Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-10-08
A CONFIDENCE GAME.
II Was Boldly Planned and Sue
cessfulIy Worked. ~
THE WcTIM BADLY CAUGHT.

A Daring and Braxsn Smallpox SWIM
die BY Which Two Clever sehsmsrs
FIseeed a Helpless Hotel Keeper Out
o. 5000.
II dare say you never heard Of the
great smallpox swindle." said the hotel
manager THE facts Of that remark
able affair were withheld at the time
for the most urgent reasons OF policy.
and even now / prefer to tell the story
without names or localities. 1t hap
pened in the fall Of 1885, when GER
tain hotel in large western city was
crowded with tourists. One day at
the height Of the season two gentle
manly looking strangers put up at the
house and were assigned to what we
call q double room About a week
later one Of them appeared at the Of
dee and requested private interview
with the manager. i regret to inform
you he said after the door was closed,
that my friend is down with a Sc
we're attack Of smallpox
THE proprietor nearly fell out OF
his chair. There was known to be
smallpox in the city, and the bare sug-
gestion that the disease had appeared
In the hotel was enough to empty it In
twinkling. To let the news get out
meant the loss Of thousands upon
thousands OF dollars. 1t meant the
ruin Of the seasons business. He
must be quietly removed at once said
the proprietor. trying to control his
agitation.
'Removedg exclaimed the other
Taken through the cold afr to laza-
rettol Why, man, that would be MUIR
der! I'll not permit itP
1.-THE hotel keeper was thunder
struck. DO you mean to say he must
stay hereY he gasped.
Certainly said the stranger.
1T was a ticklish situation. The ho-
tel keeper dare not enforce his sugges-
ton. while to let the case remain was
like storing gunpowder in a furnace
room. He pleaded. protested. begged,
threatened and clustered, but all in
vain. The man was firm as rock. TfN
you attempt to eject my sick friend
he declared. I'll publish your lnhuman-
ity to the entire community
Finally 1t occurred to the distracted
to see first whether it was
really case Of smallpox, so he sent
for a physician, swore him to secrecy
and hustled him up to the room. The
doctor took one look at the dishgured !
face on the pillow and reported that
the malady was there in a malignant
type. He advised the mans immediate
removal at any cost. If you keep him
concealed he said, the disease may
spread, and It would ruin you for life.
You owe something to your guests
Again the proprietor interviewed the
friend, and again the latter refused to
bulge from his position.
Where can ! take hlmP he de-
manded. You know very well can't
get comfortable quarters for such a
purpose. and l won't have him butch
cred in pesthouse to please any land
lord on earthg The hotel man felt his
hair stand on end. but concluded to let
things stand as they were until morn
Ing.
Next day he sent for the sick mans
friend and asked him whether he had
my suggestions to make.
Yes he replied. Il thought up a
plan overnight, which you may adopt
1r not, as you like. As l said before
he continued, 1t is useless to try to
tent quarters for such a case. We
night, however, buy a small cottage
Ind take him there. have figured |
he thing up. and the total expense
would be about $1,000 II you are
Wiling to hand over that amount
VIII take him away and assume all
'urther responsibility. l make the Of