The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-07

He is as picturesque a person in his
modern way as any of the famous high
Waymen of history. Sometimes he has
followed his prey across the continent of
Europe without getting his chance some
times IL IS only from the steamer deck,
where ne has struck up an acquaintance
with some capitalist under the guise of
cordial good fellowship.
When the up-to-date hotel thief becomes
thorough master of his trade and is
successful enough to travel in this fash
Ion. he. as rule. operates alone. Until
ne amasses experiences enough TO aid
MIN in carrying off big prizes that en-
recreation between his enterprises he is
Obliged often to take cha mbermaids and
bell boys into his confidence. sending
them on ahead of him sometimes TO pre-
pare ways and means.
II he has a wife with him she will in
varfably be handsome and finely goWned
and jeweled. She viii be gracious. often
fascinating. and will pose as martyr 10
the male friends that are picked up by
the couple on their journeys. Nothing ap-
peais 10 great many men so much as
the idea OF pretty and neglected wife
who is sacrificing herself for her hus-
band.
The couple will be extremely hospitable
and will entertain in their hotel rooms.
Then there are various methods that are
put in operation Champagne Will De con-
sumed and whist or poker proposed Or
frequently. as there has grown 10 be a de-
gree of suspicion about these hotel card
games. there is no talk OF cards
In the latter case the guest is boldly
robbed His money or Vaiuables are deity
extracted from his pockets.
He may know quite well when ne dis
covers his loss that he has been robbed.
but he will have no proof. In the case
OF cards he is cheated invariably and led
on 10 play further by various means until
Sometimes he is allowed TO seem 10
win large amounts, but in the END ne is
always the loser TO an extent that makes
the game a very profitable one to those
who pursue it,
In the corridors OF some of the fashion
able hotels each evening one can see
many of these men and women, bearing
in the dress and their faces no mark OF
their pursuits They are not. as a rule,
known to New York detectives.
They come from abroad, many of them,
and others from the west. Some OF them
are native New Workers who pose as
brokers and spectators They belong to
that large, ever-growing class whose call
ing and means OF livelihood are mys-
terry.
They appear each evening in. faultless
attire. frequent the cafe and billiard
rooms. make acquaintance over tickers
and at racing boards. often pose as gem
erous patrons OF the turf or OF art They
are always We'll hammered. No hotel
thief of this class is ever in the least
short or brusque in his manner. He is
suave, hat-lifting, eigar-giving and most
Every hotel of note has its private de-
tective nowadays, and some OF the larger
houses have Staff of sleuths who cir
ing being known to only a few of those
with whom they come in daily contact
They do much clever work in ferreting
out criminals, but their efforts nave been
conspicuousiy unsuccessful of late, for
despite the fact that hotel manager will
do everything in their power to keep the
news OF a robbery secret reports of many
jewel robberies of late have reached the
general public, while stories of shady
transactions and sharp gambling opera
tons are getting more frequent
he =
protect their guests known to be men Of
Importance financially Such men are the
class who Will endeaEor TO dupe them by
plans well conceived and executed. APP
pealing, to some special fad or folly of
the man to be Ylctimized.
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 mllionaires indulge themselves in
Such men, if once caught in the net,
are willing to double their losses as a
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
will be seen a once that the hotel sleuth
is not $50 ast0te nor SO lyRx-eyed as he
should be In all cases
Sometimes it is a-tTifle difficult to tell
the knaye from the fool among these
hotel dwellers- Women and men who &C
quire wealth in other cities. IN reputable
as well as in questionable. pursuits. VIII
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
strength eng Of their dwelling 5iace.
A successful dresSmaker from a small
town will visit the city for the purpose of
excellent wardrobe with her and she will
make for the best hotel. where she fam
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 endeaver to convince the other that
she is a lady of quality
Frequently the honest dressmaker will
be Swallowed by the hotel sleuth on &C
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
ly amusing.
The hotel adventurer is always ready
to turn jewel robber if the chance pre-
will secrete himself in closets and under
beds and use false keys and DISCUSSES in
his efforts to consummate a robbery. He
does his work Clearly and cleverly as
rulc.
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 a dangerous extent.
Eigh-class crooks are choosing the fash
icnable 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
'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
cempanionship upon men of standing
Then he uses the fact of his acquaint-
anceship often with the most marvellous
success.
"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 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 Watchnnen and windows
arc always open, offering entrance by
balconies and over roofs and porticoS.
Then, too. women VIII leave their
jewels around so careleSsly that it is a
wonder they do not lose them oftener