Question relating to the Clutter family murders.

[raccoon]

Floyd Wells, who had once worked for the Clutters, told Dick Hickock that in his office, Herbert Clutter had a safe full of money—about $10,000 (remember this was in 1959).

If that had been true, how would Wells know about it? Would the Clutter family members point out the safe to their hired hands? Would they open it up and dole out wages in front of the hired hands?

My guess is Hickock never thought about that very hard. He probably just figured it would be easy to pull off the job, as Capote indicates.

I had the opportunity recently to sit in on a college English class that was discussing IN COLD BLOOD, which is where this was brought up.

[hlthe2b]

1. Did the CLutters really have the money in the safe in the office?

Or was this a ruse. I don't remember the details--too long since I read it or about it.

[raccoon]

2. No, they didn't even have a safe. Herbert Clutter wrote checks for even small amounts of money.

I don't know if Floyd Wells made up the story about the safe, or perhaps heard it from another hired
hand, who heard it from someone else....and so on.

[Tom Ripley]

3. Co-conspirator Floyd Wells was a gullible cretin who believed

"well, a rich man must have lots of money in his house"
That type of simplistic wishful thinking is what sent Dick and Perry to the Clutter house.

[raccoon]

4. By George, I think you've got it. nt

[ailsagirl]

5. Good catch

I never thought about that aspect.

Still think about the Clutters-- I have ICB at home. Sometimes I like to re-read parts of it to appreciate the masterful way Capote wrote. Every sentence was a gem. Oh, to be able to write like that!

I remember seeing the film and, not having had any breakfast except orange soda (UGH-- I know), after leaving the theater, I promptly threw up. And I don't think it was because of the orange soda.

[Scairp]

6. Wells

I would like to know what became of him after this. The idea these two came up with considering Wells' 10 year old information has always mystified me. Why would they think he knew what he was talking about after so long? I never got that. And of course Mr. Clutter never would have opened a safe full of money in front of anyone, IMO. He was described as very circumspect man so the idea that he might show off a safe with money in it to a man who worked for him was just bullshit. IMO, of course.

[raccoon]

7. One source (link below) I found says Wells ended up back in prison for 30 years for armed

robbery, and was killed during a prison break in MS.

Of course, after this much time he'd more than likely be dead now even if that didn't happen.

Someone at this same link surmises that, "Willie Jay (sic) was a character invention. Nothing is known of his life before or after 1959 except what was written about him by Truman Capote in 'In cold blood.' " I've read elsewhere that others suspect the same thing about Willie-Jay. I also believe Willie-Jay was invented. It's like when Perry gets out on parole he has a choice between Good (Willie-Jay) and Evil (Dick and his plan to rob and murder the Clutters). Perry fails (by a few hours, imagine that) to hook up with Willie-Jay so he goes along with Dick.


http://www.enotes.com/cold-blood/q-and-a/does-anyone-know-what-happened-floyd-wells-willie-51393