The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-15
He BEAT 100 HOTELS
King Of the Craft Clears
From New York and Tells
How Easy It Was.


checks, doubt if The Smooth Strang-
er" is really dead.
He has forwarded to the National
Hotel Keepers Protective association
{ East Forty-second street, a valedic-
tory address giving the names of all
whom he swindled in August and an
nouncing that he was about to take
his life. Nobody believes this prince
of hotel beats" has carried out his
promise. but at least three hotels
yesterday the words Committed sui
eide" are written in red ink across the
face OF his account.
For downright impudence the mis-
sive from the peripatetic swindler sur
passes anything hotel keepers have
ever seen, for he taunts them as be-
ing the most gullible of men. Ac-
cording to his own record for August
he has defrauded thirty-two innkeepers
and private citizens in all parts of the
United States. Among them are the
proprietors of the Hotel Breslin. the
Hotel Seville and Breton hotel in this
city.
His Written Confession.
The confession. which was dated
September .. is written on the sta
tionery of the Wayne hotel, Detroit
directed to Edgar A. Walz. president
of the association, the letter says:
The information and the list which
| enclose may be of some benefit to
your association. as it may spur the
associated hotel keepers to take some
action to protect themselves against
such crooks as myself.
Il have no excuse to offer unless it
be that am crazy. but shall atone
for it all tonight. as am tired of my
style of living. l shall take passage
on some boat leaving here tonight, and
before morning no man may say where
am.
Since August I, ! have f1eeced vari-
Gus persons in several states out of
more than $500. l would like for you
to inform my mother in Norfolk. Va.
giving her name and address,.
Il find the New York hotels are
easier than any other to bunco. and
there should be some way to protect
them. have walked into hotels with
out sign of baggage and have had
checks. / did SO at the Breslin one
week ago yesterday"
He signs his own name apparently,
and asks for the sake of his wife
and mother his record be not publish
ed any more than necessary.
Assuming the name of Henry T.
Warren. he says. he defrauded the
Breton Hall hotel out of $61.25, while
as Jack Warren he made the Hotel
Breslin lose $13. and as DR.. T. C.
Smith he left an Indebtedness at the
~k
are vouched for with the exception of
those assigned to the Seville, where
the management says all the claim it
will make against the estate of 1.-The
Smooth Stranger" will be $3.50 if his
executors are disposed to settle.
Where II Was EASY"
He was there on August "a and part
of his bill was 81 for carriage hire. He
spent August 25 and 26 in the Breslin,
paying So for room in advance, but
inducing one of the clerks to cash a
check for SO SO that he could pay
cabman. The check came back and
there is bill for luncheon and drinks
still unliquidated.
He was in the Breton Hall, where
he contracted small bill and passed
worthless check for $50. He die
tated letter to Cincinnati paper
house to the public stenographer in
such confidential manner and in SO
loud voice that it won him credit.
The letted was returned after the
departure of THE Smooth Stranger"
by the Ohio house, with the explana-
ton that there must be mistake He
treated Breton Hall with considera-
ton, however, for he left behind
nearly new suit case and two tintype
pictures of himself
The man was about thirty years old
and not more than five feet eight
inches in height His face smooth
and his. hair jet black. He was of
fairly solid build. but his cheeks were
little thin and drawn. as If from
worry or dissipation. Over his left
eye was vivid scar. His garb in New
York was blue serge. His address was
easy and he had an air of reserve
which inspired confidence.
In the remarkable list he forwarded
it is set forth that under the alias of
John T. Hardin he registered in
Green's hotel, Philadelphia, and left
an unpaid bill for $3.50. He employed
the same alias in contracting an obli-
cation of $23 in the Hotel Stafford, in
Baltimore.
AS August Richie he AYERS he OBJ
tanned $12 under false pretenses from
the lroquois hotel in Buffalo, and
then as f. G. Warren ran up bill of
$3.50 in the Lafayette. His operations
In Detroit were conducted under the
name of Milton Elliott where So is
charged against him at the st. Clair,
and as Albert Mercer he registered in
the Cadillac and contracted a SC. so ac-
count which he did not square.
AS w. o. Hazard, where his appe-
tite was not good, he charged himself
with only Is cents for dinner in the
Wayne, exclusive of the stationary of
the house, which he has SO plentifully
used. His total for August is $439. 80.