Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-11-28


happened. The king summoned to his
/ presence a little, dark. swarthy man.
/ When Bivens received this order to
! appear at court he was dumfounded.
! He had long worshiped and feared
the king with due reverence and al
ways spoke his name with awe To
/ be actually called into his august pres
ence in such a crisis was an undream-
ed OF honor He FASTENED into the
royal presence with beating heart. The
sovereign glanced up with quick en-
ergy.
/ MIR. Bivens, l believer
/ The little man bowed low.
IL hear that you are about to aid the
Van Dam Trust with four millions in
cashT'
! Bivens smiled with pride.
My secretary will deliver the money
to the bank within an hour"
The king suddenly wheeled IN his
big armchair. raised his eyebrows and
fixed the little man with a stare that
froze the blood in his veins When he
spoke at length his tones were smooth
as velvet.
IF ! may give you suggestion. Mr..
BivenS. would venture to say that
the Van Dam Trust company is be-
yond aid. The larger interests of the
nation require the elimination of this
institution and its associates.
II have heard good reports of you,
and | wish to save you from the dis.
aster about to befall the gentlemen
who have been conducting the present
campaign in Wall street. If your sec
rotary will report to ME at once with
the four millions you have set aside
for the Van Dam company | shall be
pleased to place your name on my ex
ecutive council in the big movement
we begin today. The other gentlemen
whom | have thus honored are now
waiting for me in the adjoining room.
They represent banking power that
Is resistlesS at the present moment
when the Van Dam Trust closes its
doors today temporary panic will
follow. We will give the gentlemen
who started this excitement taste of
their own medicine. render a service
to the nation and incidentally. OF
course. earn an honest dollar or two
for ourselves. trust | have your
hearty support in this program?
Bivens again bowed low.
My hearty support and my pro-
foundest gratitude"
I'm expect your secretary with your
check for four millions within thirty
minutes"
The king waved friendly gesture
Of dismissal. and the little dark figure
tremblingly withdrew. He had been
ordered to stab his associates
Without moments hesitation he
gave the cruel orders that sent them
hurting over the precipice.
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. sprang into his automobile and
dashed downtown to the little main
office.
When the clerk at the door informed
him that Mr.. Rivens could not be seen
by any one. he drove back to the pala-
tial 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 a week the panic held the inan-
cial world in the grip Of death. A doz'
en- banks had closed their doors and
score of men who had long boosted
their courage among men had died the
death Of towards when put to 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 Il generation He was hailed as the
arch traitor of the people, the man who
had used his high office to produce
panic and carve a fortune out of the
ruin of millions whose deposits were
tied up in banks that might never again
open their doors
Stuart. stung to desperation by their
CudISeS. at
to repel them. He stopped at last In
disgust and maintained nfterward
dignitied silence
From the first day of the run Bvens
had laughed I'm 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-1O0 cents on the dol
larr'
The crowd made no reply. They
merely moved up in line in stolid ST
ience a 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 a return
to normal business.
Stuart determined to face this crowd
n,,I Aa, fk ~