Page:The Wizard of Wall Street and his Wealth.djvu/197

 failed, owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the shape of "puts," "calls" and "straddles." He dropped at the rate of about a million dollars a year in Wall street, and no small proportion of this found its way into the pockets of Gould. Yet Keene at one time was thought to have outmatched Gould. Selover introduced Keene to Gould, and acted as go-between for them in certain operations in which both were interested. Early in 1877 the two men combined forces in one deal. That is to say, they joined in one enterprise and fought each other behind each other's back. It was a case of diamond cut diamond. Keene formed a big pool, and, beginning to fight Gould, finally went over to him, being led into this change largely through the instrumentality of Selover. Both Keene and Selover then operated on an understanding with Gould, but soon found, as they charged, that Gould was secretly selling them out. Gould and Keene had a stormy scene in Russell Sage's office, when the latter is said to have brandished a pistol in Gould's face. The deal had been mainly in Western Union, which Gould did not then control, and Atlantic and Pacific, which he did control. Gould's double-dealing not only made Keene very mad, but made Selover very desperate. He had placed reliance in Gould's statements and had suffered loss, and resolved upon revenge. Accordingly, on the 2d of August, 1877, while walking down Exchange place from Broadway, Selover, meeting Gould walking up to the office of Belden & Co.,