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This legendary conman's dog trick exposed human nature's dark side [1]
['Ellsworth Toohey']
Date: 2025-07-24
Joseph "Yellow Kid" Weil (1875-1976) was a notorious conman with an "uncanny knowledge of human nature." One of his classic cons was tricking greedy Chicago barkeeps into buying worthless dogs.
He'd waltz into the bar, dressed in finery, and hand the barkeep ten dollars and a leash attached to a dog, spinning a tale about a priceless hunting hound and an urgent bank appointment. Minutes later, an accomplice strolled in, raved over the "champion," and scribbled a phone number on a napkin, promising the bartender $300 if he could pry the dog loose.
Weil returned minutes later, shoulders slumped, announcing that his deal had collapsed. The barkeep, already tasting easy profit, pressed him to sell. After theatrical reluctance, Weil pocketed $250 and vanished. The number, of course, led nowhere; the "champion" was a mongrel and a new problem for the barkeep to solve.
Weil later boasted of raking in eight million dollars from swindles aimed at financiers and high-rolling gamblers. "Each of my victims had larceny in his heart," he shrugged.
Previously:
• Yellow Kid Weil: Autobiography of the greatest con man in American history
[END]
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