Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-09-12
CHAPTER Viii.

low year, and finally on the snni-
vC"s&"y of the Sands tragedy, Bob
c. d the Exchange to the verge Of
pr. only TO turn the market and
50 {; the Street" in the end His
p.c"ts we're fabulous. Already his
.nr,i; q was estimated to between two
ii rec hundred millions, one of
- ia gest in the world. His name
III iccome one Of terror wherever
s.i $ we're dealt in. Wall street had
co. - regard his every deal, from
the "neht that he began operations.
as Inevitably successful. Now and
again he would jump into the market
when some Of the plunging cliques
had a bear raid under way, and would
put item to rout by buying every
thing in sight and bidding UP prices
until ii looked as though he intended
TO do as extraordinary work on the
upside as he was wont to do on the
down. At such times he was the idol
Of the Exchange, which worships the
man who puts prices up as it hates
him who pulls them down. Once when
war news flashed over the wires from
Washington and rumor had the cab
met members, senators, and congress-
men selling the market short on ad-
vance information, when the Stand
ard Oil" banks had put up money
rates to 150 per cent and a crash
seemed inevitable, Bob suddenly
smashed the loan market by Offering
to lend one hundred millions at four
per cent; and by buying and bidding
up prices at the same time, he put
the whole Washington crowd and its
New York accomplices to disastrous
rout and caused them to lose millions.
He continued his operations with in
creasing violence and increasing prof
its up to the fourth anniversary of the
tragedy. On the intervening anniver-
sary ! had been compelled by self
interest and fear that he would really
pull down the entire Wall street struc-
ture, to rush in and fairly drag him
of. But with his growing madness
my influence was waning. Each raid
it was with greater difficulty that /
got his ear.
Finally, on the fourth anniversary,
in panic that seemed to be running
into something more terrible than any
previous, he savagely refused to ac-
cede to my appeal, telling me that he
would not stop, even if Randolph &
Randolph were doomed to go down in
the crash. II had b. ne known on
the floor that l was the only one who
could do anything with him in his
frenzies, and my pleading with him in
the lobby was watched by the mem
bers of the Exchange with triple eyed
suspense. When It was clear from his
emphatic gestures and raised voice
for he was in a reckless mood from
drink and madness and took no pains
to disguise his intentions-that 7
could not prevail upon him, there was
a frantic rush for the poles to throw
over stocks in advance of him. Sud-
denly, after l had turned from him
in despair, there flashed into my mind
an idea. The situation was desperate.
] was dealing with a mailman, and l
decided that was justified in making
this last try. l rushed back to him.
Bob, goodbye" l whispered in his
ear, goodbye. In ten minutes you
will get word that Jim Randolph has
cut his throat" He stopped as though
/ had plunged knife into him, struck
his forehead a Tesounding blow, and
into his wild brown eyes came a sick
ening look of fear.
stop, Jim, for Gods sake, don't
say that to me. My cup is full now.
Don't tell me am to have that crime
on my soul" He thought a moment.
81 don't know whether you mean it,
Jim, but l can take no chances, not
for all the money in the world, not
even for revenge. Wait here, jim"
He yelled for his brokers, and several
rushed To him from different parts Of
the room. He sent them back into
the crowd while he dashed for the
Amalgamated-pole. The day was
saved.
Presently he came back to me.
Jim, l must have a talk with you.
Come over to my Office" When we
got there he turned the key and stood
in front Of me. His great eyes locked l
full into mine. In college days, gar
ing int their brown depths, by some
magic seemed to see the heroes and /
heroines of always happy-ending tales, \
as the child sees enchanted creatures
far back In the burning Yule log
flames. But there were NO joyous be-
inss In the haunted depths Of Bob's
eyes that day.
"Jim. you gave nae an awful scare"