The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-03-23
HOTEL DETECTIVES.
ONE OF THEM GIVES SOME OF
HIS EXPERIENCES.

ONE OF THEM GIVES SOME OF
HIS EXPERIENCES.
No False Whiskers and Hair Dye Dis
guises-The Glass of Guests Who Occupy
Their Attention-Sneak Thieves and
Swindlers in Hotels-Extra Work.
One of the best known of the hotel detec-
tlves OF New York is Mr. David j. Larkins,
who, although young in years, has had a
great deal OF valuable experience in the de-
tective line. Heis fine looking man, but
could go anywhere without attracting special
attention for any peculiarities. OF him, a
reporter recently made some inquiries regard
ing the work of a hotel detective.
"The very essence Of good detective work
Is to be good shadower," said Mr.. Larkins
"You want to be able to follow man from
the time he gets up until he is in bed again,
and never let him know that he is being fol-
lowed; you must watch him, but must never
attract lis attention. And this is not done
by any petty personal disguises, such as the
story books and weekly papers tell about.
detectives don't go around with their pockets
filled with false whiskers and hair dye, nor
90 they change their clothes every half hour
when they are following a man. If you fol-
low a man from one city to another it is some
times we'll to shave of your msstache or have
your hair cut a different style, but there is a
limit to all that sort of business That de-
scrlbes detective work in general, and there
is nothing which radically distinguishes hotel
detectives from Others"
"But what are the special and peculiar du-
ties of hotel detective?'
ut IS the business Of hotel detective, first
OF all, to keep an eye on all arrivals at the
hotel. Of course, it is impossible for him to
stand at the door at all hours and minutely
note the physiognomy Of every man who ap-
proaches with gripsack in his hand, but
within few hours after stranger has ar
rived the detective is supposed to have seen
him and sized him up The greater part Of
the guests in any hotel are always either per-
manent residents there, or, at least, very reg
ular transients That is to say, Of all those
persons from out Of town who may be stop
ping at hotel at particular time the ma
1orlty have put up at the same place before
With all these regular guests the detective is
supposed to be acquainted just as thoroughly
as the clerk is, and as soon as one of them
comes into the house he is supposed to be able
to recall everything he ever knew about the
man. But every actual stranger is to be
be noted and observed until the detective is
satisfied that he is straight. So long as he
has any doubts about man at all he is to
keep that man under watch. OF course, how
ever, this does not mean that a detective is to
make himself conspicuous in following every
man about whom he does not happen to
know. He is to exercise judgment In the
matter"
"What class of criminals frequent the big
hotelsg'
First Of all, the high grade class of sneak
thief. One of this class will take a room at
hrst class hotel for the opportunities he may
have to go through tho rooms of the other
guests Such man will post himself about
the people i'll the house just as thoroughly as
detective would. He will observe the
people who have the best clothes, the most
money and finest jewelry, and he will learn
where each one has his room Then he will
learn something about the hours they keep,
and sometime when they are away he will go
through their rooms. The favorite time for
such operations is dinner time. Having
selected the rooms to be gone through he lets
himself i'll with skeleton key, and selects
whatever lie can best get away with. These
professionals can tell very quickly just where
the ordinary man or woman will hide valua-
bles, and it does not take them long to 20
through room. Then they skip out. On
such expeditions crooks do not carry much
baggage. although, for the sake Of appear
ance, they may have big valise or trunk
stuffed with bricks and old papers. Conse-
quentIy when they make haul they do not
hesitate to abandon all their baggage, and it
is needless to say that they forget to pay their
hotel BILL"
"And how do you look out for such fellows?"
swell, as said before, If we see anything
suspicious about u man we watch him. and if
we see that a guest is unduly inquisitive re-
garding the plan of tho house that is sus.
picious Ii we find a man wandering abouta
hall whero he has no business we watch where
he goes, and if we see him several times that
way we set a regular watch upon him, and
caution the servants to look out for him. It
may be that such q man is simply masher,
trying to flirt with one Of the female guests,
or simply following one of the chambermaids
about. Eut it is always well to watch a man
when You sec him wandering about the hall
ways great deal with 10 apparent object"
"But you cannot keep a watch on a man all
the time'
@That IS true, and, because we can't. we
sometimes get left. remember the case ofa
man who came here several years ago, and
had the name of Watson. saw him when he
first came in, and, from the looks of his eyes,I
thought he was thief When ho was register
ing tried to tell the clerk not to let him have
a room, but tho clerk did not notice me, and
he gave him a room now used for washing
dishes. This room had a window near the
ceiling, opening into an adjoining room
where lawyer was stopping. Well,
watched that fellow close for nearly week.
and saw nothing wrong. Finally the lawyer
went over to Baltimore, and in the afternoon
was sent down town to cash check When
I got back could not see the fellow Watson,
and after q time I went into his room There
were scratches on the wall under the window
spoke of, and the dust had been brushed off
from the sill. Two days afterward the law
yer returned and found that he was minus
$500 worth Of clothes. Watson had walked
right out the side door, and as he was gen
teel looking fellow, the side door man never
bothered him at ALL Well, watched for
that fellow for q month, and then saw him
one day just about to register at the Grand
Central hotel. touched him on the arm and
told him to come with me. He was very in
dignant, and declared no did not even know
where the New York hotel was. I showed
him where it was, and when the clerk recog-
nized Linn, too, he weakened. We recovered
the clothes from a Philadelphia pawnbroker,
and one on tho Bowery, and Watson went up
for three years"-New York Commercial
Advertiser.