Variety (Nov 1928)

Wednesday, November 28, 1928 TIMES SQUARE VARIETY 45 Stories by Jack Conway From 1920, onward, Jack Conway wrote a series of stories appearing In Variety. Mostly the stories dealt with baseball and prize fights, play Lrs and pugs. , This series will be reprinted weekly. Each story carries its original head. Story below appeared in Variety of Dec. 20, 1920. ANTI-EVERYTHING MOB STIR CON'S MSGIVINGS Sees Day When Deep Breathr ing Will Be Made Felony ROSENBAUM RELEASED Claire Gilbert Failed to Appear, on Card Cheating Charge Rothstein Murder Is Before Grand Jury Don't Play Bridge CON Osyvego, Dec. 1. . Dea.r Chick: i met a flock :of cannons from- New. Tork VP here worklri the shorts. Frisco Slim was here with his. mob but they were working short hahdea on account of Yen Hoke Pete, tlieir wire, gettin hlsself. In the boob from tryln to show off; It seems they tailed a guy into. a banli and thought they saw him get- , tin. a bale , of , • fiCr^tch from thp cashier. They fol- lowed him out oi the jug arid when be grabbed a short they also boarided the car. The mob jostled him around, . got his right duke up high enough and Pete cops the poke. Instead of ' jumpin off the short, iPete cleans the poke under his coat and discov- ers; nothin but a batch of Travel- lers Che qu e s which have about as nriuch pur- chaiin value for a crook as a dlmie's worth of German marks,; Pete gives the mob the office to frame that he*s goin' to put the. checks back just to be smart and show what a good wire he Is. He gets the sap In positloi) and he is jUst about half way Into his kick with the checks when the chump rumbles, grabs Pete's right duke and hollers copper at the top of his lungs. The mob tried to split. Pete out from the bird that was stung but It was no use. .He hung pri like a skunk suit and a big dick who was on the re^ platfbrrn comes charg-. in through the car . and puts the flnger on our friend. He hasn't been settled yet but they can't get . bail for him. The town Is on fire so it looks as though they'll throw the key away on Peter. Can-you irhagihe pullin a gibpney like that? The'checks were no good tp any one but'the owner and even it they collared a good , sheet and scratch guy to forge the moniker for them they were a cinch to get a fall. . . • . If you see any of the mob tell them Pete is in the can and it looks like he'll spend the winter there while the bunch are hustlin' down around florida.. I grabbed myself a fighter up here and I expect to get some real jack with this bird before the winter is over. The other night we boxed a T fujrealled "Young Tomato." sind my pork and benner hit him with his club in the third round and spill.ed him all over the neighborhood. • This kid only weighs 120 but he kicks llk^ a middleweight. He has a tap hung on the end. of his right arm and when he cops with It he is liable to knock your brains out. I asked him where he got his cauliflower ears from as he'S; only been boxin six months and he told me "Answerin telephones." Ain't 'that the darb crack? I'm goin to bring him to New York after we got through playin house around those tanks, and I ex- pect that Tex will stick him in Pnc of them prolinis at the Garden. . If he does I'll hot all the tea in China that he's a hig card Inside of thirty days. I want to get him in before that bunch of refornicr.s get in thoir dirty yvqvli and make it a felony for a Murray Rosferibaum, 26, salesman, of, 650 Gates avehue, was freed In Special Sessions when Claire Gil- bert, ;stenographer, of 268 Albany ayenue, Brooklyn, failed to appear to press a charge of cheating at cards against Roaeribaum. ~" Th6 defendant with - -two—otiiersf were arrested, on the cornplaint of Miss Gilbert, who alleged the men had Induced her to take part In a poker 6:arne in the