Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-07-08
Men Who Swindle Hotels.

| The hotel men of America, saws the Phila-
delphia Inquirer, who are yearly growing
stronger in organization, are at present Civ
ing more than usual attention to the wrongs
which the business has been made to suffer
through the alleged inadequacy of the laws
in nearly all the states for the protection of
the business against the nefrious schemes
of swindling travellers. 4 movements now
on foot, in which the Hotel Mems Associa-
tion is interested looking to the appoint
ment of committee, whose duty it shall be
to examine the laws applicableto the differ
cnt states, and revise them for amendment
by the several state legislatures. The fol-
lowing trick which was recently played on
most of the prominent hostelries throughout
the country by Il trio of professional Skins,
was exposed by the detective alluded to.
One Travelled with q goodly-sized trunk of
the finest and most fashionable character,
and the other two had valises of different
styles and evidently well filled. All of
these rogues wore good clothes, but neither
their dress nor manners corresponded suf-
ficiently to afford the ''cutest" clerk a clue
to the fact that they were in any way con-
nected one with another. One with valise
and, slamming his baggage down, register,
be assigned room, and order his baggage
up stairs. 1t may be here necessary to
state, eXplanatorily, that ''solid" looking
'front.'" or, in more refined language, gen
tlemanly or business-like appearance. is all
that Is requisite to secure u person with 4
valisc weeks accommodation at tirst-class
hotel, those in charge, under such circum-
stances, seldom requiring the, at COM
moner places, customary ''pay in advance"
The man with trunk would next put in an
appearance and 90 through about the same
formalities, and lastly would come the other
man witha valise The order of going. how
ever, would be somewhat changed. The
traveller with Il trunk would promptly make
his appearance ut the end of the week and
settle for his accommodation, state his in
tcntion of leaving, express entire satisfac-
ton with the entertainment he had re-
ceived, and his determination to patronize
the place again when next he came to town,
say ''good-bye' to the clerk, shake hands
pleasantly, and order the porters to bring
his trunk down stairs in readiness to 60 to
the depot, where he intended or not, rs the
case might be, to take the train for some
other city, the hotel men of which it had
been decided to 'play." The other two
the desk ut i'll, for their luggage went out
safely and snugly packed within the safe
receptacle of their companion TO the
clerk it is Il puzzle how the pair of rascals
got Off with their valses, as they were
probably seen to go out empty-handed.
The old dodge of pretending to have been
robbed is fast becoming obsolete.
An original genius, who eked out preca-
rious eXiste ice by his wits, while stopping at
a well-known hotel in Philadelphia, went to
Il good deal of trouble to get good pair of
boots for nothing, besides beating his stop
ping place out of its just dues. He went to
4 tirst-class shoe shop and ordered pair of
the very finest articles that could be made,
being very exact in his stipulations as to
the material and style, and ordered them to
he sent to his room at certain time Then
| he gave the same order in another store, ex-
cept that the delivery was to be made half
an hour later. The boy who brought the
| first pair was sent back to have the left boot
stretched, and the boy who carried the Sec
ond pair was sent back with the right one
The swindler then put on the remnants for
which he had not paid, and caught the next
outbound train.
Hotel keepers have lost considerable by
cashing checks, and it is pretty hard mat
ter for anyone who has draft for which he
wants the money value to get accommodated
at Il hotel now.
The "bogus advance agent" dodge was q
favorite one with beats who possessed the
qualifications to represent themselves as
showmen. This game was generally played
in small towns, and was worked in this way:
The agent" after deceiving the country
newspaper into making an announcement of
his presence in the village, would call on
the hotel keeper, get his best terms, make a
contract for twenty five people himself in
cludedl for two days board, probably three.
This he would hand to the clerk, to be pre-
sented at the box office promptly at spe-
cial hour on the evening the show was to
open. Should it appear practicable, the
agent requested the landlord, in al oti-hand
way for so, as he was IL "triie short" and
he would make the order call for $40 more
Of course the show never came along. us
promised. Most companies are now so well
known that the "bogus advance agent
racket is of little avail.