The conspirators were early in the street, and the offices of Smith, Gould & Martin, Fisk & Belden and William Heath & Co. were the center of enormous excitement. William Belden, who was Fisk’s partner, played a conspicuous part in this day’s history. He was a man cool and daring--the fit companion of such men as Gould and Fisk. The day, however, left a stain on his record that could never be obliterated, and when, in 1888, Belden formed a co-partnership with a member of the Stock Exchange, the governing committee of the institution stated that unless the member severed his partnership with Belden he must leave the Exchange. Gould, Fisk, Belden and their brokers held a counsel of war and laid out the work of the day. Heath was to look after this, Willard was to attend to that, Belden was to direct this and Fisk was to direct that, while “Gould”--the language of the Congressional report is now quoted--“Gould, the guilty plotter of all these criminal proceedings, determined to betray his own associates, and silent and imperturbable, by nods and whispers directed all.” “I determined,” said Mr. Gould afterward, “not to open my mouth that day, and I did not.” What a study for a dramatic painter Gould would have made that day! There was undoubtedly some secret understanding between Fisk and Belden to which Gould was a party, by which all the orders given that day could be repudiated if the market went against them. A ready tool was found in Albert Speyer, who accepted verbal orders from Belden in the presence of Gould and Fisk to buy, and who went into the board-room and did buy immense quantities of gold at the highest prices. The street was filled with the wildest rumors. Prices rapidly advanced to 165. The shorts trembled before the rising tide that seemed about to sweep over them. Many were frightened into covering their contracts. Gould continued to sell. Fisk and Belden continued to buy. The excitement rose point by point to the wildest pitch. Old operators lost their heads, men rushed hatless and half crazy through the streets, their eyes bloodshot, their faces pale with anxiety, their brains on fire. There came rumors of contemplated selling of gold by the Treasury, and the street went mad. Where these rumors started no one ever knew, but they were the forerunners of actual fact. James Brown, the Scotch banker, appeared in the board and began to offer gold at declining figures. Then the earthquake started, and the golden edifice built by Gould began to tumble. Soon the Treasury order to sell $4,000,000 of gold appeared, and then the terrible collapse. Prices fell from 165 to 133½. The board-room was the scene of contending furies. Albert Speyer completely lost control of himself; his hair is said to have turned white that night after he went home a ruined man. Wall and Broad streets were filled with men wild with excitement. Infuriated mobs surrounded the offices of Fisk & Belden and Smith, Gould & Martin. Threats of violence were made.