apartirient of her friend, Susan Green, at 145 West Vist street In April, 1927, Miss Gil- bert lost $l»6oO and Miss Green $1,500 whein . it was alleged one of the men. rang in a. marked deck on them. The two other men were convicted several months ago and received jail sentences. Phoney "Fatpr'^ Held On Old Robbery Charge . A man who police say . has been posing as LiiBO Fator, brother of La- Verne Fator, jockey, but whose right name is Leo Baird, "30,, 251 West 51st strefet,. was arraigned Ijefore Magistrate McQuadc in West Side CPurt charged with being a fugitive from Atla.ntic City. Beard was arrested at Broadway and 50th street by Detectives Fer^ guson and Gillman, West 47th street station, on Information sent here by James P. '. Malseed, chief of detec- tives of Atlantic City... Beard Is wanted ther^ for the larceny, of $166 cash and'a diamond ring valued at $150 on August 28. According to the police. Beard met Miss Cook in the Victoria Hotel and produced a card which bore the name of Leo Fator, brother and manager of. LaVerne Fator, Holly woPd, Cal. He also, gave the young woman a photograph of himself. . When the detectives arrested Beard they found a cai'd on him It was" then that Ferguson remern- bered that LaVerne Fator was searching for a. man who. claimed relationship and was mulcting his friends by obtaining small loans arid by working sour race track tips. When the Case was brought be- fore Judge McQuad.e he held. Beard in $3,000. bail until next Friday Meantiine the detectives are com- municating with Fator and expect to have him in court when the case is, called again. Beard refused, to talk about either case. With the subpoenaing o£ witness- es, iJistrict Attorney Joab IT, Bnn- ton hogan Monday the presentation to the Grand Jury of the eviilonco his ofllce and thd police have col- lected in the Arnold Rothstein case in an effort. to bring about indict- monta. The prosecutor exports' to Indict George McManuf, in wht^s'o room at the. Park. Cent.riU Hotel Arnold Rothstein is alleged to have iieon fatally shot Nov. 4,. arid at jca.st two other men. said; tP huvo boori; present at the time. The in- dictments If found, will cii.irgc first degree nriurder. Because of the number , of wit- nesses and a large batch of docu- .mentary/eviderice it Is expected tho Grand Jury will be occupied for tlu' rest o£ the terni. Many personages along Broadway have, been called to testify. "The star witness is Mrs. Ruth Keyes, the Chicago cloak model, whP has admit- ted b'jirig present iat a drinking party, . .supposedly with McManus, in the iatter's room shortly boforc the shooting; of the gariiblor.. Other gambler^ who will be asked to. toll what they know concerning the af- fair are, "Tough Willie" McCabe. "Nigger Nate" Raymond, Jimrhy Meehan, in whose home Rothstein lost $300,000 two weeks before the shooting; A. C. "Titanic" Thomp- son, Meyer and Sam Boston, Max, the Dude, Joe Bernstein and Martin "lied" Bowe, All of those named have gambled- with Rpthstein for high stakes. . ■ . At the concluslon-.of the first day's session the district attorney re-; quested Judge Mancuso of General Sessions to commit Thompson^ Sid- ney Stajer, one of Rothsteln's close pals, Mechan .and Raymond .under bail of $100,000 each, and Bowe un- der $10,000 as material witnesses. In default of the bail they were taken to the West 63rd street jail. Ban ton claimed the five had . been reluctant witnesses arid also that, they had received threa,ts that they would b6 "bumped off", if they told whnt the knew. Silinsky Fined $500 for Welching on Bout Bet Convicted of petty larceny In hav ing welched on a $500 prize fight bet, Albert Silinsky, connected With the brokerage firm of W, L. Dar nell & Co., 44 Broad street, was fined $500 and sentenced tc the Workhouse for 30 days in