Norfleet: the actual experiences of a Texas rancher's 30,000-mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men. Page: 46 of 369
4 p. l., 344 p. front., plates, ports. 22 cm.View a full description of this book.
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28
N R F LEET
My friends (?) were what the world calls "dead game
sports." It was not unlikely that they might have stopped
off here to spend some of my money. As there was
another train to Corpus Christi that night I stayed over
to have a look at the hotel registers.
All the impressions I ever had of detectives were
connected with hotel registers. I thought I might just
as well begin to learn how they did it.
I went to the St. Anthony Hotel, obtained the register,
otherwise known as the "tattle tale," and gave it the
"once-over." A "J. Harrison" had registered there a
few days ago, but no Stetson. However, I saw at once
that the "J" was written exactly the same as the "J" in
his previous signatures of "J. B. Stetson," the name
under which I first knew him.
I called to the clerk and asked to speak to Mlr. J.
Harrison on the telephone. "Mlr. H-arrison only stayed
a few days and has checked out," he informed me.
"Did he leave a forwarding address?"
"No," he answered.
I then asked if Mr. Spencer or Mr. Gerber had
been in lately.
No, they had not been there for some time. This
showed me that thev were not strangers at this hotel.
I felt if I could locate Stetson I would be pretty sure
to get Spencer at the same time. They worked together;
Stetson, the head; Spencer, the assistant. This wrould
make it a little easier than having them in different parts
of the country.
I discussed the weather, the movies and prohibition
with the clerk, then said casually:
"It just occurs to me that [Mr. Harrison may not
be the Harrison I think he is. I cannot just remember
what the initial of the 1Harrison I am looking for is.
What did this man look like ?"
"Oh, he was about two hundred, great big fellow,
good dresser, usually wore a black derby, good mixer
and never drank. Funny combination "
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Norfleet, J. Frank, 1864-. Norfleet: the actual experiences of a Texas rancher's 30,000-mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men., book, 1924; Ft. Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5864/m1/46/?rotate=270: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .