The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-08-30
CAUGHT in THE TRAP
THE GREAT SMALLPOX SWlNDLE AND
HOW IT WAS WORDED.

n
by which Two Sharp Confidence
Men Bupkoed n Hotel Keeper Out
of $1,000.
II dare say you never heard of the
great smallpox swindle," said the ho-
tel manager. "The facts of that re-
markable affair were withheld at the
time for the most urgent reasons of
policy, and even now | prefer to tell
the story without names or localities.
1t happened in the fall of 1856, when
certain hotel in large western city
was crowded with tourists. One day,
Mt the height OF the season, two gem
tlemanly looking strangers put up at
the house and We're assigned to what
we call double ROOM About week
later one of them appeared at the Of
flee and requested private interview
with the manager. L regret to inform
YOU he said, after the door was clos
ed, that my friend is down with Sc
we're attack of smallpox
THE proprietor nearly fell out of his
chair. There was known to be small
poX in the city, and the bare sugges-
ton that the disease had appeared in
the hotel was enough to empty it In n
twinkllng. TO let the news get out
meant the loss Of thousands upon thou
sands of dollars. 1t meant the ruin of
the seasons business. He must BIO
quietly removed at once said the pro-
prietor, trying TO control his agitation.
Removed! exclaimed the other.
Taken through the cold air to laze-
retto! Why, man. that would be MUIR
der! I'll not permit it,
",rhe hotel keeper was thunder
struck. DO you mean TO say he must
stay here? he gasped.
Certainly said the stranger.
at was ticklish situation. The ho-
tel keeper dare not enforce his sugges-
tion, while to let the case remain was
like storing gunpowder in furnace
room. He pleaded, protested, begged,
threatened and clustered. but all in
vain. The man was firm rs rock. If
you attempt TO eject my sick FRIEND he
declared, III publish your inhumanity
TO the entire community
"Finally it occurred TO the distracted
proprietor to see, first, whether 1t was
really n case of smallpox. SO he sent
for physician, swore him to secrecy
and hustled him up to the room. The
doctor took one look at the dishgured
face on the pillow and reported that
the malady was there in a malignant
type. He advised the mans immediate
removal Mt any cost. II you keep him
concealed, he said, the disease may
spread. and it would ruin you for life.
You owe something to your guests
Again the proprietor interviewed the
friend, and again the latter refused to
bulge from his position.
"'Where can take,him? he demand
ed. You know very well l can't get
comfortable quarters for such n pur-
pose, and | won't have him butchered
in pesthouse to please any landlord
on earth! The hotel,man felt his hair
stand on end. but concluded TO let
things stand as thcy'werc until morn
ing.
Next day he,scnt for the sick mans
friend and asked him whether he had
any suggestions TO make.
Yes he replied; L thought up n
plan over night, which You may adopt
or not, as you like. AS l said before.
he continued. 1T is useless to try to
rent quarters for such case. We
might. however, buy small cottage
and take him there. l have figured the
thing up and the total expense would
/ be about $1,000 If you are willing to
hand over that amount. will take him
away and assume all further respon-
/ sibility. | make the offer entirely out
! of sympathy for your guests
The landlord looked him in the eye.
| Il, too, have thought the situation
over he said, and I'm convinced it's
a confidence game pure and simple,
/ I'm convinced there's nothing the mat
ter with your dear friend up stairs,
but am also convinced that the slight
est breath of the affair would greatly
damage the reputation of the house
1 AS business proposition consider II
worth $1,000 TO get rid of you
THE other man smiled ironically
! Call Il cab and get out your money,
! he said, and inside an hour the incubus
had been spirited through side door
swathed in blankets and driven away.
"As the landlord shrewdly surmised
the whole thing was confidence game
and he learned the particulars later OF
through 4 sport he had once befriend-
ed. There was nothing the matter
with the rascal up stairs except that
his face had been pricked II little Will
n quill dipped in croton oil, something
that makes n horrible looking pustule
which disappears in n few days and
leaves no mark. l always thought the
hotel man showed good sense in tax.
Ing the course he did. He was caught
In trap and took the cheapest way
out. The bare rmor of even a sus
pected case would probably have in
volvcd n loss of $4,000 or 100000. II
was far better to pay the $1,000 and
charge 1t TO education."-NewO Orleans
! Tines-Dcnlocrat.
.-t l