Special Sessions. Later the execut'ion of the prisPT^ tcrmrwas suspended. . The complainant against Silinsky was Michael Mitchell o: 519 5Cth street, Brooklyn, who charged that he placed $500 at two to one on the De'aney-Meloney bout at the. Gar- den last February. He claimed that he wpn the bet and. .that Sllin sky gave liim a check for $1,450 tho payment of which was stonped at the barik. He .said he siibsequently received his original $^500 but not the balance. Silinsky claimed Michael had withdrawn the bet before the fight. (Editoriarin 'LIB^'RTY of Dec. 1st) In those days of hurly-burly- nutonuibiivs. inovii-s, radio, and sui h-^ tho old-fasliio'iiod p;isUnie of reading rather tonds to l>o svun>i>z.'a out. Wo are. nidvod again, Us the year rolls round, to say a few words ia pniise of reading. After all. most of our -knowledge and edUoatiou depends on r.'-.vding. When we luive loft oollogo or hii;h soliool. ur whatever it, may liavo. been,, our ediioation stops if wo.doii't read. Tlve best odncatod man we know Is a man who .simply has kept .up his riMdhig. An\orig things, to read.- books should bo placed lirst,...of .course, N'on- fiction is best, and history esiiooinilly, tViou.u'h. s.im.o of tlio. ehis.^i.'s, such as Anna Kai'i-nina.and Vanity Fair, must, bo InoUidod at the tbp of tho list. And poetry should' have its place, though it doOs soem that as the average man grows older ho loses his taste for. poetry. .. \ ■ • The bettor the book, the bettor, the reading, We advi.'^e' liooks ■abovi3 magazines. .The. high-olass niiigazino.s cnnre next; (hen tli'oso. of the."; more common kind. ..Magai'.i.nos'ooino before nowspaper.s.. If our hows- paper friends'will porhiit us to say sb-^though nowspapo.rs should-be., skiniiried every day for information, : ■ ' Next to newspapers for oocupyIng the mind we. would place, radio, and then the movies. V,oth are useful. .. .A. long way after that, cards. ■ The writer oC those linos has a wife, with .all tlio triodern convenlonces, . including i'l profound conviotiori that if you are going to be anybpdy you siniiiily "must play' lifidge. ^ This eoriyi.otion .she:lm.s. YP.lced frequently^ ;\n.d at lon.cth. .We boliove she ought not to object to our- statiiig'our side of the. argument In public. • • The finest of people do play .bridge; .and pok.cr--niostly bridge.; /Be-.- tweon the two .\ve prefer poker.- It doesn't .take so much intellpot, iand' lilis the bill Uot'tor when wo. want, to be.amused. But on the whole we bolievo the -phiying of oards Is. a Ayaste' of .time and of money too, though few people jnake nuioh money at-it'... We reoall that in our youth , (and tlil.s is a true story) there was a .bi-iUiapt. lawyer in. our town, iritolligent and .capable; and -with a promising career, before him.. He was the best, wlvi.^it player ..in . the community and was known, for his skill all over the state. Now he is roniombered as^a.man who mnde .$10,00.0 to $12,000 a year at bt-idge. If. he had stuck to his profession' he. would have been probably- one of tho foremost lawyers of the country. At cards he made what; In his circumstances, was rio more than a bare living. It has been, said that "reading maketh a full man,' conference ^a ready man, and writing an exact man.'