at 1876, for in that quarter hour of
madness it had broken from 210 to
155. but when the ten minutes had
elapsed, the stock had worked back
to 167. Barry Conant had again taken
the center of the crowd, after hastily
scanning the brief notes handed him
by messenger boys and giving orders
to his lieutenants. He had evidently
received endorsements in the form
Of renewed orders from his principals.
Many Of the faces that fringed the
ipne,, circle of the crowd were fright =