Norfleet: the actual experiences of a Texas rancher's 30,000-mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men. Page: 69 of 369
4 p. l., 344 p. front., plates, ports. 22 cm.View a full description of this book.
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NORFLEET
51
"Now listen, Norfleet," he began and raised a restraining
hand, "I hear that you are thinking of going
out to get these other three birds-all by yourself. I
admire your pluck, but man you have had no experience!
Now my advice to you is to lay off! Don't go
throwing your good money after bad. Keep it."
I nodded to indicate that I was keeping even with
his rapid advance. He talked as fast as a race horse.
"Now!" he exclaimed in that getting-down-to-business
tone. "Now we, that is my department, has just
as grave a charge against some of your men as you
have. We have fifteen hundred trained men-get that,
trained!"-I nodded again to let him know I "got it""in
the United States alone, and these crooks couldn't
work in the lead of our operatives for six weeks!"
I explained to him that I knew I probably would
have to spend a lot of good money.
"But there are other things in this world besides
money." I realized nothing I could say would make
any difference to him, so I let the subject drop after
merely citing that while it might cost me something to
get the men, still, balanced against what they probably
would steal from others if left at liberty, it would not
amount to very much except to me as an individual.
"Perhaps this will be my contribution to the good
people of this state to rid them of these vultures. Anyway,"
I finished, "it's my business and I'm satisfied."
Following the trial I asked Ward and Gerber why
it was after they "did" me that Furey was registered by
himself at the St. Anthony Hotel in San Antonio.
Gerber was quite astonished that I knew this. He
told me that all of them had gone there, but Furey was
the only one who had registered. He said it was the
usual practice of their "profession" after finishing with
a victim to meet in an allotted place, divide the spoils,
then separate, all going in different directions for a time;
later to congregate and perform the ceremony, "Lifting
the wad," from another prospect. He said this ritual
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Norfleet, J. Frank, 1864-. Norfleet: the actual experiences of a Texas rancher's 30,000-mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men., book, 1924; Ft. Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5864/m1/69/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .