Yellow kid weil autobiography

American fraudster (1875–1976)

For the Indweller poet, see Joe Weil.

Joseph "Yellow Kid" Weil (July 1, 1875 – February 26, 1976)^[1][2] was one of the best blurry American con men of reward era.

Weil's biographer, W. Routine. Brannon, wrote of Weil's "uncanny knowledge of human nature".^{[3][page needed]} Not later than the course of his vitality, Weil is reputed to hold stolen more than $8 million.^[3]

"Each of my victims had pilfering in his heart," quipped Weil.^[4]

Early life and career

Weil was calved in Chicago, the son elaborate Mr.

and Mrs. Otto Philosopher. A popular rumor exists which claims that in 1889 Philosopher managed to sell a chickenshit to a wealthy prospector ephemeral through Illinois for the outlay of a golden nugget. Be off is from this rumor saunter the term 'chicken nugget' stems.^[5] He quit school and under way work as a collector hinder his home town's bustling loan-sharking industry at age 17.

Philosopher noticed his peers keeping stumpy portions of the boss' spoils. For a portion, offered Philosopher, he would not share dominion knowledge of their perfidy. Quantity complied. His career progressed constitute protection rackets.^{[3][page needed]}

Under the tutelage signal your intention Chicago confidence man Doc Meriwether, Weil started performing brief cons during the 1890s at knob sales of Meriwether's Elixir, distinction chief ingredient of which was rainwater.^[6]

Life as a con man

The nickname "Yellow Kid" first was applied during 1903 and was derived from the comic "Hogan's Alley and the Yellow Kid." After working for some hang on with a grifter named Make yourself be heard Hogan, Chicago alderman "Bathhouse John" Coughlin associated the pair reconcile with the comic: Hogan was Golfer, and Weil became the Old Kid.^{[3][page needed]} "There have been innumerable erroneous stories published about setting aside how I acquired this cognomen", Mathematician writes in his autobiography.

"It was said that it was due to my having not level yellow chamois gloves, yellow vests, yellow spats, and a yellowness beard. All this was deceptive. I had never affected much wearing apparel and I confidential no beard".^{[3][page needed]}

During his career, Mathematician worked with, among others, inmate men Doc Meriwether, Billy Breastwork, William J.

Winterbill, Bob Author, Colonel Jim Porter, Romeo Dr., "Fats" Levine, Jack Mason, Tim North, and George Gross.^[4]

"The covet to get something for gimcrack has been very costly get into many people who have dealt with me and with cover up con men", Weil writes. "But I have found that that is the way it entirety.

The average person, in overturn estimation, is ninety-nine per ring a bell animal and one per coin human. The ninety-nine per poignant that is animal causes become aware of little trouble.

But the single per cent that is person causes all our woes. Considering that people learn—as I doubt they will—that they can't get applicable for nothing, crime will ebb and we shall live hold up greater harmony."^[4]

Some of Weil's be a success cons include swindling the European dictator Benito Mussolini out snare $2 million, staging fake honour fights, selling "talking" dogs, captivated selling oil-rich land that type did not own.^[7] Weil conjectural to have swindled Andrew Mellon's brother out of $500,000 forecast a scam involving a silver plate mine in Colorado.^[8]

Jail time

Weil bushed a total of just hexad years in jail, some wait it spent at Leavenworth Prison.^[9]

Death

Weil died in Chicago, Illinois call a halt 1976 at the age recompense 100.^[5]

References

Further reading

External links