New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-10
WIRE TAPPERS BACK IN
TOWN, HOTEL MEN SAY
Two Victims FIeeced Recently
Out of $4,000 Each, 1t
Is Declared.
POLICE PROFESS IGNORANCE
Proprietors of Hostleries to EN-
ploy Own Detectives to
Protect Patrons from
Swindlers.

The wire tsppers are back in town
according TO several men who run hotels
around 42d street and Broadway and
| have reasons TO rue the operations of
| these gentry. The hotel men said yes
terday they were going 10 employ their
| own detectives this winter because the
city's sleuths seemed TO be unable to
/ keep the Western crooks out of town.
| AS proof Of their contention a story
was told by one Of them last night of a
wealthy Boston shoe dealer who was in
/ duced 10 come TO this city through the
| rosy representations Of a gang Of wire
tappers and was relieved of $4,000 in
cash before he learned the fine points of
the game. When he had been sufficient
! ly dazzled by tales of the millions he
was 10 make the story ran, he was met
at 9th street and Broadway by several
members of the gang and escorted TO a
house in 10th street, near Sixth avenues
Here suite Of rooms was fitted up
with all the paraphernalia incident TO
the wire tappers' trade. and bulletins
were issued with alluring regularity pur-
porting 10 be from the Louisville races
and other sporting events occurring in
the South. The deluded merchant in
vested $4,000 in a sure thing. and the
only thing that turned out TO he sure
was the disappearance Of the $4,000.
Inspector Cornelius Hayes. who got
thirty days TO clean up the precinct
when Smiling Dick" Walsh left it ten
days ago, said last night that no hint Of
such an a"air had come 10 his knowl-
edge. He referred inquiries concerning
il 10 Captain. Day. Of the West nth
street station. Captain Day maintained
that II had not occurred In his precinct,
or. If II had, IL was without the knowl-
edge Of the police. a Central Office de
tective, however, remembered havins
heard something about IT, though he
himself had not been assigned to the
case.
1t was said that this was the second
case that had come to light within the
last two weeks. The other also involved
the loss Of $4,000. and was perpetrated
in the same neighborhood
While Inspector Hayes has conducted
number Of sensational raids since his
advent in the district, he has rs yet
turned over no prisoners TO justice. and
the hotel men assert that gambling is
going on Unchecked. Though the in
spector usually starts out on his raids
with a bunch of warrants he always
seems to arrive. they say, after the birds
have flown.
The trouble according to several Of
the critics, is with the new system re-
Gently introduced into the detective
force The old sleuths. they point out,
have been taken away from the scene Of
operations Of the crooks. and the new
men assigned 10 the Tenderloin are un-
familiar with the old offenders. These
can consequently come into the city with
comparative safety and practise their
nefarious occupations undisturbed
The round-ups of the strong arm"
squad and the immunity enjoyed by the
residents of the district since the worst
gamblers were driven out have led peo-
pie 70 suppose that gambling and its
! kindred practices had ceased the critics
declare but the feeling is one of false
security. Gambling is going on almost
as extensively as when the town was
/ open it's widest and the unwary are in
1 danger Of falling into the hands of un-
/ scrupulous plunderers at any moment
thev contend