declined to make the first advances by calling on Erie's president. But Gould, slowly sink ing, was ready to catch at straws. Taking as a card of introduction a telegram from Colonel Scott, he called at Gordon's apart ments. Horace Greely was present at the well nigh historic interview. In a state of abject panic, at his Lordship's demand, Gould agreed to cease all opposition to the repeal by the Legislature of the then famous "Classification Bill," to discontinue the entire series of actions in which Erie was involved, to renounce all operations on the stock market and procure the resignation of the existing Board of Directors. He went even farther. Incredible as it may seem, he wrote out the following resignation and placed it .in Gordon's hands: "I hereby resign my position as President and Director of the Erie Railway Company, to take effect on the appointment of my successor. Yours, etc., "JAY GOULD." "New York, March 9, 1872." "By the way," Gordon insinuated, as the interview was drawing to a close, "I have been put to considerable expense in investi gating Erie's condition. It amounts to fully a million. Now it seems no more than fair that the road should reimburse me at least half." Whereupon Gould actually handed to this social highwayman two hundred thou sand dollars in cash and three hundred thou sand dollars in negotiable securities. For two weeks Gordon had this fortune in his possession. At any time he could have fled across the Canadian border. That he did not, is by no means the least mysterious fea ture of the transaction. On March eleventh occurred the famous coup. In defiance of an injunction previous ly obtained by Gould, a stormy meeting of the Board of Directors was held. The company's offices swarmed with police under personal charge of Superintendent
Kelsoe and a band of private detectives and roughs headed by the notorious "Tommy Lynch." There was no hitch in the proceed ings. "Brought like a bullock, hoof and hide," the directors, in the vernacular of to day, were prepared to "deliver the goods." One by one they resigned, but two, Eldhide," the directors, in the vernacular of toGould. Their vacant places were immediate ly filled with partisans of the opposing fac tion. The "Little Wizard" was removed, and General Dix elected in his stead. The details of this dramatic scene, have al ready been told often enough to do away with the necessity of repetition here. How the new board on adjourning found them selves locked in, the door guarded by Lynch and his band of Bowery toughs, how General Sickles was sent for and with the assistance of United States Marshal Kennedy broke down the door, how Gould intrenched himself in his private office and when the barricades were beaten down, evaded service of the papers notifying him of his removal by agilely leaping over desks, tables and chairs, finally taking refuge with his counsel Field and Sherman, and how the boy mes senger, Crowley, hoisted over the transom, succeeded in handing the documents to the deposed president, who after sulking until the next morning, gave up the fight, is mat ter of almost common knowledge. Had Lord Gordon possessed the voting power which he claimed, his assistance was now of no value. Even then the ex-president delayed. He seems to have had not the slightest suspicion or to have made any attempt whatever to verify "AbercrombieV story. Finally on March 23, in the office of Wil liam M. Tweed, at 85 Duane street, Gould said to the latter: "Tweed, I've made up my mind that Gor don is a scoundrel, and I think I'll make him give back the money and securities I gave him or have him arrested.
