The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-21

hotel dwellers. Women and men who ac- quira wealth in other cities, in reputable as well as in questionable pursuits. will como to town with unlimited cash and plenty of good clothes.
 They may choose to maintain absolute secrecy as to their previous condition. Nobody knows who they are, but they are guests at one of the highest-priced houses in town and they pick up ac- duafntances in the parlors and halls en- tirely on the strength of their dwelling place.
 A successful dressmaker from a 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 fancies 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 a Western widow of means Both women will kee- strict silence as to their an- tecedents and each will lie picturesauely in her endeavor to convince the other that she is a lady of quality
 Frequently the honest dreSSmaker will be shadowed 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 comedy drama. When crook meets crook and dressmaker meets drummer, all four pos- ing as milionaires, and all meeting fre- quently at gay little theater parties and
  ly 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 disguises in his efforts to consummate a robbery. He does his work cleanly and cleveriy, as a rule.
 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 Highclass crooks are choosing the fash iona'ble hotels as 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 cult to catch because they are clever, and their being guests of the hotel protects them.
 Of course, the ordinary crook is at new style of hotel thief will have no mark of the criminal to the outward eye.
 ''He makes great bluff forces his companionship upon men of standing Then he uses the fact of his acquaint- anceship often with the most marvellous success.
 ''rhe summer hotels have fairly teened
  | 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 skillfuly on the same lines in both resorts.
 At summer hotels there Is much freer access to rooms than in town houses. There are fewer watchmen and windows ara always open, offering entrances by balconies and over roofs and porticos Then too, women will leave their jew els around so carelesslv that 1t is a won- der 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 dollars worth of jewelry and hundreds of dollaNs in cash left under pillows by guests .who have departed
 Tt would seem as though there Is no use in calling attention to the warning ing for the deposit of jewels and cash in the hotel safe. Women will not do 1t, al- though men make q rule of leaving large amounts of cash at the desk in preference to carrying 1t about with them at night. "Women say 1t is too much bother. but this is ridiculous. Women wl1 own thes3 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 apartments.
 "As vet the hotel thieves have picked ont say half a dozen of the best-known hotels in different parts of the country for their operations. Unless speedy stop is put to their success. they will doubt less enlarge their field"