The morning call., 1892-01-28
A CHLOROFORM TRICK.
How Visitors to Paris Are
Dragged and Robbed.
N. Y. Herald


Americans In Paris. and, Indeed, all WIS.,
itOrs to the gay capital, should be warned
Of the chlOrofOrm trick, which, according to
the police reports, is being practiced there
extensively upon strangers.
The chlorOfOrm trick is operated as fol-
lows: A well-dressed plausible speaking
man lounges about the hotels most fire.
quented by wealthy Americans, manages to
scrape an acquaintance with such gentle
men as be judges to be easy victims, and
finally proposes one of those stereotyped
rounds of nocturnal sightseeing which are
so alluring to a man before he has seen
them and so disappointing afterward.
OF course the men who acts as decOy in
this pernicious game poses as a Frenchman
thoroughly familiar with all the gilded
wickedness of Paris, upon which he dilates
by the hour to his eager listeners.
Finally the appointed nightcOmeS around,
and with pockets we'll filled with gold and
bank notes the unsuspectlng traveller starts
out on his round Of pleasure, which in
varlably turns out to be round OF mOrtl-
tcatiOn and financial loss.
After a stroll up and down the bOCle-
wards, with various drinks at various cafes,
the devoted guide informs his companion
that they will now go and pay their respects
TO charming actress, whose home is IN the
lighted, and his heart gives a tiutter or two
as they climb the four flights Of stairs lead
ing to the shrine at which no would fain
worship.
They are cordially received 10 a luxurious
apartment, and the actress is lovely. They
hear some music, drink some wine, and
Lnen, on one pretense or another, the
stranger IS introduced into a darkened
room, and at that point his memory be-
comes blank as to the events Of the night.
The next morning he finds himself, he
knows not how, in bed in his hotel, with
queer feeling in his head and a distressing
nausea. lie discovers on examination that
all his money and all his valuables, at least
all which ne had carried in his clothing, are
missing, as well, IS III many cases, portions
OF the clothing itself
He had been drugged and robbed, that is
simple enough, and. thoroughly ashamed Of
his FOLLY, he shrlnks, IN nine cases out OF
ten, from appealing TO the police, or in
deed, making any mention Of his misf0r-
tune.
The result is that the large hotels in Paris
are infested with this class of Well-dTeSSed
vermin, who, thanks TO the unwilingness of
strangers TO admit that they have made fools
of themselves are able to work this chIOrO-
form trick with profit and imDuDity.
And that Is the part the victims rarely un-
derstand-that they have been Grugged
with chOrofOrm. They are apt to fancy that
oJHctuluS was put III Lu0 Wlub gwen tuem
10 drink, but that Is an error. a much surer
and more convenient way of Supplying the
pigeon to be plucked" is to bring him into
room where the air has been saturated with
chlorOform vapor. A few seconds are suffi-
Client 10 produce uncOnsCiousEe5s, and the
man, having been plundered leisurely, Is
taken back to his hotel dead drunk" by his
sympathizing friend, who has made several
hundred, and possibly several thousand
francs by the deception.