Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-09-21
TIE CITIZEN.
CAUGHT IN THE TRAP
THE GREAT SMALLPOX SWlNDLE AND
HOW IT WAS WOROEO.

=
by which 1--WE sharp Confidence
Men Bunkocd n Hotel Keeper ont
OF $1,000.
Il dare say you never heard of the
great smallpox swindle," said the no
tel manager. "The facts of that re-
markable affair were withheld at the
time for the most urgent reasons of
policy, and even now l prefer TO tell
the story without names or localities.
1t happened in the fall of 1856, when q
certain hotel in 4 large western city
was crowded with tourists one day,
at the height of the season, two gen
tlemanly looking strangers put up at
the house and were assigned 10 what
we call Il double room. About week
later one of them appeared at the Of
fee and requested a private interview
with the manager. i 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 10 be small
pox in the city. and the bare sugges-
ton that the disease had appeared in
the hotel WIS enough to empty it in
tylnklng. To let the news get out
meant the less OF thousands upon thou
sands Of dollars. II meant the ruin OF
the seasons business He must be
quietly removed ut 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.'
.The hotel keeper was thunder
struck. DO you mean to say he must
stay hereT he gasped.
Certainly said the stranger.
..It was a tlckllsh situation. The no.
tel keeper dare not enforce his sugges-
ton. 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 as rock. II
you attempt to eject my sick friend, he
declared, IN publish your inhumanity
to the entire community.
"Ffnally it occurred to the distracted
proprietor to see, first, whether 1t was
really a case of smallpox. So he sent
for a 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 malignant
type. He advised the mans immediate
removal at any cost. If 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 himT he demand
ed You know very well | can't get
comfortable quarters for such a pur-
pose, and won't have him butchered
In a pesthouse to please any landlord
on earthr The hotel man felt his hair
stand on end but concluded to let
things stand as they were until morn
ing.
Next day he sent for the sick mans
friend and asked him whether he had
any suggestions to make.
Yes lie replied; I thought up a
plan over night which you may adopt
or not, as you like. AS | said before,
he continued. 1t is useless to try to
rent quarters for such a case. We
might however, buy small cottage
and take Lin there. have figured the
thing up and the total expense would
be about 5000. If you are willing to
hand axC!. that amount. will take him
away and assume all further respon-
sibilty. | make the offer entirely out
of sympathy for your guests.
"rhc landlord looked him in the eye.
4, too. have thought the situation
over he said and I'm convinced It's
n 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.
AS business proposition consider II
worth $1,000 to get rid of you
"The other man smiled ironically.
Call II cab and get out your money
he said. ana inside an hour the incubus
had been spirited through n side door
swathcd in blankets and driven away.
"As the landlord shrewdly surmised,
the whole thing was a confidence game,
ana he learned the particulars later on
through n sport he had once befrlend-
ed. There was nothing the matter
with the rascal up stairs except that
his face had been pricked little with
quill dipped in croton oil, something
that makes n horrible looking pustulc,
which disappears in a few days and
leaves no mark. ! 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 rumor Of even sus-
pected case would probably have In
volved II loss of $4,000 or 100000 1t
was far better to pay the 5000 and
rharge 1t to education" New Orleans
Times Democrat.