Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-06-18
MYSTERIOUS ESCORTS.
How Trusted Employees Are Swallowed II
u Great City.

How Trusted Employees Arc Swallowed in
u Great City.
"What does that badge indicator"
said a reporter to a rather s~eedy-look-
ing Individual who sat in the reading
room of the Pacific Hotel. The badge
referred to was a square bit of silk, on
which was the representation of a
woman drawing aside a curtain which
gave q partial view of young men at a
gaming table. 1t was fastened by a
clasp to the vest of the wcarer, and
only came to view when its owner, lean
ing back in his big armchair, placed
his thumbs in the arm-holes of his vest.
up. He removed his hands, brought the
front legs of the chair down on the
marble floor, and sat straight up as he
looked at the q%uestioner.
".Beg pardon" said the inquisitive,
half-fri ghtened reporter, but | thought
you belonged to some order and might
be a visitor from ONE other city, and I
thought to make a note of it,"
'No," said the man. 81 belong to
no order, and I am no stranger in Chi
cago. 1, like you, make my living by
minding other peoples business. No
otfense intended, but new if you will
draw back from the window q little
way l will give you such facts as are
good for you and the public to know,
without injuring my business.
''You see those young fellows on the
walk just near the hotel entrancep"
he continued, nodding, but neither
looking nor pointing toward them.
The reporter took in the group, and
the stranger went on: THAT tall, slim,
sleepy-looking fellow is my meat and
drink just now. He recently came
from the East and got a responsible
place in a prominent grain and stock
cago, on the North Side, and through
him the firm of - --- agreed
to give the young man a desk at ;
good salary. Now, you see, business
men do not have time to get acquainted
with their employees. They see then
six or eight hours while they are a
work, but where they are, or wha
! they do the other sixteen or eighteee,
. hours of the twenty-four that make NJ
a Chicago day, they know not"
$50 you cultivate the young man!
acquaintance" broke in the reporter.
"Not a bit of it! Inever meet him
That young fellow is now on his way to
his employers Office. 1 shall act thu
part of satellite to him until he reaches
his desk, when 1 will go to my private
quarter and prepare a written statemen'
of his doings since he left his employer
office at 5 p. m. yesterday. l know
when he lunched at a well-known res
} taurant ON Monroe street last night
what he ate and what he drank.
know the theator he attended and thu
resorts he attended after the theater wa!
out. 1 know the street and number
where he spent the night and what hi
himself on the street this morning.
can approximate within a dollar or two
how much money he spent in the las
twcnty-four hours. You think it would
be mean of ME to tell his employers
Why, that is what l was hired for"
.Hired!" said the reporter, ''by
whom?"
"By the firm which pays that young
man his salary and whose business II
intrusted to his hands,"
s.You are a detective thenP"
"No, not exactly. Not such as tho
= public knows as members OF any agency,
A woman is the organizer and manager
, of our secret escort service. She has
many attractive ladies in her employ
1t is their business to visit public meet
ings and theaters, get up hirtations will
the man they are spotting, make APP
pointments and never keep them, bu
to know whether they are kept by thu
observed young man."
"How do these business men know
where to get such services?"
.'They are furnished with information
in q way that those in their employ
know nothing about, and that the inter
ests we serve require me to say nothing
about"
''Is this system of espionage carried
on very much?" was asked.
"Yes; many a smart young man who
imagines he is having q wild, gay time
when he is off duty without any on,
knowing it, is regularly reported to hi
employers. and if he suddenly leaves hi
place the papers will never be able to sa,
why"
ION what class of employees is this
secret watch kept mostly?"
"Well. principally on bank employee:
and trusted clerks, and in fact on any
person filling a responsible position
where the employer wants a full knowl
edge of the habits of the person en-
gagged"
While the seedy Tin .d;sguise) talke,
was telling this much the watched
Young man outside parted with his com,
panions and sought his employers otfic'
on La Sale street, and the escort" a.
he chose to call himself. parted from the
inquisitive reporter to seek a spot where
he could make up the record of wha
he had lost a nights sleep to see ane
hear Chicago Journal.
An alibi saved a negro in Soutl
Carolina ON trial for purloining chick
ems. He conciusively proved that at thu