The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-30

Such circumStanceS, was retained n
my old place. along with others, and out
wardly the old Wheat National remain
ed the same solid, conservative institu-
ton il had always been. But inwardly
the change of spirit was radical Wheth-
er it was the contagion OF Barnstable'
! presence or not / don't know, but Il
wasn't six months before we were all
of US more or less affected by the pre-
vailing atmosphere of speculation. We
'saw our president going in for all sorts
! OF long shots, and in nine cases out OF
ten coming out a large winner. ! saw
myself, after ten years of hard and faith
! ful serviSc and conservative effort, the
/ po5sessor OF about $4,000. The idea
OF myself going IN for stock gambling
had, of course, frequently occurred to
me IN the past, but had up TO that time
successfully resisted its allurements-
was associated with men OF integrity,
and / valued those associations more
than ! cared for money. l was proud
of the bank of which felt myself to
be an important part, and | would no
more IN those days have yielded to the
temptations to which | was exposed than
would have sacrificed the honor OF my
small boy for a tawdry stake. 1t was
a case OF noblesse oblige. But when
Barnstable came in, the old quiet, legi-
innate banking atmosphere became a
whirl OF speculation, and it all seemed
so easy and so much the natural thing
under the new regime that / caught the
fever, and in the summer OF 1910 took
long shot on Amalgamated Iron. In
fourteen days, without the expenditure
of a penny in real money, by taking the
market at a turn, | had increased my
$4,000 to nearly $4,000, and that ap-
parent good fortune was my ruin, for
il turned banker into a gambler.
Il went in more deeply, and took
longer shots. January, 1911, showed me
close to the million mark, and then
things began to go wrong. | took a
fier in Western Pacific Common and
dropped 100000 in four days. BY the
middle OF February my nearly a million
had shrunk to $4,000, and late in
March, thanks to a pyramid in Ohio
Great Northern, was not only penni-
less, but $4,000 in debt to my brokers,
with not a cent OF borrowing capacity
10 help me out
There were Just twenty-four hours
wits ends, and | took my first criminal
step to relieve the situation. ! took SIS
600 worth of the banks collateral and
STAYED off the evil hour. \ week passed
b. and that $4,000 was swallowed up
and another demand was made upon me
for more margin. l shall never forget
for as long a time as | shall live the hor-
ror Of that afternoon when ! realized
the dreadful nature Of the position my
weakness and my folly had placed me
in. The greedy NAV of the Street had
swallowed up everything that l pos
sessed and $4,000 worth of stolen Sc
curities as well.
Exposure seemed certain, but there
were still the vaults, with a possible
chance of safety and redemption. !
stayed late at the bank that night, osten-
Sibly to work over my accounts, and
after going over the whole fearful sit
uation in my mind ! resolved that since /
l was ruined anyhow l might as we'll |
be hanged for a lion as for sheep, and ]
| took SI25, 900 OF currency out OF our !
vaults and started to leave, hoping that |
that amount of money would enable me |
TO fee the country and lose myself 1
in South America or in Al |
giers or anywhere where the law could /
not find me.
at was close upon midnight, and as
I gathered the packages OF bills togeth-
er on my desk | suddenly became con-
scious OF a shadow cast across them. l
glanced up, and there stood Barnstable,
gazing quietly at me from the open
doorway OF his private Office, with 4 pc
culiar smile upon his face. For nearly
a minute neither OF us spoke a word.
We Just stared at each other, until my
nerve left me. and l fell forward upon
my table, with my face buried in my
arms ! broke down and cried like a
baby, and Barnstable came forward and
spoke.
I" SO, Daubigny, he said quietly, you
have decided to leave Us. have you?'
The calm GOODNESS OF the man was
iiabolical," said Daubigny, after a pause.
Yes said Yes am going /
suppose it's all up. Mr.. Barnstable,'
added. Twenty years OF honor gone
IN one splash OF this damned wave Of
speculation. However, l put in, re-
gaining a little OF my composure, I
I'm ready to take my medicine.
'%How deep are YOU in: he asked
'Seventy-hve thousand dollars, said I
|. And all in your rotten Zinc, Mr.. (
3arnstable,' l added.
You're in luck said he. It's cost
ne million and half
And then said Daubney, then
anne what then thought to be his won I
ierful magnanimlty
'Daubigny.' said he, I'm sorry ;
or you. and in sense l feel that | am :
for your predicament. You I
conservative old fogies here seem to have :
aught, the fever from me, and well, {
n your case I'm damned sorry, and I
,ish to heaven l could get you out of
Ills rotten mess. | can't do much but
What | can do ! will | can't put up
he $4,000 necessary to straighten things |
ut here. but l can help YOU to get d
way. You don't want to go to States /
rison and | don't want to have you
o. You can get good start, however, T
nd I'll see that you get it. Take $4,000 c
{ that cash and skip
With that" said Daubigny Barn
table took me to his own house on East I
ixty-ninth street, and for all that. first /
eriod of ten days after my disappear I
nee, with Barnstable himself offering a
10000 reward for my apprehension, l a
'as in hiding in his own nome: and il e
'as Barnstable himself who brought me c
ere in his motor in the early spring of I
Oil while the police OF two continents 4
l. l.. I