Page:The Wizard of Wall Street and his Wealth.djvu/91

 fought him in the same way. Realizing that he had no other avenue of escape, Drew actually called on Gould and Fisk one night and appealed piteously to be permitted to get out without loss, though his companions in loss might be squeezed to Gould's heart's content. Gould and Fisk bowed their aged associate out without satisfaction and smiled as they closed the door on the old man.

That was on a Sunday. Next day, in the name of August Belmont, Justice Sutherland was asked to enjoin the issue of any more new Erie stock and to appoint a receiver. Drew signed the affidavits, but, to his chagrin, Gould was ahead of him by two hours. On the petition of one McIntosh, a man in Gould's employ, Justice Barnard restrained all suits and appointed Gould the receiver of the railroad. Erie stock fell only to 48.

Justice Barnard allowed Mr. Gould to buy and cancel 200,000 shares of Erie. This was intended to crush Daniel Drew, who had to have 70,000 shares to deliver in a few days. Gould's purchases rushed the stock to 62, and then it turned out that thousands of shopkeepers and barbers, tailors, and all sorts of people, had a share or ten shares of Erie and wanted to realize on them. Gould could not meet the rush of shares these people had to sell. He and Fisk fought like tigers, but they could not stand the drain, and Drew settled his contracts at 57, losing $1,500,000. Then Erie fell to 42. The Open Board of Brokers refused to deal in Erie unless the stock was registered at a reputable banker's. Erie was