The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-01
HUNDRED THOUSAND
~ DOLLARS is the estimated
i Nalu. OF the automobiles stolen
In lir.a ter New York last year

"INE HUNDRED IhOCSANO
* DOLLARS is the estimated
i Nalu. OF the automobiles stolen
In Greater New York. last year
and recovered through so-called "re-
wards" paid to the thieves by insurance
companies which had issued policies to
owners covering the machines. Per-
haps 100000 might be added to this
amount as the value Of automobiles
stolen here and not recovered. some Of
them being insured and others not.
The fact has also been established
that while there are several individual
gangs Of automobile thieves operating
In New York city there are others at
work In nearly al the large cities in the
United States, chiefly in Philadelphia,
Chicago. st. Louis. Boston. Cleveland,
Cincinnati, indianapolis. New Orleans,
San Francisco. Los Angeles. Pittsburg.
Minneapolis. Detroit and Newark. Most
Of them are said to have been COM
mitted in New York, Philadelphia and
Newark, this. so some insurance adjust
ers assert. being due to the fact that
the police in the three cities named are
less efficient in locating and arresting
the thieves.
Taking all the cities In the country
together 1t is believed by New York
adJusters that the total value OF auto
mobiles stolen in the United States last
year Is not far from s1.50O.0O0. While
there Ii no country wide combination
Of thieves working together under a
few men recognized by them as heads
each city has its .One or more gangs
working separately.
Following the recent arrest of Charles
Rudy, q chauffeur. in New York, who
confessed to the District Attorney and
20 Judge Swami OF the Court OF General
Sessions that he has been acting as a
fence for several automobile thieves and
has been openly dealing with four in
surance adjusters who paid him for
the return of stolen automobiles In.
sured by companies they represent, the
discovery was made that premium
on crime has been practically set by the
insurance companies. The latter are
willing to pay thieves Tor the return
OF the stolen property. thus effecting a
large saving through not having to pay
owners of the cars the full face Of the
policies. The discovery has created q
stir.
Rudy has confessed that so CLOSELY
has ne been working with certain In.
surance adJusters, notably two. that h.
had their office and home telephone
numbers and they had his telephone
number SO that when an insured auto
mobile was stolen in New York negotia
lions could at once be entered into fol
the return Of the machines on the pay
ment OF sum agreed upon.
To such an extent has this practic,
grown that when stolen car came int,
Ruddy's possession II was his custom /,
telephone ut once to these adjusters
saying. II have a Winton" or Packard
or a Franklin or whatever the make O
the car might be, number SO and 30
model SO and so. Are you looking fol
II. and what will you give for IT."
II the adjuster on looking up his lis
Of stolen machines found the car men
toned was on 1t he would inform Rudd,
that $3.50 5000. $500 or whatever tn,
amount might be would be paid for IL
return. 1t would then DO left at SOM
spot agreed upon. either In an out o
the way place in Westchester county o.
closer by, where It could be obtained b!
the sdjuster, who would then pay ,
messenger Of tho fence the amour
s9rsed upon the presentation OF Z pri
vsts Identification check. BY such Al
arrangement the compsuy which ha'
Insured the car would save the casl
etiference between the amount OF tn
OuWsrd paid and the sum for which tn
machine was insured.
On other occasions Rudy or othe
Sspes& according to the prisoners state
msnt. would ship a car to some oths
city. sometimes - far away az Nsv
Orleans. where the chassis and bod
would b exchanged with those Of oths
stolen cars.
1aAdy's esatsssisa Aas sssultsd q