The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-02-05
A SEALED ENVELOPE TRICK.


1t Gave Considerable Trouble to Two no
tel Clerks.
Talking about thieves" said tho
hotel clork, meditatively chewing
tho end of pencil, "but you never
see them to such advantage as we
do.
"How's that?" said the reporter.
"Most everybody says we have the
inside view of life.
Everybody is wrong then"
Tho reporter knew that tho hotel
clerk wHs fishing for an opening,
and so no kept quiet and waited for
him to tell the story that was sure
to como. BY and by the hotel olerk
resumed:
Funniest instance of attempted
th:overy That ever came to my no.
tice occurred ono night Mt n hotel of
which 1 was clerk. / was standing
behind tho counter when two men
stopped up to it and spoke to my as
sistant. One was n gambler of tho
name of Smith. Ho was under bonds
to appear before a court on n orimi-
nal charge, and 1 was one of his
bondsmen. Tho other follow 1 didn't
know. Smith said to my assistant
that he was friend of his. He
wants to deposit small sum with
you for safo keeping, he added.
Can't you accommodate him?' Arc
you n guest?' asked the assistant.
Certainly answered tho stranger,
and he pointed out his namo on tho
register. OF course no objection
could DO raised to taking his valua-
bles, and so tho clerk handed him
an envelope, into which the stranger
2 put very large roll of bank notes.
/ WIGS Watching casually and noted
that tho outside bill on tho roll was
q 20. Ho moistened the flap. scaled
tho envelope and tossed it carelessly
to tho assistant, who, without glRno-
ing at tho packet, tossed it into tho
safo and looked tho door.
1.-TWO or three hours later tho
stranger camo in and asked for his
money. My assistant opened the
safe and took out tho envelope. I'M
agino his astonishment to find it
open. The stranger got very angry
when he saw tho flap open, took out
his money, counted it and then OK
oitodly exclaimed that he had boon
robbed. Some one has stolen tho
bill had wrapped around tho out
side of the roll, he said. But, sir
it is impossible. 1 haven't opened
tho safe since you were in hero last,
and no ono has been in horo except
myself, protested the clerk. Then
you've robbed mo of $780, shouted
tho stranger. AS soon as no said it
perceived that it was clever swim
do, and that, although 1 could not
SEQ how the envelope had been open
ed, ho was trying to beat the hotel.
So I stepped up to the counter. How
much did you say that bill was
which you had wrapped around the
outside of your roll?' 1 asked. "A
500 bill, he answered. We'll, sir,
/ answered, there is ono way for
you to get it--that is, through tho
courts. You can sue us, and if you
win wo will pay you.
II thought that would bluff him
off, but it didn't, and tho noxt day
no brought suit. VOL, it looked as
though wo would have to pay the
500, as 1 was positively sure that
my assistant was right and not to
blame for tho loss, though how to
provo that tho stranger lied about
the size CT tho bill he used as wrap
per did not know was pretty
sure it was $50 bill. He claimed
it was n 800 bill, and so thoro wo
were. We'll, one night mot Smith
md got him drunk. Thon 1 threat.
oned to quit his bond unless he told
mo how tho trick had boon worked.
To mako long story short, he was
frightened into confossing. It seems
that the stranger know that n lot of
bills rolled up very tightly could be
put into that receptacle and sealed
up. but that tho moist glue would
not be able to resist the pressure of
the bills as they swolled and unroll-
ed inside. 1t would therefore burst
open in few minutes aftor being
scaled up"
did you ever try it?" asked tho
newspaper man specifically.
Certainly. We put Smith on tho
stand, and he told tho story. Then
we tried tho experiment., and it
worked to n charm. Wo won our
case hands down. Now Orleans
Picayunc.
Tho Detected Young Man.