Evening star., 1938-04-10
Mogozine Secfio,

plan was a natural The haul would be al
least twenty times greater than that from
any of their previous collaborations. 1t wa}
distinctly wholesale operation. Different
from those affairs in which Stearns had put
the finger on couples or foursomes of wealthy
somewhat befuddled night jewellers who inI
sisted on wearing their costliest gems and
carrying their fattest rolls into jeopardy.
Those jobs had always entailed a certain
amount of uncertainty for Itch Finger Benny
Middle-aged but well-conditioned gentlemen
had been known to answer gun in the rib
with an unexpected uppercut. And once OF
twice an extra-bold taxi driver had bumped
his cab across the curb and around corner
to safety when crowded over and ordered I'd
stop by car full of guns. That meant short
wave radios yowling all over the lot and tn
slimmest margins of safety.
This Heather Hill job, though, would b
cinch. Two hundred of Westchester' s riches
and proudest: women to whom one cara
diamond was only chip; men who carried
their cash in their vest pockets in crisp ney
fifties, hundreds and half-grands. And th(
clubhouse! A good mile inside its ow5|
grounds, at the end of private road. Yo,
could nousetrap a regiment in there without
anyone being the wiser.
81 figure the opening dance is the time
for the job" said Shirt Front. The womenl1
be wearing all the ice they've got, new and
old Just to show each other up
"Sure!' agreed Itch Finger. Diamonds o1j
parachutes. got just the mob to handle it
too Long Hook Freedman, Pin Ball and
Harry Jackson and Sister Johnny WelchI
Five of usll be plenty"
Stearns left Itch Finger and made his way
uptown to the respectable furnished room ht
maintained on the West Side, feeling the inI
ward glow of work we'll done. A cleanup
And he would be master of the show right
up to the final cash-in, for he had persuaded,
Itchy of the wisdom of leaving the loot id
his hands for disposal after it had been lifted
1t would be safer in case the police suspected
any of the mob and turned over their known
diggings. Then, too, he had an inside contact
with "Strongbox" Bergman, that crafty old
fence whose ability to clear the fruits oI
felony was unparalleled. 1t would take BID
operator to distribute the Heather Hill haul
He saw Itch Finger Benny again twice
The first time was to give him scale plan q
the house and grounds. After studying il
Itchy and couple of the boys made pi
grimage to Westchester in the guise
Sunday drivers for personal once-over
the geography.
The second time Shirt Front saw Itch
was four days before the opening dance
He gave him diagram of the dining roor
with the tables carefully numbered. Twelv
of them we're marked with red ink.
There's your meat, Itchy" he said
"Thererl be close to million dollars wort
of stuff on the people at those tables. Don
overlook any bets. Pick up whatever you can
But concentrate on those tables first - and
work fast"
"Sme!' said Itchy.
Shirt Front said, "Now, about your geta|
way. There1l be two cars parked in the drive
right close to the front door. They belong Il
the president of the club and the chairmal
of the house committee. They always par
in that spot special privilege. And the{