Page:The Wizard of Wall Street and his Wealth.djvu/321

 At every point the well-directed questions of the inquirers were adroitly turned aside. The witnesses did not know or could not remember. No light had yet been thrown upon the subject under examination. But the great witness of all was reserved for the last. This was Jay Gould. He knew it all, but the great question was, "Would he tell?" Nobody believed that he would tell voluntarily the facts relating to his connection with the government interest in the matter, but it was believed that a severe and searching cross-examination would compel him to divulge some of the facts.

An immense amount of labor was gone through with in anticipation of the time when Jay Gould should take his seat in the witness chair. Men on the inside and familiar with the lines along which the inquiry should be directed devoted weeks to the study of figures and the procurement of papers upon which to base the questions which should be asked of Mr. Gould. Dozens of questions on the same subject were prepared. If he answered one question one way he was to be asked a certain question, and if he answered another way he was to be asked another question. In this way it was believed when Mr. Gould took his seat that the beginning of a long struggle was at hand.

That was on May 17, 1887. Mr. Gould wore a plain pepper and salt suit and a shabby silk hat. The examiners, all ready to level their batteries of questions at him, were dumbfounded when the first questions were asked and Mr. Gould blandly stated