The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-10
HOTEL DEADBEATS.
SHARP RASCALS WHO ARE TOO MUCH
FOR THE SHREWDEST CLERKS.

Bogus Packages.
Despite every precaution taken by
shrowd hotel clerks largo number of
persons are constantly engaged in secur-
ing board and lodging by fraud
1t is usually supposed that when a
guest arrives at q hotel without bag
gage he cannot secure accommoda-
ions unless no pays i'll advance, but the
tricky "dcadbeut" not only will live
III tho hotel free for week, but in
many cases will secure loan from tho
unsuspecting gentleman behind tho desk.
Tho "deadbeat" constantly evolves
new tricks to edo up" tho hotel man,
and it was not many days ago that a
we'll known hotel was dcfraudod III
very skillful manner of q weeks board
and some of the cash i'll the till. The
"doadbeat" walked into tho hotel lob
by and i'll q confident manner placed his
name on tho register as mailing from
Ghlcago He was neatly dressed and
carried small grip. He informed the
clerk that he was n travelling man on
his first trip to the coast.
travelling men are good customers, SO
tho new arrival was assigned to good
room. Hc handed two baggage checks
TO the clerk and requested that his
trunks be sent for from tho depot In
an hour or two he inquired why his
baggage had not been sent up to his
room. The porter was sent for and eX-
planned that the transfer company had
not been able TO find it. Inquiries were
made by telephone, but the railroad
people could give no information Of the
missing baggage.
well, am in nice fix" said tho
new guest to tho hotel clerk, "for all
my clothes are in my trunks, and sup
pose tho things have gono astray."
Tho clerk was very sympathetic, for
travelling man without his clothes is
indeed to DO pitied. Tho fellow man
aged to borrow $50 to buy some shirts,
collars, ties, etc, and went out Of tho
hotel vowing vengeance against the rail
road company. He even had the hotel
clerk pay for a telegram to Chicago in
quiring at the depot there as to where
the trunks bearing certain numbered
checks had been sent to. Tho reply came
back that they would look tho matter
up, and pending the information tho
new guest had royal good time mt the
and it then dawncd upon tho hotel men
that they had been neatly swindled by
the means of two baggage checks which
evidently had been stolen ut some time
i'll Chicago or elsewhere
Another favOritc trick to defraud a
hotel is done ny means of confederate.
One man will go to Il first class house
and secure good room. About tho sec
md day he will be in the office, and
while there tho hotel clerk will receive
telephone message purporting to come
from we'll known store asking if MIR.
So-and-so desires tho goods ho ordered
sent up to tho hotel. The clerk will nat
urally ask the guest the question, and
he will reply that he desires the goods
sent up When the package arrives, there
is always $40 to 500 to be paid Tho
hotel man is requested by tho guest to
settle the amount and charge it up in
my bill y 1t does not pay to offend
guest whose appearance indicates
wealth, so tho money is handed out i'll
payment. Tho guest now disappears,
and his trunk is found to be Il cheap
one and generally full of paper. whilo
the package which has been paid for
by tho hotel people is also worthless.
Bogus kilograms and lcttcrheads are
frequently used by "deadbeats' in or
der to secure little ready cash until
"my money arrives" and very often
the scheme works all right, for hotel
clerk is always afraid of offending
guest in these matters, for should he
mlstrust an honest man he will injure
the hotels reputation. While most ho-
tells make it u rule not to cash drafts or
checks or loan money, still very often
tho "dcadbeat" will make them break it.
scheme which has recently been
worked all over tho country was for the
"deadbeat' to send by express pack
age to hotel i'll another city 1t would
DO heavily sealed and marked, "Value
5000" and the hotel man, thinking
that it contained jewelry intended for
n guest soon to arrive, would put it in
the safe. In few days the "deadbeat"
would turn up at the hotel, register and
inquire if IL package had arrived for
him. Ho would be told that it was in
the safe, and he would tell them it con-
tanned watches and valuables. The same
night q loan of $50 would DO asked for,
and the hotel man, remembering the
valuable package i'll the safe, would in
nine cases ont of ten hand out tho coin.
The guest would disappear, and when
the package was opened it was found to
be Of 10 value.
AS all accounts III hotels arc rendered
weekly it is impossible for dishonest
persons to obtain free living for longer
than u week, for they will be requested
to pay or vacate.
A