Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-08-09

These jewel brokers are all over the
'cfty-in Maiden Lane. on the Bowery
up around Fifth avenue-all kinds
for all kinds of misunderstanding OF
selling! They're wise crowd. They
have to be. They get some dangerous
propositions put up to them-and
some wild ones, particularly in hard
times.
They had some extra wild ones in
that financial cave-in after the war
especially the Fifth avenue ones. Half
the upper West side was fighting to
drive the wolf from the new Limousine
door.
1t WAS year ago last March--at
THE worst of ft-when this one I'm
telling you of drifted into Harry
NOlpe's place on Fifth avenue-in the
Fate, afternoon. NOlpe was alone in
the office. staring down out Of his sec.
0nd-story window on the two streams
OF automobile tops on the avenue.
"You the proprietor?" asked this
stranger back of him at the entrance
"a big, red-faced husky. with biz
shoulders and a small nose and red
necktie. Vafpe figured him right
away then as some sort of con.
tractor
Sure" he said, coming over, dust.
ing his hands. "What1h you have?"
My names Googan-Dan Coogan.'
said the big man, Introducing himself
Glad to know YOU" said Harry
Volpe, sizing hien up "What can |
do for you?'
What would YOU say this was
worth? said the stranger reaching in
and dragging out big diamond neck.
lace that seemed TO ihe lying loose
without &sy case. in the right-hand
lower pocklzs; Of his coat.
What Yea paid f0r it-or what YOU
could reali2"f" Volpe asked him. still
sizing him aap-the way YOU nave to
In that business. And went over II
with his glass and told him what he
might probably get-if he got q buyer
But you'd have hard work finding
zone just now tor anythsng as big as
dthat. I know wouldn't buy it-not
now!"
you couldnt--nOt if y@al want ed
tor said the other man. II wouldn't
sch it for all the money i'm MsIl
street"
AEd he looked as If he meant 1t,
"BEt here's the thing 1 want to
know" he said. "CSuld you Dull out
enough stones from this to stand for a
pledge for ten thousand-solaar
soan?"
! why yes-prObably." said Volpe.
Though we don't generally want to
handle unset stones. Because-you
know"
They're apt to be stolesa, huh2 Ia
that if?" said the big man.
Yeah. They break them up out of
their settings, so they can't be identi-
! fed"
! But you've got your setting here"
Il wasn't talking about this" said
lVolpe. II was just telling YOU"
"Well, about how many would you
say?" the customer asked him.
/ And he told him about a third of
them.
/ Now the next thing" said the man.
satisfied apparently, 'is-cOuld you
take this; could yOn take that amount
of stones out of their settings. and
put back substitutes in their place
good ones, so they wouldn't be no
ticed?"
"Why yes-probably. If 1 had the
time"
Now then another thing" he said,
fixing his little blue-gray eyes on him
as if this was important. "How long
would be the shortest time you could
do 1t inf you had everything all
ready and waiting to do it with? Take
these out of their settings and put
the phoney ones in? Could you do it
in day."
81 might" said Volpe, looking them
over seeing they were a good stand
ard cut.
"What'Il 1t cost-the whole thingf
Ten thousand for three months"
asked the man, his eyes boring in still.
And Volpe figured out a good thing
on it-and told him what he'd do.
"But now it's understood" said the
man-"you'll have to have it all done
IN a day-when bring it In"