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Interview

The Shadow p2

Frank Fahy was a shadow for 22 years…

He rode what looked like a battered motorcycle with a side car advertising lawn mower repairs. It was in fact a high speed bike used for surveillance and pursuit of cars. Other times he disguised himself as a vagrant with a bottle, or a vendor selling fruit and vegetables from a wagon. He was sometimes away from his family for days or weeks.

Frank Fahy’s cases included the young Canadian bank robber who came to Sydney with his young wife Alicia. They checked into the Hotel Grosvenor. (This was a sumptuous four story hotel in The Rocks, with views of Sydney Harbour. The hotel was demolished in 1928, cleared along with many houses to build the approach of the Sydney Harbour Bridge). Cameron Bean, the robber, checked in under an alias. He frequented the bar of the Grosvenor. He asked the girl bartender if any confidence men came to the place. She said yes but they were kicked out quickly by management. He asked to be tipped off when one arrived.

One day the bartender pointed out a con man. Bean went over to talk to him. The con man, spotting a potential mark, tried to con Bean. The bank robber said to cut it out. He said he needed some help for a bank robbery. The con artist said he’d think about it. Then he went to the police. He hoped to get a favour from the police one day, in exchange for the tipoff about the bank robber. The police put the Shadow onto the Canadian.

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