Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-16
THE. CHLoRoroRM TRICK.
How Americans In Paris Sometimes Pay the
Pricc Of Their Folly.

From the New York Herald
Americans in Paris. and indeed an visitors to
the gay capital, should be warned Of the chloro-
form trick which, according to the police re-
ports. is being practiced there extensively upon
strangers.
The chloroform trick is operated as follows
A weil-dressed, plausible-speaking man lounges
ABOUT tho hotels most frcquented by wealthy
Americans, manages to scrape an acquaintance
with such gentlemen as he jadges 20 be easy
typed rounds Of nocturnal sightseeing which
are SO aiiuring TO a man before he has seen
'nen and SO disappointing afterward-
~, vi course the man who acts as a decoy in
.ns pernlcious game poses as a Frenchman
tnorouShly familiar with all the gildsd wicked
ness OF taris, upon which he dilates by the
hoGr to has eager listeners
any the appointed night comes around,
anu Win pockets well filed with gold and
OF his round OF pleasure. which invariably
financial loss
TRAPPED
After stroll up and down the boulevards
WITH various drinks at various cafes. the de-
voted guide informs his companion that they
VIII now so and pay their respects to a charm
ing actress, whose home is in the Passage Col.
bert The companion is delighted aud his
heart gives hutter or two as they climb the
four flights of stairs leading to the shrine at
which he would fain worship.
They are cordially received in a luxurious
apartment and the actress is lovely They hear
some music. drink some vino and then on one
pretense or another the stranger is introduced
into darkened room and at that point his
memory becomes a blank as to the events of
the night The next morning lac finds himself
he knows not how. in bed at his hotel with a
queer feeling IN his head and a distressing nau-
sea. He discovers on examination that all his
money and all his valuables. at least all which
he had carried in his clothing. arc missing as
well as In many cases portions Of the clothing
ITSELF
lie has been drugged and robbed, that is
simple enough, and thoroughly ashamed OF his
folly he shrinks, in nine cases out of ten from
appealing 10 the police or, indeed, making any
mention of his misfortune.
LUCRATIVE RAscALITr.
The result is that the large hotels in Paris are
infested with this class of well-dressed vcrmin.
who. thanks TO the unwillingness of strangers
TO admit that they have made fools of them
selves. are able to work this chloroform trick
with profit and impunity.
And that is the part the victims rarely I'M
cers;and-that they have been drUCCed with
chloroform. They are apt to fancy that some
thing was put in the wine given them to 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 a room where
the air has been saturated with chloroform
vapor. A few seconds sre sufficient to pro-
duce unconscIousness and the man, having
been plundered leisurely, is taken back 10 ll-
hotel dead drunk" by his sympathiy,
friend, who has made several hundred
sibly several thousand francs by the
ton.
The FIGARO states that the apartment:
lovely actress in the Passage Colbert h o.
been raided, but there are many Other s.OA
passages. each with its complement OF siren
faces, and always will be so long Americans
continue their Eail-felow- well-mct fashion of
taking up and trusting these sympathetic
strangers.