The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-12-04

10 the people Of the upper world
q as well assto the majority Of the un-3
derworld comparatively little Is
known Of the activities and income
OF the ..heel worker" or "damper get
ter. Years ago he was called
still Taper" and the tool was gen-
orally daring small boy, working
under the instruction Of . "Fagin"
who sent him into shops to crawl
Etinnoticed behind the counters to
steal from the money drawers what
ever Of silver or bills there.
But that was before the advent
ef the Emusic box" tcash register)
took the graft out Of boys line Of
work into proposition demanding
considerable brains to plan and abil-
ity to execute store robberies with
minimum risk and maximum profit.
Ithas developed into a regular occu-
patton with many hands Of two,
e. L { 4
three and four members known as
heel mobs.
BUSY At aIDNHWS5sa
THEIR TRADE, IS,
Although some OF these smobs"
stay in one city permanently, the
higher class Of damper getters work
about q month in Chicago, a month
In New York, Philadelphia, Boston,
shorter periods in smaller cities, al
ways going and coming. plying their
trade every day. all day long, every
where. They become known as heel
men to the police of any one city
only when one Of their number
drops for a fall" The rare times
have heard Of a frst-class heel
man going to prison were on ac-
count Of failure to save sufficient
"fall! money out Of the earnings Of a
mob, money with which to hire
clever "mouthpiece" Nawyer) or
bride the cops.
Tow. Jerry. Harry and Dick form
9 mob out on the heel" Tom is
middle-aged, rudy. in dress and ap-
pearance a prosperous stock broker.
jerry Is younger. an athletic. vigor-
Gus young bank clerk to the casual
glance: Harry is past so, with hair
almost white and would pass for
that vel. known taxpayer, "pro bono
publico." Dick, Of uncertain age.
can assume with equal ease the role
of meter inspector or police inspec-
tor:
LAYING OUT THE s'issisErs
DAYS WORK.
They NEE, by appointment at their
fayorite cafe at 2 a. M, have a cock
tail as they read the papers and map
out the mornings work, which starts
ct s.a. m. sharp. Selecting eight
square blocks in the busiest section
OF town. each is given two blocks to
cover in the following manner:
Tom goes to his allotted station,
where every building contains one
orsmore stores. He enters each one
sip turn to note how business is car
ried pn-where the registers are To-
Gated their particular model, how
easily ACCESSIBLE. how near an open
Ing in the counter they are placed.
whether Q cashier is employed OF il
the salespeople operate the muse
boxes. Also where conditions SEEM
favorable he makes a, "buy" in order
TO see II the register contains many
big bills.
Emerging from the store that he
thinks q good robbery prospect, he
writes down its name, address and
enough data to furnish useful re-
port to the mob. in this way the
eight blocks are canvassed by the
industrious four. At noon. they gath
ersto submit for the consideration Of
Jerry. the master mind Of the band,
the result Of their observations.
yERRYsMAKES
THE DECISION.
BY careful process of elimination
Jerry reduces these prospects in
number TO about a half-dozen stores,
and upon him rests the final decision
as to which places shall be robbed.
That afternoon he visits some OF the
stores on the revised list, selects the
one which seems the best venture
for his men and perfects his plan of
future action there. The next day
Jerry devotes to the others on the
list, while the other three continue
in,their "andings."
At the end Of Q week they have
Thoroughly covered q large district
and Jerry has number OF stores
picked out for robbery, the details
for each one thoroughly worked out
and decided upon. Jerry is the tool
or actual money getter, the others