The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-12
A TRICKY HOTEL SHARPER.
How One OF BostOn's Shrewdest Man
ayers Was yietimized.

How One OF Boston's Shrewdest Man
ayers Was Vietimized.
One of the shrewdest and sharpest hotel
managers in this city was some time ago
made the victim of a swinde that is pr0ba-
bly, unparalleled in its audaclty. One morn
ing he was Informed by his clerk that one
of their guests. very nice appearing man,
had been discovered locked in his room,
and that the suit of clothes he had taken off
when he went to bed had been stolen. The
whole affair was involved in mystery. but
everything indicated that sneak-thief had
concealed himself in tie room during the
gentleman's absence, robbed the room after
be had gone to bed, and on leaving the room
had locked the door on the outside. The
clerk was very much impressed by the mans
story and had no doubt as to its truth.
The landlord sought ont his guest and
was gratified to find that the matter was not
regarded at all seriously He blamed him
self very freely for not having examined his
room more carefully before going to bed,
but explained that il was late when he re-
tired, which would account for his negli-
gence. As TO his loss, 1. was not of much
consequence. The suit of clothes was an
old one, not worth more than 500 The
money was a trifiing matter, not more
than SIS or $50. Then there were few
other losses scarcely worth mentioning,
duiOuutlub 10 perhaps % iuOIc. vi COuIot
IL was great annoyance as he had a
large number of customers to visit during
the day, and the suit he had left was shabby
and scarcely suitable for the representatives of
large business house to wear Sill he could
go out and get suit, he supposed. He was
ashamed of the whole affair. There was so
much carelessness implied IN his not having
searched his room before retiring that he
really did not like to refer 10 the matter.
Besides, he knew that whatever was right
the landlord would do. He was assured
there would be no trouble about that.
Would he consider $50 sufficient sum to
indemnify him? That would be ample !;
the only misgiving he had was that it
might be too much. The clothes were
secondhand. and might not be worth
as much as he had stated; but ii the
landlord was satisfied 1t was not for him to
object. He gave as references the names of
a number Of prominent Boston boot and
shoe firms, and left the hotel with the assur-
ance that when he returned, il his refer
ences were all right, his claim would be set
tied
Inquiries were at once instituted. and the
various firms said they knew him to be in
the employ OF the house he had mentioned,
which was one Of the best In the trade, and
they had themselves given him large orders,
which had always been promptly ATTENDED
to. The landlord, treasured by these
statements. felt no hesitancy in paying
ONti Ailo gOO ~ MS Rutot VII Hin IttuTn
soon after. When the money was
counted out the man grasped 1t with so
much eagerness and such an appearance of
eXultation that the landlord instinctively
realized that he had been duped. The man
at once left the hotel and was not seen
there again. While the landlord was pom
dering over the possibility OF the mans
honesty messages came in from the firms
that had confirmed the truth of his
statements as to the nature Of his occupa-
ton and the firms by whom he was en-
ployed, telling that they had been badly
duped, as they had learned by telegraphing
that he had been discharged by his employ
ers for various acts of rascaIity. They had
lost no time in notifying the landlord, and
were only few minutes late in saving him
from l0ss.-BostOn Transcript.