The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

Worth was the most ingenious big thief
Of modern times lie is credited with
planning most of the bank rohbing Jobs
OF America and England. lie not only
had the brain TO conceive. but the courage
to execute. So Tar as a rohbcr can he
said to be a business man he was hnsi-
ness man. lie travelled widely, kept him
self informed about the operations OF
banks studied men. aud studied bankers.
and in every one of the operations that he
planned or personally executed he ar
ranged all thc details OF the campaign,
AS a general does who Is In command Of
an expedition. IL was a rare thins for
any Of his plans to miscnTY.
Worth's ease was exceptional not only
i'm the magnitude of his operations, hut
in the profits he ganered. The skilled
professionals of TODAY take less desperate
chances than did tile head of the Forty
Thieves, The rogue finds that working
on mems credulitN PAYS better than break
ing safes or robbing trains. The bank
robbers OF today usually are bank em-
ployes Thievery ON big aeale has been
reduced TO a business
Take. for example. the Gondolfs. or Con
dorfs as they are better known. For
nearly ten years they have hen operating
in New York city In the full knowledge
of the oplice department and Thousands
pl well iniNIii1ei llens lNeN are iaiHiilbl
figures in the white lght district They
are the men YOU hear about now and then
in connection with the wireless wire
tapping" game. Recently they have come
in for a lot of notorietN. They We're not
protected" in one of their Jobs and some
of the gang gave Information to District
Attorney Whitman which may lead 20
the indictment of police officials who have
shielded these robbers for years
There are score of men In the Con
durf gang. but the three Gondorfs
George, Charles and Frederick. FROM
whom the sharpers get their name. are
the only ones worthy of mention. or the
three members George is by far the ablest
This gang has mulcted rich men and fors-
crs of n million dollars. Most of the in
formation by which it has caught its vie
Tins has come from employees of Wall
street brokerage houses.
To men like the Gondorfs the knowledge
that a bank employe or person In po-
stion of trust is gambling is of great
value. lf the person has been losing IT
offers an opportunity to lay before him
scheme through which he may see or
think he can see a change to make good
his losses and hide his thieYerY. II he is
a winner. which is unlikely he has the
lust Of gain and the desire to press his
luck No matter whether he is winner
or Lesser. men Ike the Gondnrfs can use
blackmail or terrorize him until the vic
tim Is in their power
1t was so with old man Walker, trusted
head of New Britain. Conn, bank The
Gondorfs got line on him through q
brokers' clerk. The rest was easy. They
had the old man come to New York when
ever they desired. They introduced him
TO the wireless wire tapping game in
which the race wires of the Western
Union are supposed to be tapped or the
results of races held back by dishonest
employees of the telegraph company. To
carry this game through it is necessary
for the gang to fit up pool rooms espec-
tally for the Fleeing of this or that vic
TIM. This branch of their business has
been reduced to such n science that they
can furnish pool room complete in less
than an hour If necessary Their men are
as well trained as actors and far better
paid.
Walker never suspected the Gondorfs
Once they got him they worked him to the
limit. When he had stolen S3l0.C00 from
that little New Britain hank and there
was no more to steal he fled one of the
Gondorfs took him to Mexico and left
Kim there working as laborer
Swindlers like The Gondorfs are no RES
pecters of age. \ boy named George W.
Coleman worked in the National City
bank OF Cambridge. Mass. for S2 a
week. Somehow il became known in
the underworld that he was using some
of the banks funds. A sharper got hold
OF him. floeced him ont of $o.000 and
then sold him to another gang a branch
of the Gondorfs, for S20j0. The second
gang got nearly S23a0)0 out Of Coleman.
The youngster stole $4,000 all told.
This story is given simply to Illustrate
how, in the world of crime, things are
reduced to a commercial basis, there
being price even set upon what is
known as good thing
1t is not the bank plunderer like Walk
er or Coleman, who affords the only
chance to the Gondorfs. Some staid, hard
headed business men are as badly fooled