Sluggo has responded to my 2-3 emails over the past few years, but it takes a while. I'll email you what I have.

Bruce wrote" This was before fax machines and the such, so the FBI had to photograph the letter and then courier it by plane down to Billings. All in less than 24-hours, too, so the FBI clearly took this letter seriously, at least as a ruse for any Cini compatriots."

Not so Bruce. Fax machines have been around a LONG time. From Wikipedia "Scottish inventor Alexander Bain worked on chemical mechanical fax type devices and in 1846 was able to reproduce graphic signs in laboratory experiments. He received the first fax patent in 1843. Frederick Bakewell made several improvements on Bain's design and demonstrated a telefax machine."

Law enforcement agencies used vacuum tube fax machines to send images over phone lines routinely in the 1950s and early 60s.

From
comp.dcom.telecom:

"Western Union public fax services,Western Union ran several advertisments in the New York Times for its
public "wirefax"/"telefax" service.  I found ads for 1959-1962.

The maximum size of a document was 8.5" x 11", and the transmitted
portion was roughly 1" shorter on all sides (7.5" x 10").
Transmission took five minutes.

The service was offered in New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Los
Angeles, and San Francisco.  In the time span I checked no additional
cities were added.

The material had to be taken to a Western Union office.  WU would pick
it up at an additional charge for their messenger.  It would be
delivered by Western Union messenger without charge to any place
within the city limits of the destination city.

The first 4" vertically between NYC and Chicago cost $2.40 and 40
cents for each additional inch.  plus Federal tax.  The first 4"
between NYC and San Francisco cost $4.00 and 65 cents for each
additional inch plus Federal Tax.

So, a full page letter (with margins) to Chicago would cost about
$3.60 per page, to San Francisco would cost about $5.95 per page, both
plus Federal Tax (10%?), in 1960 dollars, plus the expense of delivery
to the central WU office.  By today's dollars that seems quite
pricey."

377

I wish there was a way to confirm or debunk the claims that other kids found bills nearby while fishing.

I am not convinced there was a debris field of shredded currency. Has anyone found proof that there was?

377

Let's say that Brian's parents found Coopers body and loot. Both seriously degraded. They conceal the body and take the money. They wonder, can we spend it? Will someone else claim it? If we come forward they will ask where we found it and whether there was a body. Messy indeed.

They decide on a test. Young Brian will innocently "find" a portion of the loot far from the actual location where they found it. They will then see whether they can keep it and whether it's negotiable or otherwise valuable.

377