The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-30
A SMALLPOX SWINDLE.
It's Victim Knew He Was Being De-
frauded. But He Had No Recourse
CNew Orleans Times-Democrat)

New Orleans TimeS-DemOcrdt-)
Il dare say you never heard Of the
great smallpox swindle," said the hotel
manager. The facts of that remark
able affair were withheld at the time
for the most urgent reasons OF polcN'
and even now prefer TO tell the story
without names or localities 1t hap
pened in the fall of 1886. when a Ger
tain hotel in a large western city was
crowded with tourists. One day. at
the height of the season. two gentle
manly looking strangers put up at the
house and were assigned to what We
call a double room About a week
later one of them appeared at the OF
flee and requested private interview
with the manager regret TO INFORM
YOU he said. after the door was closed,
that nv friend is down with a severe
attack of smallpox The proprietor
nearly fell out of his chair. There was
known to be smallpox in the city and
the bare suggestion that the disease
had appeared in the hotel was enough
to empty it in a twinkling- To let the
news get out meant the loss OF thou-
sands upon thousands of dollars IL
meant the ruin of the seasons business.
He must be quietly removed at once.
said the proprietor, trying to contrcl
his agitation. Removed exclaimed
the other: taken through the cold air
to a lazeretto, Why, man. that would
be murderI I'll not permit II! me
hotel keeper was thunderstruck- DO
Won mean 10 say he must StaV here?
he gasped. Certainly said the stranger.
1T is a ticklish situation. The hotel
keeper dare not enforce his suggestion
while to let the case remain was IKE
storing sunpowder in a furnace room-
He pleaded, protested. begged threat
ened and clustered, but all in vain.
The man was as firm as rock. II
YOU attempt to eject my sick friend,
he declared, III publish Your inhu-
mainly to the entire community
Finally it occurred TO the distracted
proprietor to see, first, whether il 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 dlStSure0
face on the pillow and reported that the
malady was there in malignant type.
He advised the mans immediate re-
movaI at any cost. If you keep him
, concealed he said, the disease ma
spread. and it would ruin you for life.
You owe something to you guests.
Again the proprietor interviewed the
friend and again the latter refused to
bulge from his position. Where can l
take him. he demanded. You know
very we'll l can't get comfortable
lOI SUN a EtAtfp1~f
won't have him butchered in a pest
house 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 morning.
Next day he sent for the sick man $
friend and asked him whether he had
any suggestions to make Yes, he re-
piled: I thought up plan over night,
which YOU may adopt or not, as you
like. AS l said before he continued,
it is useless to try and rent quarters
for such case. We might, however.
buy a small cottage and take him
there. / have figured the thing up and
the total expense would be about
| S.. OOO If you are willing to
hand over that amount l will
take him away and assume
ALI further responsibility. | make the
offer entirely out of sympathy for your
guests The landlord looked him in
the eve l. too, have thought the sit
uation over he said, and I'm con-
WINGED it's confidence game. pure and
simple I'm convinced there's nothing
the matter with your dear friend uD-
stairs but am also convinced that the
slightest breath of the affair would
greatly damage the reputation of the
house. AS business proposition | con-
slider it worth $1,000 to get rid of you
The other man smiled ironically. Call
cab and get out your money! ne