The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-24
SUMNER HOTEL THIEVES.
The Amazing Experiences Of a Hotel
Detective.
clever rhefts Observation-Disclosures
Rings With a Feather Duster-An
Unjust Suspicion.

Unjust Suspicion
From the New York Press.
Many queer things happen in summer
hotels.
In a certain large hot weather hosiery
mot a thousand miles from New York
there happened during the first four
weeks of this season half dozen of the
oueerest little things that ever came to a
detectives eye. 1t is better to let the de-
tective tell of them in his own way:
THE DETECTIVES STORIES.
Scarcely had our hotel been opened
when Mrs. George, who comes early
every year, reported at the office that she
had lost her hatpin, and requested that
we post a reward for it in the Office. 1t
was an opal surrounded by small dia-
monds and quite expensive,
We put up the sign, but no one appeared
10 claim the reward, and while it was still
mn. Miss Dudley, another lady staying
With US. stopped at the desk to say that
she too, had lost her hatpin; and next
dav her mother, Mrs. Dudley, reported
the loss also of hers and then Miss Mer-
rihew and Miss Stanton, two young la
dies stopping with US for day or two on
driving tour through the country, said
thew had lost theirs.
was notified of these cases, and imme-
diately went TO work upon them. That it
was not accident felt convinced, but how
the hatpins were taken and by whom I
could not imagine Never was case any
binder than this.
A dav or two later two new arrivals,
Mrs. Brown and her daughter, sent word
to the proprietor that they had been
robbed of very valuable diamond hat
Of
more robberies of this kind, until it
seemed as if every lady in the house had
been robbed of a hatpin. 1t was mystic
rious. The fact that never were any
hairpins taken puzzled me more, because
some of the ladies wore very valuable
hair ornaments.
One day | sat upon the piazza thinking
about the case, and as ! sat there l no
ticed Miss A, very beautiful young
lady. whom l had always much admired,
20 to drive with her sister. Miss A.
wore in her hat diamond beetle which
I had often noticed. 1t had an emerald
body and a diamond head Joined to
the body with a ruby. 1t was bril-
liant and beautiful thing. 81 hope Miss
A will not lose that pin,' said to my
self
Two hours later Miss AS maid came
running down stairs to the desk.
My mistress has lost her hatpin-her
leWeleQ
from her this afternoon"
questioned Miss A. particularly. She
could tell nothing. When Fellce went to
take off her hat and had removed the
little invisible pin that held it on, the
beetle was gone. That was all she could
tell She had driven out to the lake ten
miles away, and on her return she had
gone to her room after stopping on the
piazza a few minutes to chat with friends.
Nothing more could be ascertained.
left the hotel to work, as we detec-
tives say, AT the other end Of the route"
l took trip up to the city and called
upon one or two friends of mine-pawn-
brokers who have often helped me out on
difficult pieces of workout with no sue
cess. Finally dropped in upon one in
remote corner of the city.
II have been missing hatpins," said I,
"for several weeks and can't get trace of
them. If any hatpins are brought in to
you wish you would save them, and, of
course, will see that you get your money
back all right in case they are stolen
goods"
That's strange" said the pawnb broker,
because l have had good deal of traffic
in them lately, Here is one that came in
only to-day" And he took out of his safe
adiamond beetle-the very one worn the
day before by Miss A.
1t was brought here-and so were the
others-by tall, light complexioned
negro, very well dressed and with good
manners-a nice, spruce darkey."
The next day returned with money to
ransom all the stolen pins aux taking
them back to the hotel, returned them
to the ladies, with orders not to wear
them for a few days. But" said I to
Miss A, II wish you would put on your
most expensive hatpin and go to drive,
taking me with youp
l carefully escorted her to her carriage,
stepped in after her, looked at her hat
and her pin was gone
10 took but a second to discover that
the tall, light complexioned, gentlemanly
darkey who was assisting ladies into
Their carriages was taking the pins. He
dld it so deftly and eleverly that l, right
behind Miss A, had not seen him. When
ne confessed in order to tighten his SEN
tence, he said: 81 did it when she bent
her head TO get in. My hand was against
the side of the carriage"
HAMS AND SILVER. s.
Often more goes out at the back door of
hotel than comes in over the desk
For several days we had been missing
thlngs. One morning all our table salts
We're gone, and the next day we had not
enough napkins to set the tables, nor
We're more than half the vinegar cruets to
De found. The following day we were
robbed of our silver pals for holding ice
ouu VINE DOJLLeS. While was thinking
IL over, word came from the kitchen that
the hams had been stolen. and then that
valuable jar of olives was gone--no one
knew where
Inc next day I shaved off my mustache
ana went to work in the kitchen as soul
non, while friend of mine went on as a
walter. That same day all our roast beef
was taken as we were about to put it in
tne oven-a loss of many dollars and the
next morning, while ] turned my back,
several fine punches of asparagus disap-
peared with the steel carving knives.
Inc day following ostensibly got drunk
ana was allowed TO lie under a settle in
Cne corner of the kitchen, where l watched
everything without being observed.
mat night paid visit to a friend of
nine; scullion on the next block, and
ASKED him how much swill his hotel left
daily Eight barrels" said he.
Il =, Next day worked as usual, and when
tne swill cart drove up for the barrels
B cart.
Get out Of my way" growlea the man
loading the cart.
- Get out from there youuRster ="
shouted the driver. "Get away, or I'll hit
you with my whip. Tryin' TO scare the
horses. are van