!. Cai'ds wouldn't cPme in . under any. of these things. They are not reading, talklngi or writing. " Of course they are said to be amuseinent, and people love.amusement. But we believe there, arc better ways.Pf being amused. If the weather is gobdi take some exercise—at least:a walk. Getting back to the matter of bridge, we'.suspect that dmong all card'games auction may ho thie mo.st. undosirabl'^i bjticause it is the most engrossing. It Is a sterile use of the riiind. The brain becomes better for bridge, but riot for other things. You loai-n to remember sequences and plays, but the game you played in 1925 is of ho benefit to ypu In your general living now; ., the books you read in 1925, on the other hand, are a part of ypur life. Yoii arc the hotter for having i-ead them,-in all human relations. So. we. praise rcadilng and denounce bridge. If that bo trea.spn, make, the most of It. - Theatre Jam Honkers Fined ; Jail threatened Pati'olman Elmer. Dockett of . the West .47th Street station, especially assigned by Captain Edward Len- non of the: West 47th Street station, to summon motoriflts who contin- ually blow their sirens when caught in the theatre jarii, was compli- mented by Magistrate Maurice Got- Heb. "The cpurt imposed fines of $10 on each offender. Apartment dwellers near the Zieg- feld theatre have been up In arms because of the noises fro.m autos. The magistrate stated that he was forced to leave his bed recently and directed a patrolman to serve a summons. ■ The court announced that he v/ould impose jail sentences unless the antoists ceased blowing their horns. man Vo'^B1^1^""m6^•o^lT^^Tl==t^vo---■eu^vs ^ of coffee on Sunday. Tlie mob bolter look put for that crowd. They're thp same birds that sneaked over pro- hibition and if thv groat American .Sap Ili-iids don't W'tf'li tlir^ir slops and get together no\v, Ihry'll wwko up some Stinday mornin with a copper on tho stoop ;ind won't be lot out of till- house until \\vy g';t llicir permits O. K.'d- l>y the ATitl Di!t-p Colored Girrs Hard Luck Helen Stewart, oolored show girl, was last week sentenced to an Indo- termedlate term in General Sessions on her plea of guilty to stealing SI,35-. ■ . Thlng.<j had broken badly for the =giiJ^iu=^i.-jVfl<:Ljyia.lo2irng . a lookot- book from Tl,oria""'J'llTn-7hariT""W^ she wns cnight by a cop with Ih' purso still in her prjs.'^-f^s.-^ion. Gest's Protege in Court George Buygland, 44, chauffeur, .')0 West 76th street, was fined $10 by Magistrate McQuade in. West Side Court on charge of disorderly conduct. He did not have the money. Buygland was accused of -annoying Michael Khariton, 37 West 7oih street,"KussIari cWccrt pianist^ on the street at 3 a; m. When it looked as though ho would be . assaulted, Khariton. had Polifoman George S. Wandling ar- re.~t I-iuygland., Khariton dfolinod to press a complaint and the ohauf- fi.'Ui- 'wns freed. A few minutes later Buygl.'ind ac- (iused the piarilst. of robbing him of $-10, Khariton's crlos attracted tho p.ollcomari again arid thi.s time the chauffeur was. arrested. Buy- gland admitted he had been drink- ing. Khariton-said ho cUme hf-re threi; years ago'from Paris, wh-i-o Morris Gost had hoard him ]jlay and induf'-d him to make tho trip tf) the T'niI' d States. He .said ho studied music, in. Russia and Germany un<l at one time was profc.ssor of piiino <jf ihv I'hilharmonic in Mosf-w. He has played numerous thoafri; ;il ''n- ilMP'-m'-uts and records for Thio Art. Br'-.'Lth L'-atrue or on- of tb'm s-j- olc'ies, Ijou't forgot !i>ioiii I'l 'J- and scjid iiim sr'.n.e ur ki''. Your old: p:;l, Con. Dancer's Mink Coat Lost; 2 Men Are Arrested A bond salesman and an elevator operator In the Hotel Cumberland were arraigned In West Side Court before Magistrate' Francis XV Mc- Quadc charged with suspicion of stealing a dancer's $4,000 mink coat. The coat has not been recovered. Detective Roger.(Rajah) McCnan of the West 47th slreet station told the Court. The pair .will have a hearing tills week. Bail pf .