Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-07-07
The New
Pawnsllop
By AUSTIN FLINT

me sick. Fifty berries f'r that di'mOnd
bracelet what's worth twelve hundred
don't seem to make hit wit me.
9TH fence is getting rich out Of our
honest labor, Skinner. He's opened
another pawnshop downtown. Hes
rolling inldough. Heard of it, Skin
ner2 49,. :.
"Sure heard of it," answered Skin
ner modify, "but old Cohnbaum amt
tellin' where that new joint of his is
located. Says he's dom a honest BUSH
ness there. Cohnbaum couldn't run
straight if he was held in tape-meas-
ures."
Anyway" said Larry, II got an idea,
Skinner. Cohnbaum amt played fair
with US, and it'd be a charity to relieve
him of some of his superluous kale.
va know Ellen Summers, what rooms
above his shop?"
Sure" answered Skinner. "Why?"
swell, she's a friend Of mine. She
tole me tn old guys too mean to re-
pair her floor, an she en- see straight
down into the shop through a hole in
it. Are you wise?'
"Hold on, bo," answered Skinner.
"Spose we do git in and tighten the
old guy Of some of that jack of his,
what're we going to do wit it,"
Jack? He don't keep no jack in that
safe of his" answered Larry. Its
chock-full of di'mond earrings and en-
erald sunbursts. And there's a new
fence l know name Of Willoughby.
He'll pay better prices than Cohn-
baum. Now here's the idea. 1t don't
take two Of us to do the trick I'll bust
open Cohnbaum's safe tonight from e.
lens room, and hand you the stuff, and
you beat it down to Willoughby's. I'll
tip him off there's some goods coming,
and I'll give you his address,"
The plan was quickly made. At two
o'clock in the morning Larry was to
break open the safe in Cohnbaum's
pawnshop and hand the goods to Skin
ner, who would be waiting outside to
make a quick getaway The two
friends had worked long together, and
could trust each other; and Skinner
knew that, if necessary, Larry would
not hesitate to cover his flight by put
ting up a vigorous fight with any cops
who happened to be inconveniently
proving around.
Willoughby's place was not far
away. 1t was one of those fences
pawnshops where, under cover of a
legitimate bushes, stolen goods were
received and stored away until the
time came for disposing Of them, the
thief receiving perhaps one-third Of the
value Of the articles.
Armed with this knowledge, Skinner
shivered that night in the vicinity of
Cohnbaum's place. He knew the lay of
the land we'll. Old COhnbaum lived
alone. he was deaf, and there were two
doors between the pawnshop and his
bedroom. There was not much likeli-
hood that COhnbaum would hear the
blowing open Of his safe.
For Larry the Blood was an expert
"puffer." He did not blow off the door
of safe like amateurs in his line. A
very small charge Of soup was poured
through drilled hole into the combi-
nation box. When this was touched
off the report was no louder than pis-
tol Shot and, by muffling the safe, Lar
ry could be reasonably sure that the
sound would not be heard outside-at
least, only to the listening ears of Skin
ner.
The combination apparatus thus
shattered, a pair of pliers was all that
was required to manipulate the clutch
es and draw back the levers.
Skinner, listening and shivering, at
last heard the faint, muffled sound
which indicated that Cohnbaum's safe
had yielded to his friends artistry.
After a cautious glance about him, he
stepped quickly up to the door,
Larry's face appeared at the window
above.
as all right! Beat it to Willough.
by's," he Kissed, dropping several small
packages, one Of which clinked as it
slipped through SINNERS hands and
hit the sidewalk
But repeated ringing at Willoughbys
bell failed to elicit any response. The
fence Ind perhaps gone to bed instead
of waiting for SINNERS arrival. No
matter! Skinner paced the streets, and
early next morning was at Willoughby' s
shop.
Willoughby, a neat, dapper young
man, received the packages and crit
ically examined them.
"Whered you get these Skinner?''
he asked.
Uptown" answered Skinner, lacon.
ically. "Swell apartment house, II
you got to know"
Willoughby took down the telephone
receiver The number conveyed NO
meaning to Skinner. But the next mo-
ment he was beating it into the street
At the corner he caromed violently in.
to Larry the Blood.
Thought you'd hooked it," growled
Larry. How much aid he come across
with?''
Suddenly he read his friends look
He seized him by the shoulders.
"You mutt" he roared. "Spill it.
now! Spill it quick!''
"He called up Cohnbaum on the
phone. He called him uncle It's
Cohnbaum's new joint. Let's beat il
out Of here" walled Skinner, tearfully
A Waste Of Time.
"You didn't stay long in that Office