Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-04-12
Jack Pickering
Here
and
Now

and embarrassed. TOT " year
she has avoided il successfully.
The hype is the short-changc
racket. worked by the customer
A gabby man paid her with S2C
bill. then babbled TO his com
panion: Now why did do that
/ had plenty Of smaller bills"
Then he turned to the girl anc
said: Give me a 10 for these
ones" She handed him a $40 bill
then found he had given her only
nine ones.
I'm sorry" he said. and gave
her another dollar Then he gave
her the 10 that she'd just giver
him and said You might as wei
give me a $50 bill -
"He was 80 fast and so smooth
that he got me confused, that's
ALL" the cashier said II hear
that he got the Book-Cadillac
and a bank, too
The hype, says Insector George
II. Mcclellan, used to he tried
mainly AT filling stations. II Is
an old, old gyp, but the smartest
people falf for II even yet.
There are plenty Of others.
The coffee shop cashier has to
watch for customers who turn In
two checks. held 80 that they
look like one. Once girl pasted
two checks together with jelly.
The war has brought new
rackets, and the New York state
police bulletin recently printed
an article nv Inspector Charles
SearleS OF Detroit because this
city naturally has attracted con
men.
Selling supposedly "officlal"
first aid kits. Identification tags,
blackout curtains and fire eN-
tinguiSherS are some raCkets.
Also offering 10 sell stolen tires,
or insurance covering army men.
But ScarleS says the old ones
arc\~t+r cNlng such as thrce-card
monte, which is a sure pop 10 beat
the sucker. loaded dice and the
racket Of selling imitation dia.
mondS and Iw rthlcSS furs.
Searlcs and his pickpocket squad
are walking encyclopedias on cor
men, whlz gangs and mol buzzerS
SGT John Nee and Detective
Stephen Martin explain that 2
whiz mob is a pickpoCket mob
They also call themselves can
mons" and they work in threes
The stall ioStlcS the victim. the
wire 6 the man who steals tho
pOcketbook. and the man behind
the wire IS the one 10 whom the
wire quickly gives your wallet.
ScarlCS points out The crime IS
a felony here. bu, only a mis-
demeanor IN some states Anyway
n is impossible for pickpockets 70
keep working unless there - a FIX
he says adding. And there won {
he any fIN while I'm here. or while
LOUIS Berg and John WIihcrSpoon
are running the department.
However. WhiI mobs are com
ing in from Memphis and points
South. and being arrested regu-
larry. These mob>. the police say,
generally got jobs In war fac
tories, wear Identification badges
prominently. and spend most OF
their time riding street cars.
Here are some others:
I Tho pigeon drop Based on
i finding a purse full Of
money and offering 10 share tho
reward with the victim who sees
the pigeon droppcr find IT, Entails
having tho victim put up money
TO show you're honest
> The aspirin racket In the
- midst Of any If many swim
dies IN which the victim has put
up some money. one swIndler
"faintS.' the sucker is sent 10 got
an aspirin. ard both con men are
gone when he returns.
O-The Spanish real estate buyer
- Wants 10 buy real estate gets
money As evidence Of the victim &
good faith. vanishes. proving his
own lack Of IT,
h-Moll BUYERS. They steal
\ women poCketbooks in
stores. while the ladies are in
tently shopping Molly O'Bricn
most famous moll buzzer. escaped
arrest for years because she al
ways made II point 10 smear any
fnGerprint that she left on any
thing But they got her finally
S-The movie sitter. II you put
- your purse on The empty seat
next 10 you. the man or woman
behind can tilt the scat. letting
your purse slide back. The purse
Is emptied and replaced while YOU
arc busy weeping over the movie.
When you get home. you can weep
some more.