$3,000 was fixed but not furnished. ". The pair a;rrested gave their names as Roy Shocker, 34, bond salesman, of 22 West 60th slreet, and George Fi Eaton, 20, elevator operator at the Cumberland and residing at 1 West 102nd street, he said. The de- fendants pleaded not guilty. Helen llcndcr.son, dancer, accord- ing to the sleuths and living at R25. West End avenue, had lior costly mink ooat stolon while visiting a friend at the CunibcTjand. When discovering ho.r lo.ss she immediate- ly notified the gendarmes. Miss Henderson .said she left the apartment of her friend attheCum- );/'rland fo^* about five minutes. \\Mum""i^eturriiriprtltfr^oat:^ gonOr: The sleuths learned,, they said, that J'latpn h.'ul taken Schocker tb the apartment whore the coat wa.s. What imiiolled them to arrest tho jiair, the sleuths decline to tell- • .Sehooker was. ari'ostcd .Tn .1924 by the I'ijsial-'authorities. He gave, his n.'tmo; at that tjme as H;i'lph K,oott, I'jaton v.-as never arrested bc^forc. Ml.s's Heiidfi'spn refu.st d to. talk tP newspapermen. MINISTER IN COURT AFTER NITE CLUBBING Louis Foglor, 27, 1226 52d street, Brooj<lyn, said to be-part owner of the Chatham Cliib, 216 West Sftth .street, was dlRcharged befpro, Mag- istrate McQuadij in West side Goiirt on a gi-and larceny charge. .Fpgler was arrested by I'dlicemari Coleman, West 47th street station, on complaint of Rev; Vincent Zajae,. of Whltestone, L. I; It was charged by the clergyman , tiiat he was robbed of $150 and then ejected fiom the club.. According to the .story told by the; clergyman, he had been vi.Hlfing friends iri'lloboken and axTlved back In Now York about 1 a. m. Ho a.sked a ta?cl chnuffolir to direct him to a place whore he could get .something to eat. The chauffeur brought him to the Ghath.am Club and o, k.'d him to the doorman, the clergyuifin said. .\ftor ito had been there a short time two women sat at tiie fable. When the olorgyman flnl.Mlied hIg me.al. he .a.skf'd for a chook ;i nd was presented with one for.$20. When objpctlrig he snld li'' was Invited to a side room to talk It over. There, ho said, two men held ills arms while a third struck him a blow In the stomach, and then took $150 frpnv his ppCkt't. 'He was pushed into the street. The police were notified and - Fogler was ar- rested. - in .eonrt tlif! (?lorgymii,n .said he• tliought . Foglor w.-iis. 'ono .of the men who had h'-ld his arm?, but was oorta.ln he. was not the on.e who had struck hl.m and took ' hi.s mon'«y. l-'oHh-r d<">ii(.d uir.knowlr."lg.- of the affair. JJecauso of the. hiizy - identl- fic.'i tion,' the case was. dismi.-.-"'d, Duck Shooter's Gun 5 Days for $3.50 if I>:rry. 2^1, ."--inger of <:". I';'--'' j li.:;r''l -trcet, -was sentorK-od to fiv- (l;.v: ill tlir- Workho'i>-o in S;-''i'l! ' S(-.'-.-i'in.«, • ,-"!i<- J.leaded guilty t'> .'•ti'^i'iiir;^ .n - ! ii.<-! > wnrth $H.50 from ti:'- 11'.mi -••■■■v: on Xov. 19. SL(:)j)ien .McNglty, 17 West CCth street, whrj siiid'h<; played In ''Whltf T.ilacs," and is known as King I!!;jkely, was arralgru-d before:Mag- i.sLr.'Ue MoQuade in \\'<-:'t Sidfs Court on a charge of violating tiiO SuUlvari f.;iw ;irid w.'is beUl frjr ex.'imiii-''.lion i.*Ui^-_.l3Ve.df'[''''d->y)' j live,"-; :»T;i:-klell ,'i.r)d Kennedy. West I »7tli .viie-t ;<at)"n, ofi'-r t'u'y b!id | f-'.iirid a I'ev'.'lv'-?- ill hi.s ■ ■•V'Tf ' Wl.en ;isking if be b.-d a iieirnii .Ml .N'lil'y ,idrii!!t' d be ).•,(] ri'-rie ,M;d '••'.til.iir.''I tli'al li'- ;'ii',';v. in urf-] 'u'- We,ip<,n to ...iKJOt d-ier> 1,11 1.,'iri'' l.'-l.ind. I Ramon Socked Only R.t rtiiju', the .darifcr, with Kunion and Ro.'Ita at t)u> Club Lido, New Yov]:, r"p'irf.ed lis h,'.ivjti^' smoked OliJirlf s' Alilier, fiddlf.-r in the or- <:besiifi' .'it the cjab for .-nii ii;erinff '.vlille Iho .darjr-ers woi-n, dancing, MAr-; i!ie sfury ;iI.mO st;i'ed he h'ad 1 Hil.-j .d^ul^^ilillejll)^^ ed bi>.- {;'<:<.. -"^""^ 'I"),.'f'-- r.i-: sc. sl.'ife'j. IwiiiK'n, who .! he .'•u k'-d. oiny. wtih l.ls fist; !l.;it: )i( "s iio ' hair p'll!--'' •>)• face -• r it'.•hec, , • • o ■ ll.'ifM'in .ill.'-') rejM.'i; 'k.s tiiere !• iii'.iei, r-eipe (lic'())'iirii i/i '!.' iiand- !>t;ui'l nowad.i.jT.