The Big Con by David Maurer Read Free Book Online Page B

thoroughlyconvinced that the race results were being delayed for him, it was immaterial whether they really were or not—
provided he was played against a fake bookmaker instead of a real one.
And so a fake horse-poolroom which took bets was set up, shills were used in place of real betters, fake races were called with convincing fervor, and the results were all that could be desired. Thus the wire store was born. Now it only remained for smart confidence men to study the idea, correct its weakness, refine its strong points, and develop its potentialities.
    The modern wire store is operated by one regular insideman who poses as a Western Union official, a variable staff of shills, and a staff of several outsidemen or ropers. These ropers travel the country over looking for victims who have money and can be played for the wire. Some ropers depend largely on luck to enable them to find a mark and do very well by this haphazard method; others are more systematic, resorting to advertisements for “business opportunities” inserted in metropolitan newspapers, and carefully interviewing and sifting out the resulting clientele; the most enterprising have agents who locate prospective marks, investigate their financial standing, and compile a list from which the roper can select the fattest and juiciest. There is one restriction which, though it was formerly ignored especially in New York, is now rigidly observed: the mark must not be a resident of the city where he is to be trimmed.
    Wherever the roper finds his mark, he knows that each one is an individual problem and that the play must be varied somewhat for each victim. Consequently, in an account of the wire it has seemed best to simplify it in order to present the general principles of the game without confusing the reader by the infinite possible variations in the play.
    In order to visualize the wire in operation, let us assume that a roper whom we shall christen Louis Sanbornhas been told that one John Bates, owner of a small department store in Providence, is a prospect for the wire. So Mr. Sanborn visits Mr. Bates, represents himself as the agent for a large corporation which is buying up small stores, and gets his victim’s confidence. Mr. Bates is pleased to find a buyer for the business because it has not been too profitable. The two spend several days going over the matter. Sanborn blows hot and cold, then finally decides to buy and makes Bates a very generous tentative offer, subject to the final approval of his superiors. Mr. Bates snaps it up. So Mr. Sanborn takes an option on the business and invites Bates down to New York to consummate the deal.
    They arrive in New York around noon and take up quarters at the Fairdale. Mr. Sanborn ’phones his “main office” and reports that their attorneys are occupied with another deal and will not be available until the following day. Then he excuses himself and makes a private call from a ’phone booth to his insideman, whom we shall call Charley Maxwell.
    “I have a businessman from Providence,” he says. “What time can we play for him?”
    Maxwell consults his appointment book. “How about half past two this afternoon?” he asks.
    “Fine,” says Sanborn. “We’ll be there.”
    When he returns to the room he finds his victim ready for lunch. They go down to the dining room. There, during luncheon, Sanborn plants the first seeds for the play to come. He casually mentions the fact that his cousin is manager of the central office of the Western Union here in New York.
    “On my way up I tried to locate a friend in New London,” he explains. “Charley wanted to see him about some kind of deal, but he was out of town.”
    Luncheon progresses. They talk of the pending sale of Mr. Bates’ business. When it is time to depart, Sanbornpicks up the check and again brings up his cousin. “We aren’t in any hurry,” he says, “and Charley’s office is just around the corner from here. Would you mind walking