The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1914-01-02
HEFTS IN HOTELS
Traps to Catch Guests That Have
the Souvenir Fad.
DETECTIVES AND DIPLOMACY.

Way to Foil the Efforts OF Those Who
Feel II Duty TO Help Themselves
TO Fine Linen and silverware.
The concerted action OF the house de-
Ntecttves Of all the large hotels In Amer
lea has carefully extracted the points
from two erstwhile excellent stories,
the first, ascribed to Adele Richie,
who, when asked once IL she had ever
been In Kansas City, replied, II can't
just remember, but will look among
my towels and see" and the second
the more pathetic narrative Of the
young man who was obliged to break
or his engagement because as he left
the dining room Of large hotel with
his fancee a number Of forks and
spoons fell from the sleeves Of her
gown, for the house detectives have
devised system" whereby the man
or woman who wants to take 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
1Qrity Of cases the frustrated aborrow-
never knows at all what happened
him.
First the detective Is provided with
COMPLETE list Of everything which Is
owned BY the hotel-eyery particle Of
linen, silver, soap, etc. Then he dele
gates the responsibility for the care Of
them to various head walters, walters,
hOusekeepers and chambermaids.
Then he gets q list each day Of new
arrivals and of those who having re-
manned 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 goes with his
subdivided lists and a checking mp
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 a
balance Is made Of those sheets, towels,
etc, which have come out Of each
room. II there Is precise balance the
matter ends there, but woe to the wo-
man who believes that the towels she
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 IL by chance, and
there the house detective, with the aid
Of a skeleton key, goes through them
In search of lost hotel linen.
It 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
al 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 moment that
this is ain extreme case nor even q
rare one? It happens on an average
once 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 silverware the
matter is almost as simple, though
femedying these thefts requires taking
into your confidence at least the man
who pays the bill, for every waiter has
had his eye trained to count up the sill
verware while he is placing the finger
bowls and If so much as one small
spoon is not where It should be It is
unostentatiously placed upon the bill.
The hotel graciously leaves 1t to the
discretion Of the escort as to whether
or not the culprtt, shall be told. But at
least it does not permit him to be en-
iightened 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 it would be surprised to
know that 1t is down in black and
white on herr escorts check and that
both he and the hotel know just how
man4 spoons and forks she is taking
homo with her." said one genial head
waiter, who viewed the business with
considerable indulgence New York
Timeb,