The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-12-06
(By Herbert Corey.)

Is Herbert COr6y.)
New York. Dec. 6.--For ten years
wire tappers have been operating in
New York without interference. Dur
ing that time Gondorf's gang has
earned the right to he called the fore
most mob Of swindlers in tho world.
They have taken millions-and mill
ions-from chumps in that period.
Between three and four hundred
men internationally gained n por-
ton of their income from the WIRE"
Perhaps, ten times that many had
knowledge Of it's operations. Not II
OF the leaders has been convicted in
that period. They have been indicted
but no wiretapper ever stayed in
with the turnkey.
Now they are all confcssinE.
Because they are all broke.
Frank Harbeaux began it. This ex-
cellent single-handed CRATER knocked
at District Attorney Whitman's door.
Please" said he. ''let me In. II
You will be good to me I'll tell you
all about the overlapping game in
New York"
Whitman opened. As soon as the
others heard of TarbeauX's action
they hurried to cover. Some wanted
tho safety to DO found only in con-
20 oSCbboO vi ~
police grafters they say double
crossed them. But not one would
have told his story. il he had had
bankroll enough to afford silence.
The day after TarbeauX r%unabled,"
said an attache of the district attor-
ney's office. Mr.. whitman's door
sounded like 4 tambourine, so many
grafters We're tapping at it."
a penniless wiretapper is like a
Marathon runner with q wooden leg.
He can't set anywhere. He car
nor go into a far country. About all
he can do is to stand. up alta post
and let a district attorney. throw
knives at him. Hence this recent
epidemic of confession.
High Cost Of Wirctapping.,
THE fact u.s. said one of the most
thoroughly competent srafters in the
business. Overlapping has not been
economically conducted. We've need
ed an efficiency engineer. Our produce
ton charges have been too high, and
the margin Of profit too low"
Take the case of Major Penning-
ton Of Virginia, for example. Major
Pennington came to town to get on
the rope The first day he bet So.
900 and won. That gave him conf.
dence. The next day. he bet $25, O0C
and lost. Major Pennington let out 6
courtly military al
"It was your fault" said the mar
who had steered him. IT told you to
place your money on Brass Edge. ant
You bet OH Brass Edge straight. II yo,
had bet on Brass Edge "a place you
would have won."
Major Pennington was APOLOGIZE
Obviously it was all his fault. SO tn
next day he bet $4,000 more. He
lost again. The explanation Was So
the next day with $1,000 more-ar
the cash he had left-prepared to
shoot it Yer on a long. one. But the
wiretappers are not accustomed to
deal with people who have dispose
lions as trustful al a horse., So they
ran away from $1,000 which was
just as good as in the pocket.
Now" said the old time CRATER.
The wire mob had to pay onc-half
of that $4,000 TO the men who sic.
ed Pennington. One man had disco,
cred that he would tumble for tina
sore of a game. and introduced thu
to town and delivered him to tn
mob. The first man got 20 per cent O
h money taken from the major. TIL
stecrer got 80 per cent.
Steerer Gets One.Half.
"one-laalf OF the winnings Were
gone before the mob got its share
One-half Of the remainder was turn
ed. over to the police. No matter who
got it.. that will come out in court IL
the numerous confessions made t6
Mr.. Whitman + nearly as compre-
hensive and accurate as they are sup
posed to be. That only left one.quar-
kA~ ~ A >< ,-- g. -
split.
joint for a rope trick That ' mere a
~ covers the room rent. Telegraph
instruments. tables. chairs. black
boards. and the other paraphernalian
of a first rate poolroom must then be
moved in. Perhaps twenty or thirty
boosters are hired. For the most part
they are old grafters who have lost
their nerve. They can't go through
with a big part any more, and are
delighted to earn ten or fifteen dol
lars by Just sitting around a Joint
and acting like persons anxious to bet
ON horse races. They are always we'll
dressed. well-behaved, ciean.collared
old gentlemen whom it is a pleasure
to know. BY the time all expenses
were met in the Pennington a the
principals in the moi were lucky to
have $4,000 to split among them.
selves. In that case it had to go
seven ways"
Charles Gondorf was the boss of
the wire mob here. He had been at
1t for ten years. In that period the
swindles In which his mob alone have
been concerned mount up I o $2,O00,-
900 or more. Granted that his share
was 10 per cent Of the total, 1t will
still be found that 100000 was little
enough with which to meet the ex-
penses incident to his calling. He has
been arrested several tinles-and al
though he has moi served q minutes
time In that period 1t has cost money
for bonds and lawyers and 'dxers."
Also. Mr.. Gondorf's habits are irres.
|.ular. -.
They all tall for some one else's
same" said the old fratter. .".Go6dort
an itch In his flnxers."
Splits On Euro and Wine.
: ts n OF the things that is
hardly being done At all any more.
The new breed Of gambling house
keepers prefer roulette, in which the
profits are larger ana quicker. And q
man like Gondorf is entirely too wise
to be "steered" to q faro game in the
fashion in which he has "eustomers'
steered against the wire.
&C." explained the old xrafter.
they frame for him. They watch
his habits. by and by they learn that
he is pretty certain to drop into a
certain place once or twice a week.
So they put up q snap faro game in
the back room. Two or three boost
ers play heavy money against II.
Maybe an innocent bystander takes a
shot,"
MI. Gondorf has a palate hat ,non