TOO SMART

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 12822, 17 August 1939, Page 3

TOO SMART

—THE EVENING STORY===

It was impossible to light a cigar but that didn’t prevent other things from going up in smoke

By G. C. Coler

“You can’t get away with it, Clarence,” Dink asserted positively. “Not any more, since the government has been so hot about us guys knocking, over so many small-town banks. I tell you that the,good old days are gone to stay!” Clarence rolled over on the knotted mattress of the hotel bed and yawned in vast sarcasm. “You’ve been reading too many newspapers and detective thrillers!” He flicked ashes from a big cigar. “Maybe so, but you can count me out on trying, to make a score in one of these little burgs, especially banks. These hick's aren’t as dumb as they

used to be years ago. And put out that rope you’re smoking. It smells.” “A smart guy from a big town is a lot wiser than a smart guy in a little town, either- way you figure. Hicks just haven’t had a chance to get the angle on things.” “Yeh, but Clarence, they all have radios and cars as good as any we could pick up,” Dink reasoned, “and the way they throw the play into the lap of the state cops or the government is something to write home about.” “You aren’t suggesting that we go back to work, are you?” Dink shook his head. “Then listen to me,” Clarence continued. “If w© follow up my plan to the letter, we can knock over this bank in Franklin and there won’t be any kickback at all. We’ve cased it plenty, and now the big, idea just came to me how we should do the job without a chance of being picked up!” . ■ \ “I’m willing to be convinced if you can do it!” Dink agreed. “All right, here it is. W© know when the bank is loaded because we’ve been there enough while doing our bona fid© stall of being seed salesmen to know which , window gets most of the company deposits on Friday afternoon. We also know that there’s only one police squad in town, and w© put in a fake call out in the country for that just before we go to work!”

“That sounds good—so far,” Dink agreed. “How about t/he chase that’s going to start just after we get away? We’ll have every cop in six counties around our ears inside half an hour!” “Leave, that to me, I’ve got, it all figured out. This particular morning we’re going over into Jameson City and pick up a nice, unflashy car for ourselves and leave our own old crate parked out north of Franklin under the willows by the river.”

*T begin to get it!” Dink warmed. * “We make the score, lam out of town and swap cars and hide the money. Then if we’re stopped by any cops, we’re just the honest seed salesmen that we’ve been for a couple of weeks while we’ve been in this town figuring a play!” Clarence smiled. “Anybody could figure that on© if they took long enough, especially these hick cops, after all the ballyhoo about scientific detection that’s been in the papers and magazines. But we’ve got an ace up our sleeve' that makes it even better because they won’t ever suspeqt us.” Dink listened, and the plan seemed perfect ... . Clarence’s careful planning bore fruit in the ease with which events moved on the Friday afternoon they chose to remove a sizable amount of cash from the Franklin Merchants and Farmers’ Bank. The ace they held was the complete outfit of women’s clothing and the wig that they purchased in Jameson City. “You look just like any. other frail,” complimented Dink after they had driven away from Jameson City with their stolen car-, stopped at a

tourist camp and given Clarence a close shave, a good, heavy make-up and outfitted him in the feminine garments.

The teller at the Franklin bank evidently thought so, too. Clarence went up to the window, produced a fountain pen and a sheet of paper from his new purse and began to write a note, which he shoved through the grill.

It was over quickly and quietly. The teller gave a startled, look at Clarence’s remodelled face, glanced at the automatic staring at him and started putting bundles of deposit cash into a canvas sack. At doorway, Dink put on a half m/Isk and guarded the entrance from un-. welcome customers who might have

“Clarence went up to the window.” business in the empty bank. In no time at all, they were in their purloined car and roaring away oyer a circuitous route to the old car which they had previously hidden by the river. Clarence removed the makSup. The whine of speeding tyres on the cement, came to their ears and Dink spotted a state patrol squad rapidly overhauling them. “Take it easy . . . we’re clear!” warned Clarence. Cutting across their front, the troopers halted their car, obstructing progress. In the trooper’s car was the teller from the bank, “That’s the one, that tallest one!” he chattered excitedly. “He came in all dressed up in women’s clothes, but I recognized him all right!” Clarence smiled innocently. It was plain that the teller was taking a long chance, because the disguise had been faultless! “How can you be sure?” questioned the trooper. “Look at that cigar sticking in the corner of his mouth!” the clerk ordered. “For about two weeks he’s been in every day, and he’s always got a cigar just like that. When he robbed me, I thought the face was familiar, but I couldn’t place it.” “Then how did you think it was these two?” The teller drew himself up proudly. “Just a little trick of mine, association of ideas like I learned from a detective course,” he said positively. “When this guy pulled his gun from the purse he didn’t lay the fountain pen down he had in his hand. He put it in his mouth like a cigar, and then I got the connection!” /