There seems to be a popular legend that stockbrokers were jumping out of office windows, as the market crashed in 1929.
I find the story hard to accept, as most brokers did not own huge blocks of stocks-they may have had some small accounts.
But the real losers in the 1929 crash were the big speculators, who had millions in margined accounts-they were wiped out when their margined acconts were called.
The banks also took big hits.
In any event, are there any documented accounts of brokers committing suicide in this rather public fashion?
I suspect that these rumors took hold later, as the “Great Depression” really took hold (by mid-1930).
The recent collapse of several Wall Street firms (like the demise of 135 year old Lehman Bothers) didn’t cause any suicides (that I am aware of).
Is this story another bit of fiction?
Ralph, a syndicated columnist named Cecil Adams has a weekly feature called The Straight Dope, (available in weekly alternative papers nationwide) and he devoted an entire column to this very subject, and spent considerable time researching and documenting his findings.
Maybe you should consider checking it out…
A few did, according to one Cecil Adams: After the 1929 stock market crash, did investors really jump out of windows?
Is there a web page with a message board where we can post questions that someone might answer without having to dig through archives for an article that may or not be there?
Do you actually think that a random Doper would be able to offer up a more detailed, better written and thoroughly researched answer to this factual question than Cecil’s column provides?
On an opinion question, I could see your point, but on a query such as this one, what better source could you possibly ask for?
Lots of them jumped out of windows. Of course they were on the first floor 
Actually, it did. The CEO of Lehman Bros. also attempted suicide, but failed.
It’s not offered in the Charleston City Paper, the alternative newspaper for Charleston, SC. This paper did until a few years ago, but no longer does for some reason (probably the cost).
When I used the term “nationwide”, somehow Charleston SC inexplicably slipped my mind…
Rest assured, I will NEVER make the same mistake again!!!
I believe the column is also available via the World Wide Web for those people who can not find it in local print media. In fact, I believe old columns are archived and indexed via key words for easy reference.
I’m pretty sure the second article referenced is a hoax.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_S._Fuld,_Jr.
Ediee Cantor, the comedian, was badly hurt by the 1929 crash. In November, 1929 he published a short caustic memoir, Caught Short! (cost: Bid $1.00–Asked $1.00) which included the following:
There is, unfortunately, it’s populated with a lot of people who would rather be snarky than provide a useful answer.
“Seems it’s happening again
When the weather turns on Wall Street
As the year draws to an end
You can hear them like a heartbeat
As they pound the pavement one by one
From on high they’re heading down
It’s raining bankers in my town”
And that’s why I’m reading this.
Excuse me, could I have some more snark over here? Thank you.
Ahh, the efficacy of the snarkiosity of the World Wide Web…
I got yelled at by a mod when I suggested that somebody look it up themselves, but apparently chastisement is reserved for the special among us.
Charleston is in the USA?
Charleston is in its own universe.
There, there. You’re still special to us. Don’t fret.
Ah, thanks man.