The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-11-26

When the president OF the van Dam
Trust company failed To receive the
promised millions from BivenS he call
ed his telephone and. receiving no an
swer. spran% into his automobile and
dashed downtown 10 the little main
office.
When the clerk at the door informed
him that Mr. RivenS could not he seen
Ivy any one he drove back 10 the pala-
tiaI house OF his bank smiled sadly
at the mob in front of its huge pillars.
ordered its bronze doors closed. walked
around the corner To his home. locked
himself in his room and blew his brains
out.
For week the panic held the finan-
cial world in the grip of death. y doZ
Ell banks had closed their doors and a
score of men who had long boosted
their courage among men had died the
Death Of towards when put 10 the test.
One of the most curious results of
the panic was the revulSiOn OF pop
ular feeling against the daring and
honest young officer of the law who
had rendered the greatest service to the
people wrought by any public servant
in a generation. He was hailed as the
arch traitor of the people. the man who
had used his high office to produce a
panic and carve Il fortune out of the
ruin of millions whose deposits were
tied up in banks thar might never again
open their doors
70 ton h. I,of,.
Infamous charges, attempted at first
to repeI them. He stopped at last In
disgust and maintained afterward
dignified silence.
From the first day Of the run Bivens
had laughed in the face of the crowd
that besieged the door of his big Broad
way bank. He stood on top of the
granite steps and shouted in their
faces:
Come on, YOU dirty towards. I've
got your money inside waiting for you.
every dollar of it-1OO cents on the dol
iarr'
The crowd made no reply They
merely moved up in line in stOlid 81
lence little closer to the door. Each
day this line had grown longer Biv-
ems was not worrying. The king had
spoken. The folly of these people in
their insane efforts to wreck Biven's
bank was making impossible return
to normal business
Stuart determined to face this crowd
and have it out with them. He be-
iieved that Il bold appeal to their rea-
ell -.
their insane fears. He told Bivens of
his purpose over the telephone, and the
financier protested vigorously:
Don't do it. Jim. 1 beg of you" he
pleaded. 1T will he IL waste of breath.
Besides, you risk your life
I'll be there when the bank opens ut
10 o'clock tomorrow morning." was the
firm answer
When Stuart appeared the next morn
ing roar of rage swept the crowd.
HOwls, curses, catcaIls, Misses boots
and yells were hurled into his face. 1t
was new experience in Stuart's life.
He flushed red. stood for moment
surveying the mob with growing anger
and lifted his hand for silence.
The answer was storm of Kisses
Apparently he hadn't friend in all the
swaying mass of bowling maniacs. He
drew his heavy brOws down over his
eyes and the square jaws ground to-
gether with sulen determination.
With 4 sudden impulse he threw his
right hand high above his head and his
voice doomed over the crowd in peal
OF command. The effect was electrical.
A painful hush followed.
"Gentlemen!'
He paused and his next words were
spoken in intense silence.
MY answer to the extraordinary
greeting you have given me this
morning is simple. am not working
for your approval. work for my
own approval. because ] must in ODE
dience to the call within me. Long
ago in my life | gave up ambition and
ceased to ask anything for myself.
You cannot destroy my career be
cause | cherish none. The scene you
are enacting here this morning is Il
disgrace to humanity. You have sur
rendered TO the uHmeaning fear that
drives herd of swine over Il
precipice. You have. by an act of
will. joined in movement to paralyZe