The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-08
PUNCTURED.
Clever System Of Bicycle
Stealing RudeIy Broken UP.

Inspectors O'Day and Stone think
they have the key to the mystery sur
rounding the disappearance of a mum
Der Of bicycles, which have been stolen
in this city.
Yesterday forenoon they arrested
James W. Monahan, % years old, on
the charge of larceny, and Nicholas
Ricard, 20 years Of age, who runs a
bicycle store on Winter street, for re-
ceiving stolen property
! For some time past the officers have
had a suspicion that the number Of
wheels stolen and their complete dis
appearance was the result of the work
Of a gang who employ a very clever
system in their disposition of the stol-
en- property. Their suspicious have
proved correct. and the arrest Of Mona
han yesterday is but the start of what
is bound to follow along this line, and
| those who have any connection with
this recent industry win save them
selves considerable trouble by bringing
wheels or pieces of wheels that they
have in their possession to police head
quarters.
The system employed by Monahan,
and which he afterward owned up to,
was to steal the wheel and then take
it to pieces, disposing of the various
parts wherever he got a chance. Paint
was scraped from the frames and new
coats of enamel applied, handle bars
and other parts were renickeled, and in
one or two instances it was evidently
| ter their identity had been hidden.
while, as has been stated, many were
sold piecemeal.
August &c. Mrs. C. A. Little Of Is
Belmont street, had her bicycle, valued
at $50. stolen from in front Of her
house. September II, Walter H. But
Ter, who lives on Paine street, lost a
Defiance wheel, valued at $40. Septem-
| Der q, Joseph w. Smith, son of Col. II.
q, Smith, lost his wheel, Lowell Dia-
mond. These are only some of the most
recent losses.
Thursday, Inspectors O'Day and
Stone put in most of the day on this
case, and early yesterday morning took
constitutional, before the sun was
fairly up, in search of Monahan, who
was located at a farm on the Grafton
road, where he had secured work in
picking apples. He was placed under
arrest, and at first denied all knowledge
Of any such matter, but when confront
ed with the evidence, broke down and
told his little story.
The inspectors then went to Ricard' s
| bicycle store, where numDer OF parts
Of missing wheels were located. The
propEI@ror admitted having bought
wheels from a man he afterWard iden-
titled as Monahan.
Various other bicycle stores were Wis
lifted, with the result that wagon load
Of the. component parts Of the popular
vehicle were taken to the Waldo street
station house.
The frame of Smiths Wheel which
was originally red. was found with
the enamel scraped from the frame
preparatory to substituting a different
color
The Defiance Wheel owned by But
Ter, had changed its color from greer
to a bright shade Of pink, the number
being obliterated. The enamel was
scraped of, however, and the imprint
of the figures is plainly discernible
Parts of Mrs. Little's wheel are all that
have come to light thus far, although
the officers are in hopes of getting more
by and by.
Another wheel, with antique oak rim
was also found, but thus far no one has
appeared to Identify this.