In 1869, the railroad financier and speculator James Fisk joined forces with fellow robber barron Jay Gould to exploit the finances of the Erie Railroad in a bid to corner the gold market (and rob the American public of millions of dollars). The result was Black Friday, a day of nationwide financial panic.
Some time later, Fisk hosted a luncheon party aboard his yacht. Among the guests was a celebrated stuttering raconteur named William Travers. Fisk gave Travers a tour of the yacht. In the cabin, he showed his guest adjoining portraits of himself and Jay Gould painted, respectively, by the great artist Adolphe William Bouguereau and a highly esteemed American painter.
"What do you think of them?" he asked proudly. "S-s-surely s-s-something's lacking?" Travers stuttered. "Lacking?" Fisk asked. "What
do you mean?" "Sh-sh-shouldn't the S-s-savior," Travers replied, "b-b-be between the t-t-two thieves?"