The Case of the Missing Fan Dancer
Osric Panham of the Hearts of Oak Society
You are Osric Panham a member of the ‘The Grove’ the controlling board of the Hearts of Oak Society. The Hearts of Oak Society is an undercover organisation, which was formed a few years ago from members of the Dockers Union. It was founded by Herbert Acorn with a view to ensuring any dockers not following the Union line, were punished until they did. Herbert being something of a xenophobic their activities soon strayed into persecuting foreigners exploiting the English and taking their jobs. The name the public give to the Hearts of Oaks Society is the ‘Stiff Sleeves’ from your habit of concealing cudgels tucked up your sleeves. For a couple of years Herbert Acorn has been taking advice from ‘The Prof’. His wisdom assisted the winning of the great Dock strike and he has set the Hearts of Oak onto making a patriotic and profitable influence on organised crime. Virtually all the docklands area is under your control apart from Chinatown. The Chinks stick together solidly and have their own Tong dagger-men who are tough opponents. The Society has started to spread further afield, taking over less organised criminal operations. Now you have been put in charge of an operation to establish control of the St. Radegund’s area. On its completion you will become its ‘Boughman’ collecting the protection money from which you will take ten percent. The Prof selected St Radegund’s as a suitable area some months ago. He sent his narks to case the area, from which you have the following information:
1) The Chinese run Lily-white Laundry conceals an Opium Den in the same street as the poorly manned police station. It is only run by a woman and has perhaps two dagger-men. Being far from Chinatown it should be easy to intimidate Madam Song. She is to pay protection money for both the laundry 5% and the Opium Den 20%. Intimidation target Madam Hsing Song!
2) The Pawnshop in St. Radegund’s Road, now run by a Polish Jew Jeremiah Grolzmann, almost certainly operates as a fence for stolen goods. The present owner’s Uncle Isiah is in jail for doing so when he ran it. Protection money to be set at 20%. Intimidation target Jeremiah Grolzmann..
3) The Church Commissioner’s Agent Josiah Flint profits from forcing the tenants to pay higher rents than he sends to the Commission. His rents collectors are heavies who force out ‘bad tenants’ who are late paying the rent. Josiah lives above the Estate Agent next to the Red Rose Pub in Grim Way. He usually collects rent money from these heavies in the ‘Red Rose’ around midnight. Intimidation target Heavies and Josiah. Protection money 10% and if necessary we will take over from the heavies ourselves.
4) Prostitution ring based above Rene’s Café in Cricket Lane. Pimp ‘Jolly Jack’ John Palette, Madame his mother ‘Ginny’ (Genevieve) with around eight harlots (two to four on patrol. Intimidation target Jolly Jack and Ginny. Protection money to be 30%.
5) Collapsed prostitution ring now based at Madame Mad Maeve Fowler’s house in St. Radegund’s Road. Uses the ruined St. Radegunds Graveyard and Church crypt. Was run by the Sexton Timothy Fowler now in prison. His departure and mad Maeve’s lax control has built up the harlots strength to around fifteen. Intimidation target Mad Maeve 10% and Harlots one shilling per week each! They will work under Shirty Loam and have an acorn stamped on their wrist.
6) Several muggers and pickpockets frequent this area. If encountered they will be beaten up and relieved of any loot, to drive them away. Beggars will be robbed but offered the chance to work for ‘The Bough’. If so they will have the acorn stamped on their wrist. To establish control it is a good policy to rob anyone who is not a gentleman in search of the harlots. That could be counter-productive. No respectable women will be abroad in this area this late so assume all are either harlots, beggars or thieves.
I, …………………………. of …………………………………………
Hereby agree to pay one shilling per week for the guidance and job protection provided by The Bough Assurance Company.
Control of these will be undertaken after that of the Criminal ones has been established. They include The Queen’s Head, The Oak Beams, The Red Rose, Rene’s Café, the Estate Agents, the Clay Pits warehouses, two corners shops and half a dozen other types of shops. In time these too will be offered protection deals
Direct confrontation with the police will be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Later attempts will be made to bribe or intimidate individual police officers, so as to keep conflict to a minimum.
You will start at the south end of Flood Way around eleven o’clock. It is dark with overcast skies, sighting visibility is down to ten inches with recognition at five. This increases to sixteen and recognition at eight inches near the lit gas street lamps. You have bribed some boys to put out some of these. To conceal identities & strengths in the dark players will move flags until meeting. You will take Jack & Bert, Shirty will take Hob & Harry. Lefty & Dock will take the cart to abduct difficult persons.
Osric Panham Lea, Activist, Mo 6”, Fa 3/4/4, Ag 0, Th 0, Me +2 cudgel Bst –2
Class IV Unsavoury, Charm M -1, F +1, Coercion +1, MC 8 – 3 – 1d
bulls eye lantern, watch, matches stamp & pad.
Jack Tipp Activist, Mo 6”, Fa 3/3/3, Ag +1, Th 0, Me +1 cudgel Bst –2 Gags & Cords
Class III Unsavoury, Charm M -1, F - 1, Coercion +1, MC £ 0 – 0 – 7d
Bert Bones Activist, Mo 6”, Fa 3/3/3, Ag +1, Th 0, Me +1 cudgel Bst –2 Gags & Cords
Class III Unsavoury, Charm M -1, F - 1, Coercion +1, MC £ 0 – 1 – 2d
Shirty Loam Vle, Activist, Mo 6”, Fa 3/4/4, Ag +2, Th 0, Me +1 cudgel Bst –2
Class III Unsavoury, Charm M -1, F +2, Coercion +2, MC £ 2 – 0 – 11d Stamp & pad
Hob Cappe Activist, Mo 6”, Fa 3/3/3, Ag 0, Th 0, Me +1 cudgel Bst –2 Gags & Cords
Class III Unsavoury, Charm M -1, F - 1, Coercion +1, MC £ 0 – 0 – 7d
Harry Owen Activist, Mo 6”, Fa 3/3/3, Ag 0, Th 0, Me +1 cudgel Bst –2 Gags & Cords
Class III Unsavoury, Charm M -1, F - 1, Coercion +1, MC £ 0 – 1 – 0d
Lefty Top Activist, Mo 6”, Fa 3/3/3, Ag 0, Th 0, Me +2 cudgel Bst –2 Gags & Cords
Class III Unsavoury, Charm M -1, F - 1, Coercion +2, MC £ 0 – 1 – 5d
Dock Wynder Activist, Mo 6”, Fa 2/3/3, Ag 0, Th 0, Me 0 Bag Bst –3 Chloroform cloth
Class IV Unsavoury, Charm M 0, F +2, Coercion -1, MC £ 1 – 11 – 7d watch.
Two Horse Cart Mo 6” up to 4 moves trot 9” back can hold 8, front 2.
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