The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-25
DETECTIVE OF A HOTEL.
GROWS CONFIDENTIAL AND TELLS
ABOUT HIS PROFESSION.


man with whom he was chatting and
walked quickly toward a young man lean
ing against the cigar case.
The speakers tone and manner changed
instantly as he took the Objectionable in
truder by the arm. You want to sneak
out of here quicker n a telegraph dis
patch" he said, grufiy. you've got a
! pretty good nerve, you have, to come here
and try to work. For cents I'd give
you this hickory stick across the jaw and
then have you locked up besides"
| why, I amt doing any HARM" whined
| the young man. Cant a fellow come in
to get light without you think he's going
to do something crooked?"
! NOW, thafn do" retorted the detective
more angriy than before. What are you
carrying that overcoat over your arm for,
| IL you are not looking for a chance to
! pinch watch?' and with this the young
man felt the feshy part of his arm grip
ped and squeezed until it must have turn
ed black and blue He WINGED, but made
no further reply. A minute later he was
on Broadway, hurrying away as fast as
his legs would carry him.
detective, as he resumed his chat, land
one which I was just about to describe
when you had an ocular demonstration
for yourself. That fellow was, as you
have doubtless surmised, a pickpocket.
He knew perfectly well that l was sta
toned here, and that he was liable to get
ms mead broken If he so much as showed
his nose. The only way l can account for
his blunder is that he is full of opium.
lie is 'hend and veteran. Old smok-
ers like him are apt to get confused at
times, just like George Apo, the green
goods man, did. He probably forgot all
about me, and was looking for a watcn
when l spied him.
How do l know? Well, that overcoat
was the giveaway Not one business man
In hundred would remove his overcoat
on entering the barroom of hotel. There
is no particular necessity, that I can see,
Tor taking off your coat before you take a
drink or light a cigar. That's what he
said he came In for, wasn't it7 The over
coat is carried over the left arm, and is
used as a shield to conceal the working of
the right hand in twisting or ringing a
watch from vest pocket.
That is the method used by the adept.
Suppose a guest has just finished his din
ner and is standing with his arms spread
out at the bar, enjoying a good cigar. Mr..
Plckpocket approaches him, looks him
straight in the eye and asks some foolish
question He holds the overcoat in front
OF his waist and covers the hand which is
at work rapidly drawing the watch to the
top OF the victims pocket. It is lifted out
just as the pickpocket lurches forward and
exclaims: Pardon mel This is to prevent
the man who is being robbed from feel
ing the watch leaving its resting place.
Then, with twist of the forefnger and
thumb the ring is forced out Of the watch
stem and the chain is left dangling. The
Ii
when he has accomplished this, for the
loss may be discovered within a few
minutes.
The principal duty of the modern hotel
detective is to keep the house clean That
is to say, 1t is his business to keep out all
Objectionable characters like the fellow
you saw me talk to moment ago. That
| necessarily requires experience and
| knowledge of criminals. To make mis-
take and order a reputable man out of
the house would injure II very quickly.
Next is the rather delicate duty of getting
rid of people who have secured room but
who are not desirable as guests. This must
be done without raising row and disturb
ing the respectable patrons of the house.
| We often have to resort to strategy TO ac-
| complish this-sometimes sending bogus
message to the room and asking the man
| we want to get out to meet a suppositi-
| tious friend in the reading room. In nine
cases out of ten, when a man leaves his
| room he will lock up his trunk. We have
| a couple of porters on watch, and as soon
| as he goes out his effects follow him In
short order. His companion, if he has one,
is lured from the room by the same sub
terfuge.
This plan usually succeeds because
| when a man finds he is discovered he
| doesn't want to make a fuss before lot
of people in front of the clerks desk. Tie
can make bluff in his own room, but
we know all about that and get him out
/ where he will be in an embarrassing posi-
| ton. You sec"
| The detective interrupted himself again.
The conversation had been going on in
| fragmentary way near the entrance to the
| hotel dining room. A Observation-Disclosures
| old gentleman walked up TO the cashiers
| desk and. while pulling a handful of loose
change from his trousers pocket, dropped
a meal check on the floor The detective
was alongside of him in an instant and
| picked up the check.
Pardon me, sir" he said, politely. "bu.
did you drop this?'
"Ah, yes-why. no." replied the old man,
| confusedly. Did drop that?'
YES" said the detective, "and you have
another one in your hand. The one you
! dropped calls for IS cents. What's this
| one?' And with great care and in a per.
| fectly gentle manner he took hold of the
check that was held in the trembling
| myers. IL called Tor Sl1O.
Il think that Is the one you want to
pay" said the detective.
| "Why certainly-of course" was the re-
| ply. in more confusion than before. Must
have made a mistake. Very strange, I'm
| sure"
Mistakes will happen once in while"
| laughed the detective, and he moved way
as the S1.4O check was paid.
THAT Is what we call check charmer,"
he said I'm explanation of his seemingly
| incomprehensible action. Respectable as
| he appears that old man is one of a largo
| class who regularly beat hotels at meal
| times No doubt he Is fully able 20 pay
| any price that might be asked him. Tho
| game Is an easy one to work. He gets
| a 75-cent meal here, receives a check tor
| Il and conceals H. The waiter is called
| upon for a duplicate, which he gives AZ
ter searching for and being unable to Gnd
| the supposed lost check. The Is cents II
| paid and "a couple Of weeks later. per-
haps, the old fellow comes In. orders A
dinner for $3.50 to 81 and pays for IL by
| rendering the 75-cent check which no has
retained.