Weekly journal-miner., 1915-12-29
SPOTTER INVADES
 PRIVACY OF THE HOME
(From Wednesdays DaiIy.)

(From Wednesdays Daily)
 If a detective, or a "spotter," had approached your wife, your mother, or your daughter and tried to pur- chase bottle or drink of whiskey feigning a bad cold in an attempt to get evidence against her for boot logging, what would you want to do to him? That is the question that is scurrying around among the house holds of the city of Prescott for just such an attempt and more than one has been made in the past two months. Fortunately. it is said, for the detcc- tives that they were not successful.
 An instance of the question stated was presented to Journal-Miner re porter yesterday and the woman wAo was approached and who told of others being approached revealed the story on the promise that her name would not be used.
 The woman has lived in the city for the past thirty years and it was only through her good heart and mercy on an alleged bookseller suffering from feigned severe cold and cough that she came near being taken into the clutches of the law and tried for bootlegging.
 The man who appeared at her house recently came as book and magazine seller taking subscriptions for the Ladies' Home Journal. He told her that his name was Reiff. Al though there may be no connection, the name is similar to that of the ]. w. Rieff who has been in Prescott for quite a period working as spot ter"- or detective for the sheriff's office.
 "Reiff," the woman said, "came to my home first about the middle cf October and tried to get me to sub scribe for the Ladies Home Journal. I told him that I did not want it and he insisted on being permitted to el. ter my home and show me the maga- zine and tell me of the advantages that could be obtained by taking it.
 My small boy happened to core to the door at that time and he want ed to show the man some new toys he had received. Reiff took advantage Of this opportunity and entered my home without further invitation. He had not been in the parlor but few minutes when he started complainine of a severe cold and began to cough. He then asked me while looking at my sons toys whether l knew where he could get a drink of whiskey for his cold or whether I could get him a drink. 1 told him that l had none inl the house and did not know where any could be bought.
 "Reiff continued to cough and act ed as if he was choking and he told me that he had brought some whiskey with him but that his partner, who was a regular 'souse,' had drank ri! of it. He said that ne would give anything for a small drink to cure his cold. l, taking pity on him, said that I would see if I could find any around the house and it wasn't but mo- ment before he pulled a five-dollar bill from his pocket and said that he would give the entire amount for it.
 After searching all over the house I could not find the least sign of drop of whiskey or brandy and re turned. He immediately handed out the $5 again and said that l should try and get some for him with 1t. l refused to accept the money and said that if I could get any for him l would. The next day he returned with his cough and cold about twice as bad as it had been the day before. Tn the meantime I had talked with other people and had been advised that ne was 'spotter.' He continued to come around for two days more but I would have nothing to do with him because I had found out just what he was trying to do."