raise right away?”
Mr. Ryan studies very hard. “I haven’t much cash in the bank,” he says. “Most of my money is tied up in investments. But I have $17,000 in government bonds. I could cash those on short notice.”
“How much can you raise, Mr. Fink? Can you make out the other $33,000?”
Mr. Fink studies. He gets out his notebook and perspires over it. Finally he says, “I just can’t make it. $25,000 is all I can possibly raise right now. My investments are pretty well tied up and I can’t disturb them. But I could cash some paper and raise the $25,000.”
“Well,” says the accommodating Mr. Lamster, “I have a bank account here. My boss must never find it out or I’d get fired, but I can let you have the other $8,000 until this thing is cleared up. It won’t take long.”
“That would be damned nice of you,” says Mr. Fink.
“All right, now,” continues Lamster, “I think we have everything in hand. It is after banking hours now, but the first thing in the morning we will all go to my bank and get things moving. I am well connected there and I am sure that they will co-operate in every way. Where does your money have to come from, Mr. Ryan?”
“My securities are in the People’s Bank at North Adams, Massachusetts. I’ll telephone the bank in the morning to turn them into cash and send them right down. How long will it take you to get yours, Mr. Fink?”
“I’ll have to ’phone Boston,” says Mr. Fink. “Mine will be here all right.”
Here we are assuming that the con men take a chance with the Federal Government and use the mails to transport the money. Often the mark is “put on the send” as described in the account of the wire.
Mr. Fink is somewhat disturbed over the division of the proceeds. Ryan evidently expects to repay Lamster’s $8,000 and take half of the $256,000. That isn’t right. If he wants half the proceeds, he should put up half of the capital. Otherwise, they should split it proportionally and give Lamster a share too. That would be only right. He mentions it to Ryan. Ryan hedges, but leaves the impression that he doesn’t expect to include Mr. Lamster at all. The irritation that Fink has been feeling for Ryan during the past day flares into definite dislike; the influence of Mr. Lamster looms larger and larger in his mind. This fellow Lamster is one of the finest fellows he has ever met. Nothing small about him. And Mr. Fink cannot abide small people.
At this point the mark is usually “tied up.” That is, he is placed in the custody of the roper and never allowed to be alone until the bitter end. It is done something like this.
Mr. Ryan excuses himself, or Mr. Lamster makes a private appointment with Fink. When they are alone, Mr. Lamster speaks thus: “Mr. Fink, I wanted to talk to you privately because I have observed that you have a good deal of character and that you are always to be depended upon. This is just a start. I feel sure that I can make a substantial fortune at this business. You and I understand each other pretty well. There is no reason why you can’t go along with me in it. But it is absolutely necessary that we have complete secrecy. Are you willing to assure me that you will protect my confidence in every way?” (At this point the insideman sometimes goes so far as to swear the mark in on a convenient Gideon Bible; but inview of Mr. Fink’s obvious integrity, we will not subject him to that ordeal.)
Mr. Fink is only too willing to comply with this request.
“Now about this man Ryan …” continues Mr. Lamster.
“I don’t like him,” says Mr. Fink with some heat. “He is a little too greedy. He wants half the profits without putting up half the capital. He impresses me as being a rather small man.”
“I am sorry to say that you express my sentiments exactly,” says Lamster. “But that is really neither here nor there. The serious point is this: can he be trusted?”
“I don’t think so,” says Fink.
“Well,
Mr. Ryan studies very hard. “I haven’t much cash in the bank,” he says. “Most of my money is tied up in investments. But I have $17,000 in government bonds. I could cash those on short notice.”
“How much can you raise, Mr. Fink? Can you make out the other $33,000?”
Mr. Fink studies. He gets out his notebook and perspires over it. Finally he says, “I just can’t make it. $25,000 is all I can possibly raise right now. My investments are pretty well tied up and I can’t disturb them. But I could cash some paper and raise the $25,000.”
“Well,” says the accommodating Mr. Lamster, “I have a bank account here. My boss must never find it out or I’d get fired, but I can let you have the other $8,000 until this thing is cleared up. It won’t take long.”
“That would be damned nice of you,” says Mr. Fink.
“All right, now,” continues Lamster, “I think we have everything in hand. It is after banking hours now, but the first thing in the morning we will all go to my bank and get things moving. I am well connected there and I am sure that they will co-operate in every way. Where does your money have to come from, Mr. Ryan?”
“My securities are in the People’s Bank at North Adams, Massachusetts. I’ll telephone the bank in the morning to turn them into cash and send them right down. How long will it take you to get yours, Mr. Fink?”
“I’ll have to ’phone Boston,” says Mr. Fink. “Mine will be here all right.”
Here we are assuming that the con men take a chance with the Federal Government and use the mails to transport the money. Often the mark is “put on the send” as described in the account of the wire.
Mr. Fink is somewhat disturbed over the division of the proceeds. Ryan evidently expects to repay Lamster’s $8,000 and take half of the $256,000. That isn’t right. If he wants half the proceeds, he should put up half of the capital. Otherwise, they should split it proportionally and give Lamster a share too. That would be only right. He mentions it to Ryan. Ryan hedges, but leaves the impression that he doesn’t expect to include Mr. Lamster at all. The irritation that Fink has been feeling for Ryan during the past day flares into definite dislike; the influence of Mr. Lamster looms larger and larger in his mind. This fellow Lamster is one of the finest fellows he has ever met. Nothing small about him. And Mr. Fink cannot abide small people.
At this point the mark is usually “tied up.” That is, he is placed in the custody of the roper and never allowed to be alone until the bitter end. It is done something like this.
Mr. Ryan excuses himself, or Mr. Lamster makes a private appointment with Fink. When they are alone, Mr. Lamster speaks thus: “Mr. Fink, I wanted to talk to you privately because I have observed that you have a good deal of character and that you are always to be depended upon. This is just a start. I feel sure that I can make a substantial fortune at this business. You and I understand each other pretty well. There is no reason why you can’t go along with me in it. But it is absolutely necessary that we have complete secrecy. Are you willing to assure me that you will protect my confidence in every way?” (At this point the insideman sometimes goes so far as to swear the mark in on a convenient Gideon Bible; but inview of Mr. Fink’s obvious integrity, we will not subject him to that ordeal.)
Mr. Fink is only too willing to comply with this request.
“Now about this man Ryan …” continues Mr. Lamster.
“I don’t like him,” says Mr. Fink with some heat. “He is a little too greedy. He wants half the profits without putting up half the capital. He impresses me as being a rather small man.”
“I am sorry to say that you express my sentiments exactly,” says Lamster. “But that is really neither here nor there. The serious point is this: can he be trusted?”
“I don’t think so,” says Fink.
“Well,
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