Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-07-27
BOOB AGENTS IN raE BAs1ILE.
Two Men who Apparently Travel win the
ides Of Finding How Many Hotel
kes psrs rhey Can gwindie,

ldea OF FINDING HOW MANY Hotel
Keepers They Gan swindie.
Two mon who are supposed TO be profes.
siopAl hotel boats, were arrested on Thurs
day by Constables Barnhold and wiitick
and are now In prison here. ON Mon
day OF last week these two individ usls, who
we're rather well dressed, came 10 Lancas.
ter and registered at the Grape hotel. They
rave their names "a John J. Benchoff and
4. A. Moore, and claimed to be selling
Chambers' Encyclopedia, history OF the
world, and works OF Dickens and Bulwer.
They spent the whole OF last week here and
pretended to the Rishell Brothers, the new
proprietors OF the Grape, TO DO doing con.
siderable business. They had . estchei
between them and some hooks. Saturday
morning both left the hotel taking
their books with them and saying
that they were going ont 10 can
vass. Before noon Benchoff came back
to the hotel, and at the office triod 70 sell
one OF the proprietors Dickens works.
While Rishell stepped out OF the Office for
o short time, Benchon managed 10 get bis
valise ont OF the Off ice and disappeared.
II IL believed that the pair left Lancaster
on Atlantic Express ct Ii:3O, and went TO
Philadelphia. The next heard Of
them was when they turned up In
Columbia, on Monday afternoon. They
then had with them . rather attractive
looking women who claimed 10 bo Ben
chofI's wife. So suspiciously did they act
when they first struck that town they were
taken for bunco men, and were 30 written
up by the Columbia reporters OF the Ian.
caster daily papers. They finally went to
the franklin house where they stopped up
tn Thursday, Barnhold and Wittick were
given the matter In charge by MIR. Rshell,
and on Thursday afternoon they found
that Moore was In this city. They
kent track Of him for time,
and finally went TO Columbia to
look for Bsnchoff. At the franklin
house they found that Moore had disap-
pearod, leaving behind In his room va
llse In which there WAS q dirty celluloid
collar. Daring the afternoon Benchotf left
the hotel, saying that he Intended going to
Marietta ana WriRhtsville. Instead OF ask.
Ing the porter of the hotel he secured
another attache Of the house - take his va.
llse to the depot. When Mr.. Slade, the
proprietor Of the hotel, learned this he had
the valise brought back to the hotel. The
officers kept their eyes on the woman who
pretended to be the wife of Bencholi, and
when she left the hotel for the railroad sta
ton they followed her. At Brubaker's
hotel they found their man, who was hid.
Ing behi i door. They took him into
custody and brought him and the woman
to this city. The latter was inclined
10 be very saucy and spoke her mind to the
officers. When Benohon was ssked where
Moore was, he said that he WAS working In
Marietta or Wrightsville where he had in
tended going. The officers arrived In this
city with the man and woman about half
past four o'clock on the train which comes
here Just before Day Express Upon ar
rivlng here the Off GERS found Moore stand.
ing bshind the door In Iortman's restau. Z.
rant In the station. He seemed to be await
ing the arrival OF the train. Upon In
quiry the officers learned that he had been
in the restaurant all afternoon. He told
the bartender that no had but five cents
and with that he tried 10 "work" nu-
m srous drinks Moore was also taken into
custody and his two friends seemed some -
what surprised at his capture. The two
prisoners went to telegraph Office and
sent message to Philadelphia for money
to square themselves They also visited
the Grape hotel and made bluff at John
ID. Risheli, one OF the proprietors, by tell
| Ing him that he might have known better
than to think that they would not pay
their bill at his house The men were II
n ally placed In Jail and the woman WAS loi
al the Grape.
Tho Impression Is ina. the Rccu sod had
made all arrangements to beat Mr.. Slade
as they had tho Grape, out OF his bill, and
to avoid suspicion Moore Il rat came to Ian
caster to await the arrival Of his com
panions aud tnon take tho train for Phila
de,phia.
TIE charge against the accused Is that q
deiIauding Il landlord, and 1t was brough
by the Messrs. Rishell before Alderma
| Spurrier, who committed them to priso
last evening for u hearing on Monday
When the men reached the prison NJ
. cent OF money WAS found upon then
Oae had bottle OF rank whisky.
When the men were In Columbia M oor
registered ss Maurice De Bracy. AH III
men did not pay MIR. Slade, they will t
compelled t. answer q charge preierrt
against tho IN in that town.