The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1952-07-11

pickpockets-with wallets conven-
iently spotted for them by the vic
tins themselves.
Most stealing, of course, is more
subtle. A wheel of fortune may be
fixed so it won't stop on red with
out the push of a foot pedal. The
floating crap game may be fixed
with "bust out" dice, spotted so
they will always roll sevens OF
elevens.
New Wrinkle. Latest confidence
game to attach itself to the small
carnival is the "phone men" or
"boiler room" racket. In this, a
crew of men arrive in a town about
a month ahead of the carnival and
set up headquarters in a hotel.
Then, they telephone local bust
nessmen, representing themselves
as Father Murphy" or Reverend
JONES'" or similar heads of worthy
charities. The persons called are
asked to buy $25 or $50 in carni-
val ride tickets "to be distributed
to orphans or needy children" But
the actual beneficiaries are the
rasketeers: the "phone man" gets
300 of the take; the runner"
who picks up the money 1919, and
the "boiler room operator" who
supervises the grift, 500.
Hardly week goes by that the
FBI doesn't make inquiries about
criminals OF suspects believed to
have Joined carnivals. A small, but
significant, proportion of carny
people Especially the ride hands,
are working the Circuit to lose
their identity; make it hard for
the law to track them down..
Similarly, the carnival stripper
may be tougher even than her hard
face indicates: some are "roll art
ists," and the citizen who gets
come-on can expect to end up be-
hind a tent with a Mickey Finn
inside him and his wallet gone.
Danger. Many such suckers ask
for it. But whole towns can suffer,
too.
go A ocal policeman may get
his first payoff at at carnival and
learn to like it; often carnivals
take good care of the "fuzz," as
the cop is called, so they can get
away with grift.
o o Worse, a fire on the Mid
way-a tinderbox of canvas, wood
and paper-can endanger a whole
town; Alexandria, Va, had two
carnival fires in two years, within
a block of a crowded apartment.
O0 And then, there's always
fair chance that the carny will
leave town without giving the To-
cal sponsoring organization (usu-
ally a freman's group, service
club or veterans group its prom
Used share of the "take."
What can a town do to protect
itself?
One answer is for local groups
to sponsor variety shows, not earn
ivals. They come replete with
bands, acts, and usually six-girl
chorus line; and they often net
more for sponsors than carnies.
For those who still wish to take
their chance on a carnival, r. D.
Leonard, well-known Dallas book
ing agent for fair midways, varie-
ty and night club shows, recon-
mends these precautions:
/. When the carnivals booking
representative appears in town, the
sponsoring organization shouldn't
take his word for Anything.
2. Even though the contract
looks fair, don't sign it until you've
checked the carnival in towns
where it's already been. Then have
your lawyer look over the contract
8. Visit the carnival in another
town; it may not have as many
rides or attractions as represented;
and you can determine the extent
of the grift.
A. Make sure the carnival gives
you a full share of the take. Hold
out for a 60-40 split (you get
1920; many carnivals will try to
make it 1926.
5. Constantly check the take
through ticket sales, and insist on
careful bookkeeping. Insist on
numbered ticket rolls, and watch
for money-palming by the carny
stands. Legitimate carnivals will
welcome such checking. Disreputa-
BILE ones will fight against it.
6. Watch for all confidence
games that may be operating in
back tents, or even in the open.
After you've done all that, re-
member: every outsider is a po-
tential mark" for the unscrupu-
lous among carny men. You may
be an easier one than you think.