THE FOLLOWING MANUSCRIPT WAS discovered in a search of the premises of John “Duke” Anderson on 3 September, 1968. It consisted of three sheets of yellow note paper, ruled horizontally with blue lines, and vertically by a thin triple line (red-blue-red) 1¼ inches from the left-hand margin. The sheets themselves measured approximately 8 by 12 3/8 inches, with serrations along the top edge indicating they had been torn from a pad or tablet.
Analysis by experts disclosed that this type of paper is commonly sold in pads in stationery and notion stores and is known as legal notepaper. It is frequently used by students, lawyers, professional writers, etc.
The recovered sheets were apparently a part or section of a longer manuscript. The pages were not numbered. Analysts believe they were written approximately ten years before the date of discovery—that is, about 1958. The handwriting was determined to be definitely that of John Anderson. The writing implement used was a ballpoint pen with green ink.
The three sheets reproduced below were being used as shelf paper in a small closet in the premises of 314 Harrar Street, Brooklyn, New York, when they were discovered and submitted to analysis.
[First sheet]
it could be everything.
In other words, crime is not just a little thing, a small part of society, but is right in there, and it makes up most of what everyone calls normal, right and desent living. Let us list them.
When a woman will not give in to a man unless he marrys her, that could be called extortion or blackmail.
Or a woman who wants a fur coat, and if her husband wont give it to her, and she says no sex if he dont. This also is a kind of a crime, like blackmail.
Maybe a boss lies a secretery because she will loose her job otherwise. Extortion.
A guy says, I know you have been playing around. If you don’t give me some, I will tell your husband. Blackmail.
A big grosery store comes in to a neyborhood near a small grosery store. And this big chain cuts there prices and puts the small store out of business. This is mugging. Money mugging but it is mugging all the same.
War. You say to a small country you do what we want or we will blow you up. Extortion or blackmail.
Or a big country like the USA goes into a small country and buys the kind of govt we want. This is criminel bribery.
Or we say we will give you such and so if you do this, and then the country does it, and we say thanks a lot! And dont pay off. That is fraud or conspiracy to defraud.
A busness man or maybe even a professer in a collage thinks the other guy will get the job he wants. So he writes letters he dont sign and sends them to the top man. Poyson pen letters. Nothing he could get busted for but hinting.
There are many other exampels, practicaly endless that I
[Second sheet] could give here about how much of what we say is common, ordinary human behavior is really crime.
Some of these are personel, like between a man and a woman, or two men or two women, and some are in business and some are in govt.
A man wants to shiv another guy in his company and he spreds the word hes a queer. Slander.
A guy buys gifts for his wife because he knows she won’t give out if he dont. Bribery.
We teach young kids in the army what is the best way to kill people. Murder.
The local grosery store or department store jacks up the bill if they can get away with it, or maybe shortchanges. Robbery.
A guy wants to go to a cheap restaurant but his woman wants to go to a fancy joint. And she hints if they dont go where she wants, its no push-push for him that night. Extortion.
A guy gives a dame a string of beads and he says there diamonds but they are really zircons or rinestones and she puts out. Fraud.
A guy in a business is taking and another guy finds out and lets the first guy know. So the first guy gets something on the second guy. Then they grin and let live. Conspiracy.
Maybe a woman likes to get beat. So her guy slaps her around. He likes it too. But whos to know? Its still assault.
A peter keeps another peter on the string by saying he will nark on him if the first guy doesnt keep playing games. Extortion.
Similer to above, anyone who says I will kill myself if you do no do like I want, that is also extortion. Or maybe blackmail
[Third sheet] depending on how the lawyers and judges decide on it. What I am saying is this, that crime is not just breaking laws because everyone does it. I do not know if this is something new or has been going on for many years. But we are all criminels.
We are all criminels. It is just a question of degree, like first, second and third degree. But if the laws against criminel acts are right, then almost everyone should be in the poke. If these laws are right and rigid, then it shouldnt matter what degree. The married woman who won’t put out unless her husband buys her a fur coat is just as guilty as a guy whos got a million dollar extortion hustle going for him.
And the poor pop who breaks into his kids piggy bank, yes its funny, and takes out enough change to get to work, well how is he so different from a good bank man like Sonny Brooks, he died yesterday, it was in the papers. Jesus I loved that guy, he taught me all I know, he was so great. He got cut down coming out of a bank in West Va. I cant believe it he was so carefull, a real pro. Worked once a year but he planed for 6 mos. Carefull and good. Layed off for 6 mos. every year. Hit a big one once a year he said and then lay off. I worked two jobs with him and learned so much.
Oh shit, its all crime. Everything. The way we live. Everyone. We are all cons, everyone of us. So what I do is just being smart enough to make it pay.
We lie and we cheat and we steal and we kill, and if it isnt money its other people or there love or just to get some push. Whatever we get hung on. Oh Jesus its so dirty.
When I was inside I thought those inside were cleaner then those outside. At least we were open and did our crimes in the open. But the rest think they are so normal and clean and desent and they are the biggest and dirtiest criminels of them all because they [End of third sheet]