Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-12-27
HUSTLINe FOR FOREIGN COIN
Flock of Middlemen Lying In Wait
for Agents of warning
Nations.

Not all the mysterious looking men that
are to be seen in the Hobbies OF the big
hotels In New York these days arc agents
Of foreign governments; nor. on the other
hand. are they men who have something
TO sell, though they may give that Inn
preston. The secret was given away by
L. b. C. Delaney. lawyer Of Washing
ton, who, with his clients. has 4O.oOO horses
to dispose of.
This war has developed an entirely
new industry, at least so far rs this gem
GRAFTON is concerned" said Mr.. Delaney.
ut has produced the war commission
broker.
IT have met here former agents for
steamboat lines, cx-brokers, ex-clerks and
engineers. and they have all got contracts
from foreign governmental. or they have
something 70 SELL" he said. "In most
cases / have investigated, neither Is true
They know somebody or profess to know
somebody that has the one or the other
They belong TO the great class of middle
men who want to make commissions. AS
rule. they are fakes, pure and simple
at least, that has been my experience
1 mean the fellows who hold you up in
the hotel Hobbies, and who run after you
on the streets. How they manage TO get
hold Of ones name and his business beats
me.
why. have received dozens OF letters
from concerns that they understood /
was buying things for foreign govern
ments. and begging to have me look over
their catalogues. have been suspected
Of having come from Europe to make
contracts, instead OF It's being the other
way. have got something to sell. my
self
II will be walking through the corridor
when a mysterious looking mamie may
be well dressed, or he may be shabby, or
he may look as II he had assumed a. dis
guise proper for the occasion. He will
first give me what looks like high
sign Then he will side over in my al.
rection and whisper in my ear. as II my
identity were a state secret. This Mr.
DeianeyT Then he will run on: 4 UNI
derstand you are purchasing supplies for
foreign governments. Now have so many
head OF horses. so many old overcoats, so
many Thousand rounds Of ammunition,
so many cannon. 80 many guns of every
description or something OF the sort
always let them talk. and then they won't
believe me when I tell them am buying
nothing.
''Then there is the other kind, who
want to purchase anything in the nature
Of war supplies. They are Just as mys-
torious. II they find out that have
horses they want me TO give them an op-
ton on them for two or three days. When
I ask them to take me to the real man
who has the contract they admit that
they cannot do that at once but their
relations with that person are OF such
close and confidential nature that they
can do anything, but It will take a little
timo. They can put me In touch with
Prince Somebody. or Count soandso, or
Colonel x. When I ask to be put in
touch they say they viii consult their
clients and disappear Later comes a
telephone call which gives the informa-
ton that their man has gone TO Washing
ton. II l will give them absolute carte
blanche I'm the matter they will purchase
the horses and equipment from me. Often
such deal has ended In a request to
borrow money from me.
Some OF them make their way TO my
rooms. and II the door happens to be I'M
locked they will open without knocking.
II they see piece OF paper lying ON the
dressing table they will try to get near
enough 10 It TO see t. None of these
mention are German secret agents, be-
cause l know pretty we'll who those fell
lows are. New York Times.