The herald., 1895-05-26
BICYCLE THIEVES COMBINE.
Organized Gang With Extensive
Operations
THEIR SYSTEM EXPLAINED
Los Angeles and Other Cities That Have
Suffered
Burr and Lawson Had the Quarry Spotted,
but Their Efforts Were Blocked by ~
Northern Officer

have been doing wholesale stealing OF
bicycles in California. Tho principal
places of action have been Los Angeles,
San Francisco, San Jose. Oakland and
Sacramento. Thousands of dollars worth
of machines have been gathered in by
thieves. In Los Angeles alone something
over a hundred machines have been re-
ported as lost. This combination-for
such the thieves had constituted them
selyes-has agencies in the towns mem
toned, and it looks as though some Of the
agents of well-known bicycle houses
might be implicated in the stealings. The
method of doing business was to take
the name or number off the bicycles. box
them up and ship them to Texas as ma
chinery, where the agents thcre dis
tributed them to others in the organiza-
tion.,, The Curtins detective agency, Of
San Francisco has been working on the
cases and thinks it has some Of the ras-
cally parties located and will he able to
make some arrests in u few days. The
county officials here have been quietly
working in the matter and have traced
two of the parties to Marysville, at which
point all traces were lost. They, however,
think chat they are in possession OF facts
that warrant them III saying they will
make arrests soon.
Sheriff Burr said yesterday that he had
located two of the stolen machines at
Norwalk but was unable to accomplish
any results as the interested eastern par-
ties refused to pay the charges for the
return OF the machines. These machines
were shipped from Kansas City to Nor
walk. Sheriff Burr Is sure these machines
were stolen, as they show unmista keable
signs of having been tampered with. 1t
is very likely that these two machines
~ l,s~ %
Kansas City, there doctored and returned
to the coast, and this general plan of ac-
tion seems to have been pursued with all
Of the filched machines.
Sheriff Burr was very retlcert, saying
he could give no information as to who
the suspected parties were, and opposed
the publication Of the facts as stated
above, as he did not wish to put them on
guard. The alarm has been given to tie
guilty parties, however, and they have
ceased operations, at least for the time.
An Associated Press dispatch from Santa
Rosa appeared in Frioay's Call. and it
throws a little light on the matter. 1t is
here reproduced:
There are number of scant pocket
books and sad hearts here on account of
the. departure of G. A. Palmer. who has
been iE the bicycle business here (Santa
Rosa) aobut six months, and instead OF
roses some prominent wheelmen have
sad colors on their wheels.
Palmer is carpenter who came here
about year ago. He is a great bicycle
crank. aud after being here while
opened bicycle shop and store on Men
iocino street. He became associated in
the bicycle business with T. prominent
banker. and between the two . nice busi-
ness was SOON built up. ..5.
Palmer sold many wheels and repaired
more. A week ago Sunday he left for
San Francisco, taking his trunk and tools
with him. He has not been heard OF
since, and men who know him think he
will never show up again. few days
from the chief Of police Of San Jose ask
ing if any such man were here. Some
think that this was the reason for his
sudden de arturo
lone bicyclist here who gave him 500
for tandem wheel is still looking for the
wheel. and Others mourn his departure
is in the hands Of the sheriff, and many
creditors are struggling with writs OF at
tachnent and other legal means to relrn-
burse themselves" ,s
Local bicyclists have suffered severely
from the inroads Of these thieves, as is
evidenced from the fact that over one
hundred machines have disappeared from
this city during the past few months,
This man G. A. Palmer and a fellow
nsmed Seaman thought to be Charles
Seaman) worked as chief OF the gang in
tho west. San Antonio. Texas. was the
headquarters and all wheels stolen in all
the cities from Portland, Ore. to Los
packed and shipped as machinery to San
Antonio, there "doctored' by removal OF
number and name, and then sent to
Kansas City. There they were overhauled
vanished. remembered and named. and
shipped as new wheels to tho agencies in
oo11 -vit
Sheriff Burr and Detective Lawson have
been working on the case for months
and thought they could pinch the local
agent of the combination and capture the
leaders. But though Chief Ut Police
James Awkward of San Jose ran the
criminals down at Santa Rosa and he ana
Sheriff Burr were about to Law their
hands on them, the famed detective. city
marshal there, rushed into print and his
consuming desire for glory gave Palmer
hint. and be packed HIS grip for San Fran
cisco.
OF course, by this time kilograms have
for rounding up the whole com bination
are decidedly dubious. Sheriff Burr says
he has captured two Of the transformed
machines at Norwalk, to which place
they were shipped from Denver, con
signed toj Palmer & Seaman. The local
Rambler men. through their private
efforts and expense. have CAPTURED three
of their wheels at San Antonio AMI will
shortly have them returned here. And so
bcycles have been disappearing from
this city, and despite the labors Of the
local police, have never been recovered
to their owners. It was a gigantic combi-
nation. and though no arrests have been
made, there is no doubt it, has been well