The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-11-22
AUTO CASE
PEOPLE IN
HAMMOND
Joy Rider Takes Chicago
Mans Machine, Meets
With Disaster in Jasper
Co. and Tries to Hide His
Work by Destroying It.

1t is believed that the Water Val
ley automobile mystery has been solved
at last. The information comes from
Chicago that a car. belonging to man
by the name of Smalley, was taken
out Of the city by two of Smalleys
friends who wanted a Joy ride"
The car became involved in smash
up and was so badly damaged that the
two young men who took it determined
to destroy it. They broke the car to
pieces and tried to hide the parts.
Finally, when they saw that the de-
struction of the car would become pub
lie through the discovery of the wheels
in the Kankakee river, it is understood
that they went to the owner and con-
fessed to the theft of the car and ad-
mitted that they had destroyed it.
1t is understood that they further
agreed to pay for the car providing the
a result Mr. Smalley refuses 10 make
their names public and will let the mat
ter drop.
Advertises for Car.
It is said that the car was taken
from a point near Wabash avenue
and Thirty NTH street, Chicago, where
the owner had left it standing. It was
not long afterwards that Mr.. Smalley
missed the car and offered 800 reward
for its return through advertisements
in the Chicago papers.
The publicity given the automobile
mystery at Water Valley through THE
TIMES led the Chicago young men to
fear that in spite of their efforts to
hide the crime that they would be dis
covered and sent to jail.
This prompted them to go to the
owner of the car. with whom they were
acquainted. and confessed the whole
story. He promised not to reveal their
identity providing they paid him the
price of the car. It is understood that
they have agreed to do this.
In the meantime Sheriff Thos. Grant
who has been working on the Lake
county end of the case, has made some
very interesting discoveries.
At point two and a half miles
south of Denote he called at the
house of a farmer named Jostedt. II
is said that Mr., Jostedt is a painter II
Hammond and his wife looks after
| the little farm in Jasper county.
! At this place he learned that exact.
| ly four weeks ago yesterday a lone
man in an automobile stated that hi:
machine had broken down.
! He asked permission to take it apar
on her farm. Mrs. Jostedt granted
| the privilege. She says that he re
fused to work on the machine during
the day time, but came back to TIL
farm for three nights in succession
and worked away dismembering tn
machine
She says that she was of the opinion
that he had taken the parts of tn
machine with him, but an investiga
| tion revealed the fact that the bod
of the car was stored in the granary
where it was covered with grain. TIL
radiator and engine were buried Il
the farm yard. The wood portions 0
| the car were in Jostedts wood box an
were being burned as fuel
Sheriff Grant is of the opinion tina
! Mrs. Jostedt knows more than sh
is willing to tell. In fact. she main
| tained an attitude of reticence abou
the whole affair.
The sheriff did. not tell her who h
was. but secured valuable informatio
regarding the wherea bouts of the Chi
cago people, who were believed to hav
been involved in the work of destroy
ing the car.