Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-15
HOTEL SWINDLERS.
How New York Establishments Are Vic
timized by Sharpers-Well-Dressed
Frauds, Who,
Though They Toll Not, Live on the Best
the Country AHords-Women as
Hotel Beats.
New York Star.


"Strive as hotel proprietors and clerks
may, they find it impossible to detect hotel
! fraud until he has added another victim tc
| his long list and gone on his WAY rejoicing
self-satisied, and seeking new fields wherein
| deception may be introduced. Guiteau i.
| constantly referred 10 as the prince OF beats
| but there are men in New York every day in
the year who can give him valuable lesson;
| IN the art of getting something for nothing
| The speaker was a hotel clerk, behind the
counter OF prominent Broadway house, and
as the hour was past midnight, he found
| time TO converse with the Star reporter al
! length on the subject of hotel beats and frauds
"If artist" the clerk continued, "were
! to paint a picture of a hotel swindler, he
would take for his model a shabby looking
middle-aged man, possessed of glib tongue
In his hand would be valise about large
enough TO contain the wardrobe of a tramp,
and there would be a hangdog expression
about his face. That would be the imagin-
airy picture, and it would be false. The man
who beats hotels may be young or old; it
makes no difference whether he has seen
threescOre hard winters or only single
score of easy summers. He il, as a rule,
neatly dressed, and has an air of respecta-
bllity, culture and frankness that impresses
one favorably whether he possesses extraor-
binary conversational powers or not. Some
times he has trunk or valise, but oftener
he has nothing but 4 parcel and his face.
He will take your best room, drink the
finest liquors, eat the richest food that the
house can afford, and has it all put down
in his bill. Al the end of the week it is
presented. Then he will either pay an in
stallment on it and speak in a vexed manner
about some debtor failing to keep his prom
Use, or else walk away with the bill in his
pocket as a sourenir of the week Within
the past few years a number of men have
entered the lists against hotels, who set
up pretensions to being physicians, attorneys
brokers, or are in pursuit OF wealth in some
recognized profession. They carry cards, and
are seldom in their rooms. They often re-
main at house until the porters are in
structed to show them the door when they
enter. Some have small Office in some
quarter of the city, and exhibit mail adj
dressed to that number. Their unfailing ex-
cuse for not meeting their bills is that they
have just accommodated some friend or GUS
toner. Young men who look like students
call and engage rooms. They play billiards,
have some money and obtain an extension of
their bills on the score that they dislike to
write home for money. Such young fellows
are exceeding bold, and have no hesitancy in
forming the acquaintance of legitimate
guests and borrowing right and left where
ever they can secure victim.
"But of all the BEATS" the clerk resumed,
women are the most unreasonable. A woman
will come to hotel and ask to see some
rooms. After being shown through a score
or more and inquIring carefully to
prices, she will Immediately attempt to Jew
you down in rates. Failing in that she will
take room and pay for it for single night.
This paying night IN advance may be con-
tinued for two or three days, and then she
has b> come well enough acquainted to not
only get her meals and have them charged
to the room, hire carriages and send the
drivers to the cashier with request to honor
them, but to quarrel with few of the serv-
ants and ask for their discharge. After she
has remained fortnight and her husband or
relative has not RENTED, she walks away,
and nothing can be found in her room ex-
cept few paper collars and cuffs. Why,
some OF the women go so far to contract
oils with dressmakers and stores by having
the articles sent TO their rooms by clerks or
messengers, unto whom they present a tangi-
BILE story. When a hotel clerk is fortunate
enough to detect a male fraud he can kick
him out, but a woman-well, he is too chiv-
alrous, and then again, he thinks that she
may be honest and intend to pay"
''Do many hotel frauds have money in their
possession?"
"To be sure. The majority of them are
always pretty well supplied. 1t would not
do TO attempt to beat hotels and be entirely
q
swindler would not succeed, and then, if he
had no money, he would speedily become a
vagrant, or at least one until he could find
too susceptible clerk or proprietor. But the
worst instance that | now recall, wherein
swindler succeeded in drawing the wool over
my eyes, was about three years ago. l was
on evenings standing watch, from 6 to 10
o'clock, and one night registered a respect
able-looking old man from New Hampshire.
Before going to his room he produced
heavy pocketbook, and proceeded to count
roll of bills, all bank notes. When the
operation was completed, he did the book up
carefully, and handed il to me for safe keep
ing. put it away in the safe, and he and
his valise went up stairs. Every evening
during the three weeks he remained with us
he would call for his book and inspect its
Upon one occasion l remarked
that his money was perfectly safe,
and would be as long as it remained
in the hotel safe. His reply was that
he did not think me dishonest, but
that the atmosphere was streaked with
knavery, and he always rested better
of a night after having counted his money.
One day he said something concerning his
bill. He said that he did not wish to pay it
then, but just wished to know the amount,
adding. by way of explanation, that he only
paid monthly, and presented, by way OF sub
Der of receipted hotel bills, all purporting to
have been paid at the end of the month |
One night, however, the old gentleman failed |
to put in an appearance, and my suspicious
we're aroused. l concluded that | would |
count his greenbacks that evening. Upon
opening the pocketbook l found nothing but
4 few business cards OF some Chicago business
mouse and a circular setting forth the splen- |
Tor of a Sixth avenue drive"
care actresses and actors, as rule, prompt |
n paying their bills?"
"Prompt Go to the Morton House and |
,sk that question; go TO the fremont House |
md ask why = certain managers trunks are |
the stack of trunks in the bag /
Also, ask them if his bill is a |
nickel less than $1,000. Not long ago an |
actor died in Bellevue Hospital who had re-
,ently been prominently connected with the
Fifth Avenue theater-connected with its |
If he were alive would give
lis name in a second. Well, he left dozen
runks and a heavy dressing-case at the Nor
on House. When the trunks were opened |
heir contents were found to be worthless,
md in the fine case there was nothing except
n old musket and three printed copies of
The Iiro Orphans. His bill amounted to
bout $1,000. If an actor is making plenty
+ money he is prompt pay. If he is doing
poor business he becomes sponge. The
My difference between an actor and actress
n this respect is, that the latter becomes the
reater sponge of the two"
How about distinguished guests, So
alled?"
Equally as bad. Ii a man comes in and
an affix honorable or general to his name,
e awes the average hotel clerk into submits
ion. The sequel is that he goes away for
citing to pay in case the opportunity pre-
ents itself. One distinguished speculator,
tho committed suicide here some two or
hree years ago, owed bill of $3.50 at the
fifth Avenue Hotel. He was a colonel, and
liz brother was one of the most prominent
in the State of Ohio. That bill
emained unliquidated for many months.
Iotei beats? Why, to give anything like
etailed statement OF their devices would fill
volume. They, like poor persons, are
ound on every hand. There is not hotel
n any city IN the United States that is not
eatly swindled every week in the year, and,
-uthfully speaking, believe that all first
lass New York hotels are beaten daily by
MS class of keen-witted drones."
The Jumping Freuchman-
"A correspondent Of the Cincinnati CONNER.
al, writing from the lumber region of north
m Maine, says: The jumping Frenchman ia