Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-13
THEFTS IN HOTELS
Traps to Catch Guests That Have
the Souvenir Fad.

The concerted action of the house de-
tectives of all the large hotels in Amer
len has carefully extracted the points
from two erstwhile excellent stories,
the first ascribed to Adele Richie.
who, when asked once if she had ever
beep in Kansas City. replied. II can't
Just remember, but I will look among
INV towels and see." and the second
the more pathetic narrative OF the
young man who was obliged TO break
off his engagement because as he left
the dining room of n large hotel with
his tiancee a number of forks and
spoons fell from the sleeves of her
gown. for the house detectives have
devised q system" whereby the man
/ or woman who wants to take a souve
mir from big hotel finds her path be-
set with almost insurmountable diff
culties.
The matter is carried on with the
| greatest artfulness. There ere no
hurt feelings" no bones broken, no
arrests made.
The house detectives simply extract
the unrightfully attached articles as
! painlessly as they extract the points
from old stories. and in the great ma
| jOrity of cases the frustrated borrow
ef' never knows at all what happened
to him.
First the detective IS provided with
Il complete list of everything which is
| owned by the hotel-every particle OF
linen, silver. soap. etc. Then he'dele-
gates the responsibility for the care OF
them 70 various head walters. walters.
housekeepers and chambermaids.
Then he gets Il list each day of new
arrivals and of those who having re
manned n few days are preparing To
leave. From these lists of occupied
rooms the detective calculates the
areas where trouble might possibly
brew and into these he gees with his
| subdivided lists and checking up
/ book
The chambermaid is required to give
an exact accounting of every piece of
linen she has supplied to the man or
woman who is about to leave. This is
in turn taken to the laundries. where
balance is made of those sheets. towels,
etc. which have come ont of each
room. If there is Il precise balance the
matter ends there, but woe to the wo-
placed carefully in her locked trunk
will not be missed"
Her trunks and bags on their way
| downstairs are simply carried to the
basement floor as If by chance. and
there the house detective. with the aid
of a skeleton key, goes through them
in search of lost hotel linen.
1t is very gently removed and check
ed up on the hOusemaid'S list. and the
trunk is carefully repacked and re-
locked Nothing is left to give warn
ing that the search has been made
and nothing is ever by any remotest
chance said TO the departing guest.
She is sent cheerily on her way re-
joicing and is usually perpleXed out Of
all reason TO account for the fact that
! the towels and pillow cases that she
/ knows well she put into her trunk
have mysteriOusly disappeared.
DO YOU suppose for n moment that
this is an extreme case nor even n
rare one? 1t happens on au average
once a day in every large hotel in
New York and with almost as astound-
ing frequency in Boston. Philadelphia
and Chicago.
And in the case of silvcrware the
matter is almost rs simple, though
remedying these thefts requires taking
into your confidence Mt least the man
who pays the bill. for every waiter has
had his eye trained to count up the sill
vervare while he is placing the finger
bowls. and if so much as one small
spoon is not where ii should be 1t IS
unostentatlously placed upon the bill.
The hotel Graciously leaves it to the
discretion of the escort as 70 whether
or not the culprit shall be told. But at
least it does not permit him TO be en-
liGhtened only by the belated method
of leaky sleeve.
Again, the head waiter will assure
you that this happens. not once or
twice but ceaseleSsly.
MANY a woman that thinks she's
GOT away with IL would he surprised to
know that II is down in black and
white on her escorts check and that
both he and the hotel know inst how
many spoons and forks she is taking
home with hsr." said one genial head
waiter who viewed the business with
considerable indulgence. - New York
Times.