The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-11
New Workers Guarded by Detectives


NEW YORK. March 11.-''Ah, glad to see
you, Pryor! Hope you're we'll"
Yes, thanks; and yous Going abroad,
ehg"
The first speaker was Phil Armour, the
ten times millionaire pork packer of the
| bounding West. He had just scrawled his
name on the register of the Fifth Avenue
| Hotel, and the man he greeted SO warmly
was Detective Pryor, who has nothing to
do but dress well and see that crooks of
all kinds keep away from the hotel and its
guests. Pryor is foot 2, land in some
respects his physique suggests John l.. Sui
| livan. He dresses in the latest fashion, and
| is fond of a sweet smelling rose for the but
ton hole of his coat. Everybody knows
him, and he has a pleasant word for
everybody. The wealthy pork packer with
| his hands behind his back spent half hour
walking up and down the hotel corridor
with him, talking on all sorts of subjects.
When they separated bystander said to
Pryor:
''Ill bet the old man is afraid of his life.
Honest, now, didn't he ask you to keep an
eye on him and see no one did him harmP'
Pryor shook his head in negative
fashion, but did not speak, which left the
speaker in considerable doubt about the
matter. Armour's life has been threatened
several times, but he is said not to be
| afraid. However that may be- there are
other people from distant cities who come
to New York aud stop at the big hotels,
who are timid One of the first things they
do after registering is to deposit their valu-
ables in the hotel safe, and then seek the
house detective and ask that an eye be kept
on suspicious characters SO that they may
do them no harm.
Detectives are being used more and more
every day Not only are they employed
regularly in halls, restaurants, in banks
and in big offices, but they are also engaged
by clubs, theaters, stores, and for private
houses For years. night and day, a detec-
tive has paced up and down in front of
Stew lrt's marble palace on r fth avenue,
and at least score of other private families
employ them. One man is on guard during
the day and another at night At all big
dinners, receptions and balls, detectives
are engaged TO keep an eye on WISH
tors, and welding presents are never exhibit
ted now except in the presence of a detect
i've These men are furnished by private
detective agencies, or by the police depart
ment. They appe ,r in full evening dress,
and mingle freely with the guests. They
are paid literally for their services.
Ladies that wear expensive jewelry, like
Mrs. Hicks-Lord. Mrs. Coleman Drayton,
Mrs. Louise Hammersly, tie Vanderbilts,
and Others employ private d tectlVes 10 &C
company them to and from places of amuse-
watch them while they are in public.
A few New York men also employ detec-
tives to guard them during business hours,
but these are usually the same detectives
engaged by the force to keep an eye on sus-
picious looking characters during Office
hours. 1t has been said that Jay Gould is
constantly Swallowed by a detective, but
this is not true. Mr.. Gould is not a very
big man, but he is game, and good run
ner.
Joseph Chamberlain, NJ p, the Fisheries
Commissioner, who is now nearing his
English home, has been guarded by detec-
tive from the moment he left London. TINS
mans duty was TO keep Chamberlain con-
stantly in view, aud II any suspicious char
acter approached him, TO diplomatIcaliy in
tervene aud separate the two. He was paid
SIS per day and expenses. 1t would have
been impossible for anyone TO have harmed
Chamberlain. The Englishman was not out
of the detectives sight one moment while
appearing in public. and when no retired TO
rest the detective slept with one eye open in
adjoining room.
II you should happen into the slums Of the
city over night ia tie week you would find
more than one party eff visitors headed by
detective exploring the Chinese quarter the
Italian rendezvous, THE Big Flat "The
Bend,n and the streets in which sin is gid
cd. Detective Pryor, mentioned above, has
a monopoly of the business. He has party,
on an average, three nights week.
"What sort of people go with mef'
He repeated my question, then smiled ami
added: " II sorts. ministers, senators, ac-
tors, artists and foreigners OF all grades of
society. Do we see much You bet. Fun2
There is more fun than YOU could graspin a
month. Costa From $40 to a 81 900, 900
If you want to spend it, for each person.
have party from Boston tonight. We
start at 10 o'clock, ana will z t back at q
o'clocs tomorrow morning. Therell DO a
heap of fun. Boston men like to come to
New York once in a while. it wakes 'em
up" DAVID WEcHsLER.