Page:Facts, failures and frauds- revelations, financial, mercantile, criminal.djvu/180

ICS TACTS, FAILURES, A^'D TRATIDS. connected with Messrs. Davidson and Gordon, through the West Ham distillery, happened to be present, and astonished at Davidson's intimation that his business career was thus suddenly to come to an end,asksend, asks [sic] what it all means. Davidson replied by handing over the letter for perusal of Webb, who found it, according to his statement, that Overend and Gurney had sold as much as £30,000 worth of copper at a high price. "Why, this is a good sale," exclaimed Webb, "if it was bought for £13 105. and sold for £20." Davidson laughed at Webb's arithmetic, and, doubtless, turned away to compute the chances that still remained of being able to regain "the wonted path of honour."

The time had come for a specific understanding between Cole and Davidson and Gordon and Messrs. Overend, Gurney, and Co., and an interview, remarkable in many respects, took place on the 13th of October, between Mr. Chapman and Cole and Gordon at the establishment in Lombard Street, immediately after business hours. The subject of the warrants was first approached with an implied understanding as to their fictitious character, though for form's sake, and perhaps for the sake of the temporary indulging of a hope which Mr. Chapman was loath to destroy, Gordon was asked whether the warrants represented "goods or nothing." The historic account that has been handed down of the scene that ensued intimates that thereupon Gordon shook his head. Cole, who was next interrogated, abandoning all pantomime, gave it as his confidential opinion that the warrants were bad. The gloomy business of surveying the extent to which his firm had been involved by the fraud, of ascertaining the fictitious metal warrants on hand, as well as what had become of the money advanced, and by what means the debt incurred was proposed to be cancelled, occupied Mr. Chapman eight mortal hours. Cole and Gordon had not come there without providing themselves with expedients by which to encourage trust in the rectitude of their