The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-11-29
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CLEARED GIGANTIC SUN
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ming. plus IL per cent Of the amount
Of each operation. Between 500 and
400 men had q direct or indirect con-
nection with Gondorf's wire store"
Most Of them were just clean-collar-
ed boosters, who sat about to lend an
air Of versimilitude to tho fake pool
rooms. All Of these things may be
disclosed by the Whitman inquiry.
The police in many cities may be in
terested by what Gondorf and Shea
tell.
The superlative oddly in the pres
ent situation is that the leaders in the
two greatest swindles of modern times
are directing their attack against the
police. They frankly declare that
their operations have only been posst-
BILE through police cooperation.
Police to Blame.
I'VE wouldn't have lasted long
enough to roll a cigarette in any town
in the world il the police had been
on the level" declared both Gondorf
and Shea.
The swindlers did not object to this
combination Of wolf and watch dog
while It worked. But about the time
Of the Rosenthal murder, followed by
the revelations Of police graft along
half a dozen lines Of underworld &C
tivity, the police ceased protecting.
Every time a ~sagebrush sportsman
came to New York to cheat himself
into a little sure money by the wire
less way-and then began yawping up
and down Broadway because he had
been beaten-the police chased tho
wireless men frantically. But at the
same time they collected their share
for the protection they didn't deliver.
The confidence men finally got tired
Of this.
ut looks said one of them. plain
lively, "like there isn't a crooked cop
per in the world who's on the level"
Three Kings OF Graft.
So That Charles Gondorf. head Of.
the wireless mob. and Fred and his
greatest single handed CRATER In the
world"-and Mickey Shea, who began
life in Toledo, was at m time q page
in the house Of representatives in
Washington, and as a presti-digitator
would make the lamented Herman
look like man with two wooden
arms, and their sub-chiefs and dis
trict leaders in the world Of graft,
have told their stories. Reinforce.
ment has been given by men who are
said to have acted as yo-betweens.
h: Il Of evidence offered against po-
licemen by swindlers may be added to
by evidence given by men who have
an outsiders knowledge Of the situa-
ton. Mr. Whitman's difficulty, Of
course, Is that 1t will be mighty hard
to find q witness who can come into
court with clean hands.
Women are Victims.
Mickey Shea's clairvoyants opera
lions e conducted on q o dip
lomatic plan than were those of the
wire-tappers. A Shea mob consisted
Of the doorman, who coaxed the Wis
itor into writing an answer to. three
questions-or into writing three ques-
tions-or by some other MEANS to re-
veal his OF her identity; The outside
the patron; the stock broker, who sold
her fake mining stocks on the advice
Of tho spirits; and the professor"
himself, who might be FIindoo. swami,
or what-not,. but who knew feminine
psychology as though he had been
through the lady.with q lantern. Only
q small proportion Of Shea's custo-
mers were men.
IF possible" one Of his men stated.
we always tried to get the woman
to fan in love with one Of US"
II she did. the rest was easy, BY
threats of exposure. by coaxing, by
this means and that, what money she
might have was always taken from
her. 1t was shea's plan to run as
many mystic parlors simultaneously
as possible. Then as many women as
possible would be. hooked" But at
nrst no money was taken from any Of
them. They were inched along until
the time came. for the blow or"
Then said his operative. 1--WE got
all the money at once-and flooey!
They never saw US any more"
Shea q Lavish. Spender.
One woman gave up 100000 in this
fashion. She complained to a detec.
tive agency. But even then 1t wasn't
the money she wanted back. It was
the professor"
II only live because I hope to see
him again." she told the Investigator.
In shamed agony.
Shea spread his money with a law
ish hand. He often gave thousands Of
dollars to detectives who could neith-
or do him harm nor good. Wine
buying at the rate Of $4,000 a night
was nothing unusual to him. He
sprinkled diamonds and gold. watches
and gems among those who might aid
him.
And Shea was under indictment in
Philadelphia and living in New York..
said an Investigator. land the New
York detectives reported they were
unable to find him. The Shea sort OF
e man could not hide from a New
York detective in q submarine"
Showed Them Out.
The wire tappers conducted their
affairs here with the publicity Of a
circus. Skinned colonies used to stand
on street corners and moo about their
losses at the fake game, and no one
paid the least bit Of attention to them.
II they became too re%verberant some
Notwithstanding to the wire tap
pers-would show them the way out.
III we couldn't scare a sucker. we
squared him." said one of Gondorf's
men.
The police were valuable either
way. There Is no reason to doubt
that the wire-tappers would have eone
gayly on. trimming the boob r OF
this hemisphere. II the police had not
suddenly ceased to deliver the pro.
lection that was paid for. Then Com
dorft and his, men began to complain.
and the complaints reached Whit!
mans ears-and hence the latest no.
1NSo 1c1u0als