The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-07-12
THE HNTERMoUNTAIN COLORADO CATHOLIC: H. 1902

LIE I'm EkN1OOINI Al
thief of this class is ever in the least
snort or brusque in his manner. He IS
suave, hat-lifting. cigar giving and most
cordial and affable.
Every hotel of note has its private del
sectlNe nowadays, and some of the larger
houses have a staff of sleuths who cir
culate among the guests, their real call
ing being known TO only few of those
with whom they come in daily contact.
1hey do much clever work in ferreting
out criminals. but their efforts have been
consplcuously unsuccessful of late, for
despite the fact that hotel managers Will
co everything in their power to keep the
news OF robbery secret reports of many
jewel robberies of late have reached the
general public, while stories of shady
transactions and sharp gambling opera
ions are getting more frequent
The large hotels make special efforts to
protect their guests. known to be men OF
Importance financially. Such men are the
faVorite prey for the adventures of this
class who will endeavor to dupe them by
plans well conceived and executed, APP
peahng to some special fad or folly OF
the man to be victimiZed.
Many men nowadays carry not only
large sums of money with them, but also
quantities of unset gems of value, this
being one of the eccentricities that mod
ern millionaires indulge themselves in.
Such men, if once caught in the net,
are willing to double their losses as
rule rather than have any news of their
experiences get out. When it is recorded
that one hotel detective was discharged
not very long ago for introducing Chi
cago crook, posing as dealer IN art
treasures, to a New York millionaire, 1T
will be seen at once that the hotel sleuth
is not so astute nor so lynX-eyed as he
should be in all cases.
Sometimes it is trifle difficult to tell
the knave from the fool among these
hotel jewellers. Women and men who ac-
quire wealth i'll other cities, in reputable
as well as in questionable pursuits, will
come to town with unlimited cash and
plenty of good clothes.
They may choose to maintain absolute
secrecy as to their previous condition. No
body knows who they are, but they are
guests at one of the highest-priced houses
in town and they pick up acuuaintances
in the parIors and halls entirely on the
strength of their dwelling place.
a successful dreSsmaker from small
town will visit the city for the purpose of
studying the fashions She will have an
excellent wardrobe with her and she will
make for the best hotel, where she fan
cieS that she can get in direct touch with
women of fashion and position.
The first acquaintance she may acquire
will perhaps be an adventures posing as
western widow of means. Both women
will keep strict silence as to their ante
cedents and each will lie picturesquely in
her endeaVor to convince the other that
she is . lady of quality.
frequently the honest uFeSSlnaker Will
be Swallowed by the hotel sleuth on ac
count of her suspicious stories, reported
TO him, perhaps, by the western widow.
Some amusing complications occur which
would make good material for a comedy
drama When crook meets crook and
dresSmaker meets drummer, all four pos
ing as millionaires and all meeting fire.
quently at gay little theatre parties and
over SupperS, the situation becomes tense
~ amusing.
The hotel adventurer is always ready
to turn jewel robber if the chance pre-
sents itself and if his funds be low. He
will secrete himself in closets and under
beds and use false keys and DISCUSSES in
his efforts to consumnate robbery. He
does his work clearly and cleverly as a
rule.
A hotel clerk who has been twenty
years in the business said in regard to
hotel thieves:
There is no doubt that hotel robberies
are increasing to dangerous extent.
High-class crooks are choosing the fash
ionable hotels as a field to work, and
some houses have had the hard luck to
be selected specially for this purpose
Your hotel adventurer is always ready
to become jewel thief if his schemes do
not carry. These men live by their wits
and have big hotel and livery bills which
they settle weekly. They are difficult to
catch, because they are clever. and their
being guests of the hotel protects them.
"Of course the ordinary crook is at
once spotted and turned out: But this
new style of hotel thief will have no
mark of the criminal to the outward eye.
He makes a great bluff, forces his
companionship upon men of standing.
Then he uses the fact of his acquaint-
anceship often with the most marvellous
success.
1.-The summer hotels have fairly teemed
with these thieves within the last few
seasons. At Bar Harbor and at one Long
Island hotel of note the robberieS. of jew
els and cash were so frequent that there
was no sort of doubt that a gang was
working skillfully on the same lines in
both resorts.
access to rooms than in town houses.
There are fewer watchmen and windows
are always open, offering entrance by
balconies and over roofs and porticos.
Then. too, women will leave their
Jewels around so carelessly that it is a
wonder they do not lose them oftener
even than they do In the hotel business
we become quite accustomed to having
our chambermaids find thousands of dol
lors' worth of jewelry and hundreds of
dollars in cash left under pillows by
guests who have departed.
ut would seem as though there is no
use in calling attention to the warning
that is posted on every hotel door calling
for the deposit oe jewels and cash in the
hotel safe. Women will not do it, al
though men make a rule of leaving large
amounts of cash at the desk in prefer
ence to carrying it about with them at
night.
''Women say it is too much bother, but
this is ridiculous. Women who own these
great outfits of gems always travel with
maids, and it is just as easy for them to
send their jewelry and cash to the hotel
desk as to strew them about their apart
ments.
LAS yet the hotel thieves have picked
out say half a dozen of the best known
hotels in different parts of the country
for their operations. Unless a SPEEDY;
stop is put to their success. they will
doubtless enlarge their field