The sun., 1917-06-17
big HOTELSFIND
| SWEDISH ENVOY
"a CARATS BUNK
But He Got Regular "Diplo-
matte 25 Per Cent. Dis
count" at Ritz.
HELD NOW FOR FORGERY
'Tis Said by Police He's Carl
G. Frossel, a Civil Engineer
From Chicago.

A suave person OF middle age breesed
into the Ritz-Carlton Hotel recently and
said he was the Swedish Minister cnd
wished to register. whereupon the RITZ
folk called forth the most ornateiy gold
braided lobby gov in the whole lobby
and had him run up the Swedish fag
outside. But yesterday when the same
suave person stepped into the Waldorf
lobby House Detective Joe Smith. who S
been getting good bags with his little
snare recently. called a cop and had the
guest" run In.
The Rits-Carlton went even further
In showing honor to the bogus Minister
from Sweden than merely running UP
the Swedish flag. The Ritz gave the
near celebrity the advantage of what the
management yesterday called their dip
lomatic rs per cent. discount" The Ritz
is popular with diplomats. Ambassador
Won Bernstorr always stayed there. SO
did Ambassador Gerard upon his return
from abroad Nothing could be more
natural therefore than for a traveller in
the habit OF registering as wilhelm
A. F. Ekengren. Minister from Sweden,
to go to the Rtz-Carlton and grab or
on the invitation of the management
that rs per cent. discount which the Ritz
insists visiting diplomats receive.
And did he pay his bill here ?" was
the question put by reporters nocking
to the Ritz Office yesterday not long
after House Detective Joe Smith OF the
Waldorf had seen to It that the bogus
Minister from Sweden" was transferred
from the Waldorf to Police Headquar-
ters.
Gave His Check.
"Oh. yes" replied the Ritz Official
He stayed here one nisht-June s last
and paid his bill upon leaving. He
gave US his check"
And did the check come back before
you got chance to haul the Swedish
flag DOWN." some one asked.
"Oh. no." was the answer. 'The
check has not come back-yet."
But according to charge Of forgery
lodged against the suave person yes.
terday by G. w. Barmore of the Marx
Cross leather goods house in Fifth ave
nue.. and from walls from the Brighton
Hotel at Atlantic City. the Waldorf, the
Rogers Peet Company. Tiffany's-twenty
complaints In all-the suave person
seemed to have signed some of his
checks with cooking ink or something
like that which caused the checks to bt
! about as valuable as Polo Ground,
rain check at the end Of a perfect day
The man first blew into the Waldorf
In the middle Of the big storm of Thurs
day afternoon. He edged a visiting cart
toward the room clerk and the clerl
promptly began TO take a lot Of motto,
when he saw engraved upon the card
''Wilhelm A. F. Ekengren. Minister from
Sweden"
I'm making a quiet visit to the city.
said the new arrival my health ism
OF the best. SO I should appreciate tn,
favor II you say nothing about my pres
ence here. Attentions from the pres
or public would only annoy me-"
A Private Register.
The room clerk told the man about
private register which outsiders neve
would see and the man signed the Swed
ish Minister'S name thereon. He wa
assigned to a modest room and bath o.
the fourth floor, Fifth avenue side
which had caught his fancy. Until yes
terday no more thought was given I
him and he was rarely seen about tn
main floor.
But yesterday morning along cam
the daily printed warning from the Ho
tel Mems Association telling hotel man
agements to be on the lookout for
medium sized. well dressed man. abou
55 years old, delicate In build and deco
rated with q gray mustache. who woul
use the name Of tho Swedish Ministe
to the United States. House Detectiv
Joe Smith paused only long enough I
get into telephone communication wit
Police Inspector John Cray at headquai
ters and then streaked up to the fourt
floor.
| The bogus Swedish Minister'S" roor
was unoccupied. The man. who tn
police said later had confessed to bein
Chicago civil engineer out OF wor
named Carl G.. Frossel. was out on tn
avenue taking a constitutional. Will
Joe Smith was awaiting his return alon
came Detective Kelly OF the first branc
detective bureau. an added starter whol
INSPECTOR Cray had sent along to joi
the reception committee.
House Detective Joe and Detectiy
. Kelly took a room at the Waldorf then
selves, q room Just across from the or
used the night before by the allege
Minister" and waited around for III
Waldorf guest" to return from h
stroll on the avenue. Just before moo
the man came In and entered his room.
New Clothes n Plenty.
| SO did Joe Smith and Kelly. In IL
room were three new travelling baf
which had been purchased at the Gro.
store. Also there were new cloth,
a plenty In tho closet. Detective Kel
promptly told tho guest" to come alor
to Police Headquarters and talk thin,
over with the boss down there. tt
man offered not even verbal resistance.
pretty nifty new shoes you're wea
Ing" Joe Smith remarked. "rhey loc
like pair set myself back twel,
bucks for at Martin & Martins the 9th,
day"
= IT got these at Martin 4 Martins
: answered the near diplomat easily. "b,
they are a bit better than yours. l pa
! $14 for mine"
At Police Headquarters later Inspe
. tor Cray, Detective Kelly. Joe Smith al
t tho prisoner went into executive sessio
When the weighty conference was end,
the police said the prisoner had told the
: he was Carl q. Frossel of Chicago al
) that he had been civil engineer b
had decided he wasn't strong enough :.
work and therefore had cast about 4
some gooG idea whereby he could II,
r happily on nothing a year. He adde
: according to his inquisitors. that the n
. tion of pretending to be the Swedil
! Minister had struck him as a splend
1 scheme.
Among his effects was a new che.