The Last Days of Night

Paul bursts into Westinghouse’s office the day after the execution. He’s excited to show Westinghouse the newspaper revealing Edison’s failure in Buffalo. The widespread questioning of their nemesis’s honesty and trustworthiness is a vital victory. All papers report that Brown is a fraud.

This news means Westinghouse’s A/C units will start selling better soon. Sales have been slumping. Westinghouse seems unmoved, however. He informs Paul that he’s nearly bankrupt.

The Wall Street Journal reports on the rumor that the Baring Brothers Bank in London, the oldest and largest bank in the world, is on the brink of a crash over a bad bond deal. Many of Westinghouse’s creditors belong to this bank. Many will soon demand repayment of their loans, with one request of repayment by Friday already.

Although operating at a loss is a common practice in starting a new business, Westinghouse has put his house and possessions up for collateral. This means the company’s three-million-dollar debt belongs to Westinghouse personally. As Westinghouse Electric Company’s assets total two and a half million, the capital must increase by five hundred thousand dollars to avoid bankruptcy.

Westinghouse sees that Paul judges him for putting his family at risk. Staving off a lecture, Westinghouse says even one of Paul’s pretty speeches won’t convince him to give up saving his company.