In the midst of the bedlam, even those meant to enforce the law succumbed to desperation.
"I'm Chief Rimmel of the NYPD! Sell my shares first!"
"Apologies, sir, but orders are processed in the sequence they're received! Please wait your turn!"
Business magnates, government officials—no one was exempt. They were all shareholders, and they all swarmed the exchange, clawing for a chance to sell before it was too late.
With no buyers in sight, sell orders flooded the market at an unprecedented rate. By the end of the trading day, the exchange had processed only sales—an unrelenting tide of desperation.
When the bell rang, signaling the close of the market, the shutters came down. Yet the crowd outside refused to disperse.
"Take my shares! Please, just take them!"
"We're closed for the day! Please return tomorrow!"
