wall street analyst henry kaufman explains how a bank earns money. tended to earn money the same way as they do today in a general way by making loans and investments. there was, in those days, in hindsight a somewhat greater risk-taking than has tended to occur within the last 40 years or so in the united states or in banking in modern times. it was and had a stronger entrepreneurial drive in those days. and at the same time there was inadequate governmental supervision. charles barney the knickerbocker's president, was one of those entrepreneurs ambitious for his bank's success. apparently for charles barney the chance came to make a lot of money if he was willing to risk the bank's money. barney knew a speculator named charles morse. morse and a partner, frederick hines, schemed to manipulate copper's price on wall street. copper was a hot item many people speculated on. there is debate, historically over the extent of barney's involvement, but many believe he made the behind-the-scenes arrangements as the morse-hines combine began setting its tra