:14:02
...from a Mr. Clarence Pruitt
of Big Falls, Rhode Island.
:14:06
So large an order, it required
an immediate confirmation.
:14:10
It turned out there was no
Mr. Clarence Pruitt of Rhode Island.
:14:13
It even turned out there was no such town
as Big Falls in Rhode Island.
:14:18
You mean he made them both up?
:14:21
He created everything but Rhode Island.
:14:25
Naturally, we started to investigate
other orders that hadn't been confirmed.
:14:30
We found he'd sold $50,000
worth of railroad bonds...
:14:32
...to a man whose address placed him
squarely in the middle of the Hudson River.
:14:37
Another block was sold to a man who
could have had only the mildest interest...
:14:41
...in stocks and bonds,
having been dead for 23 years.
:14:45
Good heavens.
How long was he doing this?
:14:47
For about three weeks.
:14:49
Weren't you suspicious at all?
:14:51
He threw in enough cancellations
to make the thing seem authentic.
:14:54
And here and there,
there was a legitimate sale.
:14:57
But you had to look for them.
:14:59
It wasn't very clever of him, was it?
:15:02
Well, he showed a certain flare
for picking odd names and places...
:15:06
...but it was hardly worth the $24,000
we paid him in commissions.
:15:10
You mean he stole $24,000 from you?
:15:13
Yes. I'm afraid that's it.
:15:16
Does Trippy know you know?
:15:18
Oh, yes. We called him in
and told him we'd give him...
:15:21
...every opportunity to return the money.
Then we sent him to a smaller office...
:15:25
...and took his name off the door.
That was two weeks ago.
:15:28
- Has he made any effort to make good?
- Not only hasn't he returned a penny...
:15:32
...but three days ago he forgot himself
and handed in another order...
:15:35
...from Mr. Clarence Pruitt.
:15:37
When a man becomes repetitious,
it's time to go to the DA.
:15:41
You should have gone long ago.
:15:43
Well, I was quite touched
when I discovered...
:15:45
...that he'd lost most of the money
at the racetrack.
:15:49
- That touched you?
- Yes.
:15:51
They were my horses he bet on,
and I gave him the tips.
:15:54
How was I to know
it was my own money?
:15:58
Poor Trippy.