The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-25
1FTECTIVES IN HOTELS.
IN WHO GUARD TREASURES OF
HOST AND GUEST.

- Their Friends - They Scatter
TosAng Cabmen Like Chan Before
the Wind.
From the Chicago Times.
An the large hotels of this city have de-
ICES who are appointed by the chief of
~o,ica at the suggestion Of the managers.
Tbsv are paid by the hotel people and board
"a room in the house. They sometimes
live the not very elegant name of
,.horncsrs." Their uses are illustrated by
80 following incident which recently oc-
-,,rsd in one OF the hotels. The principal
.o,or was about 60 years Of age, tall, as
,.rsiebt as an arrow, and Of military APP
o.srsuce. His long. flowing brown beard
r,ss tiuRed with gray. and be wore a black
.loueh hat which had evidently seen many
,-i,tsrs There was a general seediness to
w. snnarel. He was well known major
t-om the center of the state and meandered
sato the barroom of one OF the prominent
bo,als considerably under the influence OF
Toyor A further "filling-upp was denied
-, nv the courteous dispenser of the
sbnmii goods" who politely informed him
,bat he had an Elegant competence" At
his half-dozen IS notes were scattered
over the marble bar with the remark:
.Tberes yer money, gimme drink"
The barKeeper knowing from experience
that nothing was to be gained in an argu-
nent with drunken man, moved to the
otber end of the bar and became as dumb
as a cable car conductor at q coroner's in
onest No insult could have made the
major more boisterous. Down to the floor
he threw his hat; off came his coat, which
found lodgment on a cuspidor. There's
yer money" be yelled, as be flung across
tbe bar and into the water tank under it
s5.bill. "Gimme drink"
By this time stockily built gentleman Of
fashionable attire appeared at the side Of the
major and entered into conversation. He
talked low and confidentially. II could be
seen that be was endeavoring to persuade
The major to "let up" and believe himself
II was a severe task, but after half an hour
the good Samaritan picked up the hat and
coat, put them on the major, gathered up
the money, and escorted him to the Rock
Island depot, placing him in the hands Of
the train conductor.
The good Samaritan was the hotel de-
tectiye.
HE is USEFUL MAN.
The officer of the house is a very impor-
tant person. In fact, he is indispensable to
hotel where there are a large number OF
/ guests and thousands of outsiders passing
IN and out every day.
1t is the pride of the Chicago hotel man
10 see that his guests are well taken care OF
and to see that his house is kept in a first
class manner, not only as to the rooms and
the table, but also as 10 the accommodations
which the guests expect In aud around the
rotunda, the most important of which is
that they will not have to associate with
people OF a shady character.
DfyC
ask for better field to operate than that OF
& large flrst-cIass hotel, and were it not for
the eagle eye of the detective they would
make it their headquarters.
There is harmless class of people who
frequent hotels every day and are Familiarity
called "bens." The larger and softer the
chair the longer they sit. Life to them
seems to mean; Sit as long as possible. If
they are fortunate enough to get newspa-
per which some guest has discarded then
they are happy. indeed. Occasionally they
are overcome with the heat Of. the room, or
perhaps their NESTS" have become so
seductively pleasant that they are soothed
into gentle sleep, and are dreaming of
marble halls, when they will receive q
vigorous shaking and be facetiousiy re-
ouested to go to the desk and engage a
room. The detective is terror to this class
Of poultry.
THE CABBY AND HIS NERVE.
A GLASS Of people who make their living
from the hotel guests are the cabmen. The
brazen cheek of the book agent or the
hghtnlng-rod man ia a small affair COM
pared with the undaunted audacity Of the
'caoby." He is allowed to stand across
the streets from some hotels, but stand
there he does not. He kinks it is all right If
bis horses stand there. IL be had his way he
a -.
have his horses and carriage there, too. 1t
kcomical to see the flight Of a swarm of
rabmen from the hotel entrance when they
ssly the form of the house detective coming
down the long corridor. They are ever on
the alert for him, and when on his rounds
be gets to the front of the house "cabby" is
not there, but across the street
One of the duties OF the deteotive in to
gothrough the rooms every morning. He
Keeps an account of the empty ones, and
notes whether the baggage in the occupied
ones Is heavy or light. This procedure on
MS part is essential, for it posts him as to
who would be liable to skip with an un-
paid account. Although there is a heavy
penalty attached to swindling of this kind,
there are persons who consider it especially
smart to beat hotel.
not little inconvenience is CAUSED to the
motel people by the carelessness Of their
guests, who frequently leave their doors
unlocked, thus tempting the servants
a sale is provided for valuables, and q coat
room where coats and small things may be
cnecked, yet these are not always taken adj
vantage OF. Lost articles when reported at
toe desk are given to the detective to look
up Oftentimes such articles have been
lounu by him and are already in the pos
session OF the clerk, who does not give them
up until the detective is satisfied that thew
Ueiong to the person claiming them. Not
tne least arduous of the detectives duties is
~aen guest claims that something of value
mas been purloined from his room. 1t is
.ue1 that he is put upon his mette and has
ttoSuow his skill all the way up from search
tns tne attendants Of the house to the hunt.
'ugoi the pawnshops.
THE CLERKS STORY.
-, Every man to his trade" The aptness of
.1s expression is seen In the following story
~ a Motel clerk: II had man come to me
Say one morning. saying: 4 can't fed NV
watch | placed it under my pillow last
,'suV' as has been my custom for years, and
.Sn s morning it was not there He was
SsSigel TO leave on an early train. l went
!, vas room, searched the bed, looked under
"rhed the mattresses up, and examined
w., rom thoroughly, but could find no
,ri Vu' The man hurried off. leaving de-
t,,yuon OF the timepieoe. When our de-
& I've made his appearances for the day /
~. ~ aied him OF the loss. He went 30 the
~ and returned in about Eve minutes
nn u tne watch, saying: 1T was in the
%ow-slip"
..,..N not an uncommon thing for a de-
6on. i've 10 escort guest about town after
INST, az night. The nature of his business