StarTribune.com

Monday, May 1, 1933: Short-change artist

Posted on May 24th, 2007 – 10:59 PM
By Ben Welter

You don’t see descriptions of suspects like this any more. Height? Weight? Build? Complexion? Who knows? All I remember is that protruding upper lip and drooping eyelid!

SHORT CHANGE
ARTIST HUNTED

Works Trick at One Grocery,
Fails at Another – Rob-
Bers Active

A man with a protruding upper lip and a decided droop to his left eyelid was being sought by police as a short-changer Sunday. The man rides in a large sedan with a California license, which is driven by a woman.

Through deft and rapid handling of money, the man short-changed Samuel I. Braman, proprietor a grocery at 1611 East Lake street, of $5, and got away before Mr. Braman figured out just what had happened. When the stunt failed to work at Warren’s grocery, Twenty-eighth avenue south and East Lake street, the man excused himself, saying he had made a mistake, and left.

Drops Boat Motor

Police also were seeking the owner of a two-cylinder outboard motor left behind by a prowler who just missed capture by police in the rear of 1440 Sheridan avenue north. A neighbor reported that a youth about 17 was prowling around the place. The prowler fled as police drove up.

A bandit with a scar on the left side of his face robbed M. H. Mentzel, grocer at 1810 Third avenue south of $25.

Unable to open a safe after knocking off the knob, prowlers stole a half-dozen fountain pens from the A. H. Fjelstad drug store, 3451 Cedar avenue. Five rings valued at $11 and a tin box containing 500 Indian pennies were stolen from the home of Samuel Brown, 1313 Queen avenue north.

Minneapolis grocery, 1932
This profitable-looking Minneapolis grocery, photographed in October 1932, must surely have been the target of an occasional cheat or thief. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

One response to "Monday, May 1, 1933: Short-change artist"

Ginger says:

May 25th, 2007 at 1:30 pm

If you want to see this “short change” sceme in action rent a copy of “Paper Moon”…it is an art to do though. There was also an episode of “The Waltons” that featured a character who pulls it on the Godsey’s.

Please leave a comment