New-York tribune., 1901-09-22
HOTEL DETECTIV ES.
THEY KEEP BAD MEN ON THE MOVE AND
PERFORM MANY OTHER SERVICES.

A large. hotel. The man who answered looheu
like drummer waiting in the hotel lobby 1or
trade" but he the house detective. ana
had lust finished a little conversation with the
person in question. The card man went to the
cigar stand, lighted the half cigar which had
gone ont smiled at the detective and walked
out.
The man who makes his living by dishonest
methods. the card sharp, gold brick man. saw
dust speculator, green goods agent, sneak thlei
or confidence man. was formerly dreaded py
the proprietors of metropolitan hotels. IheSe
men came to the hotels in all sorts of disguises
End reaped rich harvests among the guests from
the hayseed districts. But for the last lie"
years they have abandoned the hotels as oao
operating fields. The coniidence men who stll
wsrk In reputable hotels are new, or they have
a new game to play. Card sharps lure thelr
prey to "clubrooms' and private apartments.
green goods men make their headquarters at
hote.s in the suburbs in the lower part OK
thu. cty and all around crooks know that the
glare. of light in an uptown hotel is not bene-
fetal to their health With these members OK
the criminal world eliminated one would natu-
rally believe that there was no longer any oc-
cupation for the hotel detective. But there are
few hotels that do not carry at least one de-
tective and in some instances as many as four,
their payroll
The who stopped" the card sharp and
told him in diplomatic terms that he guessed
he'd better find some other place to hang out,
explained that he had met the man at Saratoga
at the races. here the detective worked dur
iue the summer months. He had hard name
among the bookmakers.' said the detective,
and they know pretty well how to gauge
man. but We don't have TO turn many of his
kind away. They don't turn up here-not one
in "A blue moon. But have hands full
just the same. The sneak thief is like the poor
and taxes. always with us. The odtimers we
needn't fear. because they work in the country
but the gang that travels in all sorts of cos
tunes from college student to priest-those
the fellows we have to look out for. An
other Troublesome lot the men who have
game work the fellows who have big mails
come to their address, and lots OF callers in
answer to advertisements. Many of these fell
lows are crooks, who fleece their visitors, and
it's business to get onto their games
At the Waldorf-Astoria there are four de
tectives in the employ of the house, exclusive
of two women who are on duty when crowds OF
unusual size are expected. These people have
regular duties to perform, but they are ex-
pected To keep their eyes o. all parts of the
house to note the arrivals and departures. TO
who sends cards to the guests To make
regular tours of the upper floors 10 see that
one is 'Working' the rooms Of absent guests,
and at evening functions to mingle with the
throng always being ready to quel disturb
ances or bow out" any Objectionable person
who may have slipped into the place.
AT the smaller hotels the time of the de-
tective is utilized in various ways He takes
the deposits to the bank acts as purchasing
agent, stands between the manager and the
unknown visitor, and is often the general utility
man Of the house. At of the hotels In the
residence district of New-York there is a de
tctiV" who receives no pay for his services.
H. Is there few months every year, and does
the work in the hotel to. "freshen up" and SEE
and hear things that are necessary. In the
summer from July until October he is at
Northern summer resort where he keeps
eye the visitors. aces as confidential
man for the proprietor. strolls through the halls,
tries the doors If guests who away,
sees that no baggage is smuggled out of tho
house. and that no unde sirabie people Snug
ei"d in. After the summer season he has a few
months in New-York. which he devotes to
study in a metropolitan hotel. He requires.
books anI no instructors, but simply hangs
aiound' AID keeps his eyes and ears open.
Then the Southern sca opens. and the de-
t"ctive goes To a Southern hotel to perform the
duties there as at the Northern spa. The
winter: the other 'of times" with
him
The tourist who is anxious q New York