Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-19
MOTOR CAR THIEVES
REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF
UP-To-DATE ROBBERS.
Scheme Employed by Sharpers to De-
fraud Dealers and the Garage Keep
ers-Chauffeurs Dragged.
From Tit Bits,

To NJ Hamard chief of the Paris police.
belongs the credit OF recently unearthing
in the French capital a gang of motor
car thieves who. It is estimated. have
swindled provincial manufacturers and
dealers TO the extent OF $4,000. Forged
letters and false bills were the means by
which these thieves secured the delivery
of certain cars. which they resold before
the hue and cry was raised through the
bills being dishonored.
From inquiries made by the Tit-Bits
man II would appear that motor-car
thieves who resort to such lodges chiefly
conhne their operations to the continent,
where a large number of motor cars are
made, and where they are afforded a
greater scope in consequence.
1T may sound little egotistical on my
part. the manager of a wel-known Lon
don garage remarked to the writer re-
Gently. after the aforementioned Paris
case had been related to him. but we
are too careful regarding the bona-fdes
of customer to permit of being duped
IN such Il manner
"At the same time. we came very near
losing an $500 car about twelve months
ago by somewhat different trick
"A message came over the telephone one
day from man who wished to hire one OF
our best cars to hold four people, in adj
dition to the driver. The address of a
well-known hotel was given. and arrange
rnents were made that the party should
call at the garage for the car. At the
time appointed, however, only two men
arrived, explaining that their two friends
had disappointed them y smaller car was
offered but they intimate that they pre-
ferred the large one. and having paid six
guineas. the cost of hiring the car Tor nam
a day. they departed for their spin with
one of our best drivers.
Judge of our surprise when the latter
returned about two hours later, alone in
the car. He told a story which. although
seeming very extraordinary TO US at the
time, we have now every reason to peileVe
was quite true After the car had pro-
ceeded some distance one OF the men
asked the driver to have drink lrom
flask which he carried. The man refused,
saytns; that he did not care to take intoXl-
cants while in charge OF a car. Nothing
more was said about the matter. although
the man tempted the driver 70 drink WIN
them at two or three puoilo houses "'eio
hey stopped.
Chauffeur Stands Pat.
..But the man kept to his resolution and
refused to leave the car. a fact which Seem
ID to anger both men. more especially
when having got some distance into tine
country. the driver again refused to drink
from the proffered flask. They became
sbusive-so much so. in fact, that the
iriver nearly stopped the car and threaten
ID that he would not so on unless they
nended their manners. Apparently the men
had been waiting TOT IlllS, iOI wiz It4S -
came almost to a standstill they bcth jump
ed out and endeayored to gain the driver
seat. with a view. apparently, TO pailihs
him down
ments caused the car to iurch forward 50
that both men lost their mold and putting
On speed, came back to London. we were
In considerable doubt for some time as 10
whether he had acted rightly. But theSe
doubts were removed when we leafneu
that the two men had been arrested ana
convicted for defrauding hotel proprietors-
This dodge Is somewhat similar TO one
which was tried with more success IN chi
cage some cine ago. AS in the former
case. a car was hired by telephone anu
a request was made THAT the automobile
should call one evening at certain hotei
on the out skirts of the town to take
lady and gentleman for a three-hours roe:
On reaching the hotel the driver was aske1
inside. and supplied with drink winch hau
been drugged The drug did not nave any
immediate effect but after a few minutes
I'm the open air the driver sank into q
stupor from which be did not recover uhtii
two hours later. when ne louhu II H H,.,
under a hedge about dozen miles from
Chicago.
He made his way back to the town and
the police were put on the track or the
miscreants 1t was not until weeks later
however that the car was discovered IN
the stables of a hotel at indianapolis. IND.
where Il had been left by the couple. VINO
had decamped without paying their Dill;
The activity of the police had alarmed
them and not having had an opportunity
of effectively Disgusting the car they had
decided to leave IL behind and eSc1pe oy
train which they were successful IN doing
The keen rivalry which exists between
manufacturers of motor cars on the con-
tInent who seek honors and advertisement
in motor races. led to what prooaoly con cor
Rtitutes the most remarkable automobile
robbery on record. The incident occurred
two years ago in Germany, and the per
petrators of the robbery have never been
discovered.
A motor race meeting was organized
few miles from Berlin by certain motor car
manufacturers who invited competitors
from other countries. ON the morning OF
the big race of the meeting it was dis
covered that one of the competing cars
which ii had been anticipated would win
the race-was missing. 1t had been placed
In the specially-built shed attached to the
hotel where the owner OF the ear was stay
ing, and he had duly inspected and thor
oughly overhauled the car late the previous
night arterward leaving his chauffeur 10
lock up the shed.
Auto for Highwaymen.
Apparently the robbers possessed a dupli-
cate key for they had relocked the door
after taking out the car. which. according
20 the footnarks. had been dragged for
nearly a mile along the road and then
driven 10 a place of conceaiment
There is. by the way, another type OF up
to-date thief who. while he does NOT MAKE
a special practice of stealing motor cars,
finds the latest mode of conveyance ex-
ceetingly useful in the carrying out OF his
nefarious plots That is not to say the
modern thief prowls about the country in
his own automobile. But II he can obtain
the loan OF one. with or without the own
ers permission. he much prefers II TO ran
way carriage, which may be searched at
every station by the police.
On several occasions during the last Few
months the police have been beaten In
their endeavors to capture burglar who
has thrown them off the scent by walking
across country TO the nearest town. and
there hiring motor car to take him near
his destination.
The English police. however have not up
TO the present had to cope with motor
car robbery such that which occurred
at a Kansas jewelers. recently. Two men
drove up in an automobile to within twenty
or thirty yards of the shop. which one OF
them entered. He asked to be shown some
diamond rings and scarf pins, and. as the
owner OF the shop turned from the counter
10 get a selection, the supposed customer
dealt him blow from behind, which rem
dered the Jeweier ser seiess, The assailant
then made a selection from the most costly
trinkets. took all the money from the desk.
and walked leisurely out of the shop TO
where the car was waiting. which vanished