West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-02-19
USELESS LOCKS.
How the Hotel Thief Enters the
Room OF His Patient"

ANCoiA u l1lS patient.
a friend Of the writer retired TO bis
room i'm the best hotel i'm one of the
large Western cities in faucicd security
| few night, ago, and awokc in the
morning To- find himself bercit of his
money and every article of value he had
possessed The reporter went with the
facts OF the occurrence to a Pnkertou
detective of his acquaintance and asked
hm how general hotel robberiey were.
'tos .NorN years past" said the
Viiocl. "tuc hCtcl proprictors all over
tAe country have been made TO suffer
for thc appalling number of robberies
which have taken place i'm their re-
Spcctivc establishments Hundreds of
these cases occur which nevcrmode
public, or which are never placed i'm
the hands of the police or detectives for
investigation, for the proprictors in
varloblN prefer To- arrange matters with
their guests and reimburse them for
their losses rather than give publicity
To robbery, which would have the ef-
1ect OF miuring their reputation and
frightening away their customers.
Every possible precaulion has been
taken by these landlords to prevent
the deprcdations OF these midnight
maiauicr-. but the evil has simply been
apatrd, not abolished. Private watch
man and detectives have been placed
ON every floor assigned for sleeping
rooms and still thieves continue to
gain access TO chambers, and unconscl-
ou~ guest, are dcspoilcd. almost under
the eyes of those who have been ap-
pointed guardians Of their safety.
"All iir-t-clas, hotels. ian addition 10
the maintenance OF corps OF wakcful
and alert watchmeu ON the outside of
th' chambers. have also placed safe
guards within the rooms Every door
l. provided with a double lock that is.
lock which can only be locked from
the inside OF the room, and can not be
reached from the outside. as the key
hole does not extend through the door
The ordinary lock ON the outside serves
to admit the guest TO the apartment
assigned 20 him. and once in. he Sc
cures himself with the outer lock.
Cham bolts, another ingenious contriv-
ancc, have also been put on many OF
the doors, and yet with all these pro-
visions against the entrance of the
thlci, the occupants OF these rooms
awake i'm thc morning 10 find thcy have
been robbed, and their doors show no
evidence TO the mcXpert observer of
having been tampcred with i'm any way.
10 those unacquaintcd with the inoeni-
ou- workings of the professional hotel
thief this is incXplcable. but to those
who have studied the work OF this
class OF criminals the solution is as
plain as the sun at noonday.
81 .pt MS first con lidpr tb. fool. ,t-,.,I
by an expert hotel thief I'm the first
place, / must tell you that this class Of
thieves Is composed Of exceedingly
sharp and intelligent men. who arc
thoroughly alive 20 every circumstance.
whcthcrof favorable nature or other
wise. They are experienced i'm the use
Ol tools. and viii handle q brace and
bit with all the skill of an educated arti-
san. They are seldom caught Mapping.
and arc better posted as TO the where
abOuts Of the watchman than that
worthy is OF their proximity. From
external appearances no one would
think of suspecting the well-drcssed.
gcntiemanly- y-lOoking individual who
registers himself with a quiet and un-
assuming air, and whose tone and con-
versation bespeak education and
travel In the reading-room and at the
dining-table he is digniicd, yet anable.
and bis department is at ali times un-
Obuu-ive and polite. He never dresses
nm gaudy COlOrs or in the height of
fashion. but his apparel Is usually
chosen with the besttaste
His tools, which are peneralIvo OF the
finest quality Of tempered steel. consist
OF 'barkcy q set Of six bits of various
sizes, and arranged for either stem or
iumbler locks, small drill % file.
sectional stem or what is called the
wildly. several pieces Of wire and
pair OF lippers. These are an the
articles lo needs except one. and fre-
GucniiN but "a few Of these are required
These Implements do not occupy much
room in tbe travelling satchcl Of the
uumadlc thlet. and are frequently car
ried iu his pockets The article which
} have still TO name is very important.
81 is piece of white putty on pigment
Armed with these matters. and quali-
ird bN long training tho hotel thief is
prepared for work
"IIDta ilieyc. almost invariably
travel % pairs. though their compan-
i0u-nn never manifested iu public.
ano .' .ll Observers thcy are as distant
Wn uuspmmunicative as thc utmost
-THngw They generally manage.
however to secure their rooms upon
jn" 1ue floor and If possible. with
out citing undue attention in close
proximity to- each other Once cstah-
i-hcd In their apartments. the habits
0f tno guests ON Che floor are carefully
iudled. and they soon asccr-
iaiu which oi The rooms arc unoc-
cupiod These preparatory steps are
token during the day Having dis
covered .he numbers of the vacant
room. loy make "a thorough examine
Iou oi Hc locks on their own doors. AZ
% ls reasonably cori1ln that every other
dg0r UA sbp sAma Hoop wlll be flfuilarlv