New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-14
AUTO THIEVES CONFESS;
LEADER FACES CAPTURE
Story Told by Chauffeurs at
Camden, N. j., Explains
Many RobberieS Here.
BLUNDER LED TO ARREST
Prisoners Misunderstood Orders
of Man Who Engaged Them
and Stolen Car Was Rec
ognized by Owner.

BY the confession last night of James
Hill, jr., and Eugene X. Hatton. chauf-
feurs, who were arrested I'm Camden.
n. j., on Saturday, the authorities be-
lieve they have information which will
enable them to apprehend the organizer
and director OF the band that has been
selling cars with such great frequency
and daring in New York City and the
surrounding district Only last week
three expensive machines were stolen
on Broadway.
AS consequence OF the confession
warrant has been issued for a man known
as Edmond j. Lathrop. He is described
as a man OF evident refinement, and IT IS
said the mysterious woman who has been
so frequently referred to as the queen
of the automobile bandits is his wife.
II is well known that the bandits have
spirited away cars standing in front OF
the Broadway hotels and stripped many
others of their furnishings and access
sories. blunder on the part of the two
newly recruited operators, IT appears. has
now been the undoing OF the band.
The two prisoners who confessed last
nlEDt Sdl0 tItN iildlt lllt lii''"N' VI '''-
ing the car they had sto<l in Asbury
Park TO the Hotel Astor to turn II over
TO Iathrop. whereas they believed the
rendezvous he had designated was the
Hotel Ansonia. For three days they
waited about the Astor, and then. becom-
ing nervous. fed to New Jersey, and
there tried to make something with their
stolen car by Offering It for hire.
For more than a week a big automobile
stood in front OF the Camden County
Court House with a big sign Indicating
II was for hire. occasionally an attor-
ney. a detective or deputy sheriff took
a spin I'm the machine. but the drivers
were not making out very well when the
machine was recognized by the owner
Harrison Smith. OF Waterwitch.
The police arrested the operators Of the
car. who said they were James Hill, OF
No S9i Princeton avenue. Camden. y. j.,
and Eugene Hatton. of Asbury Park. The
prisoners were taken to Asbury Park.
where the car was stolen on August 81.
and were there arraigned before Police
Justice John A. Borden and held under
81 900 bail each. Unable to obtain surety
they were transferred 10 Freehold.
The men declared they were only the
tools OF Lathrop. who. they said. accosted
them on August 10. while they were sit
ting In an automobile on Ocean avenue,
at Asbury Park. According 10 their story,
he proposed to them that they should
steal a car he would point out TO them
and deliver II 10 him. after IL had been
repainted. I'm New York. at the Ansonia.
on September Is. when he would give
them 500.
Lathrop. it is said. provided the two
men with new automobile numbers and a
bill OF sale. which they might show To
establish their claim TO the stolen car II
any one should question them. This feat
ure of the arrangement. especially the
manner in which the bill OF sale was
made out. has appeared in so many auto
mobile thefts that +. b. Hopwood. an in
surance adiuster. at No. 50 John street.
who has directed the campaign against
the bandits. believes all the robberies
have been planned by the same man.
When Lathrop had discussed the plans
with them. said Hill and Hatton in con-
tinuing their story he showed them the
machine he wanted. an expensive auto
mobile. They took the car 10 Princeton.
where IL was disguised. and. after about
three weeks. vame to New York. But
they bunglcd the job by going TO the
Hotel Asyor instead of the Ansonia.