New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-31
Motor Stealing as a Business.


TIT, q IN, omen season Cor automobile stealing
tn, car thief operates most successfully in oeto
her. November and December. These are the months
in which the automobile owner who wishes his ca
stolen gives the car thief perfect liberty.
Possibly you do not believe there are car owners
Who keep their machines out Of dead storage s.
ate a. possible in order 70 give the thieves sl the
time they need
Possibly YOU DO not believe that II the thieves
fsil 70 visit them some Of these owners 80 so far
ss to burn their mschines FOR the insurance Brf
this is so.
Mucs 20 the disgust OF number Of such owners
in greater Now York, who we're looking forward
,i;s considerable pleasure to visit from the car
thieves before Christmas, the police recently sue
ce.1ed I'm uncovcring nest Of these robbers ard
rs,hcr Knocked tho bottom out OF the stealing
acasou.
Five men were captured and through these ar
rests the police have been able to trace nearly hsr
= hundred cars stolen an New York since the presen'
season opened
Since AprH - last 256 cars have been stolen in
Greater Nov York and 1s9 recovered. and So arrest
have been made. This may appear TO be small
number Of arrest, IN proportion 20 the number OF
cars reported stolen but II frequently occurs the'
Two men will get away With dozen or more csrs
before they caught.
work. Tor the most part in tho residential sections,
preferably tho suburbs
IN tho last roundup, which was made by Deteo-
tive Sergeant r s. Hughes and his squad Of men
detailed from Police Headquarters 10 the Office Of
tho District Attorney It found that the thieves
obtained most Of their in the Washington
Heights section Of Manhattan.
Thi. be- hills district, and the car owners there
lave been IN the habit Of leaving their machines
headed downhill with the front wheels turned into
tine curb.
Thcv could not leave their machines in more
inviting position. The thief comes along kicks the
IRON, wheel away from tho curb, lots of the brake.
and the machine rolls quietly down the grade
When 10 has rolled away from tho owners house
.hc thief throws in the clutch, starts the motor
and Is of Before the owner notify the police
bi. car is on IT'S way to smother state.
When hc gets 20 a convenient place the THE:
usually attempts 20 either change obliterate the
manufacturers motor and car numbers and put
ON nov license plates.
r. owners who do not care TO have their cars
stolen or who are at least interested in getting
them bnck II they are stolen, would place secre'
number iu am obscure part of the car it would he
possible for the police TO send these numbers ou-
with descriptions Of the stolen machines. and II
would Doe Of assistance to garage dealers and sec
oud hand dealers 70 spot stolen cars Nnlch are
offered for sale.
Tic automobile thief IT,. rule hard driven
for q purchaser, and if he offers the machine too
lar below its market value suspicion Is immediately
directed toward him. He therefore prefers to drive
the stolen car directly 30 dealer with whom he
has an understanding.
Where a gang Of thieves establish fence
They battle the police for long time. The pro
prictor OF the "fcnce" will help them to disguise
and dispose Of their cars, and it IS almost impos
sblc for the police 20 get any track Of the machines
until they have been completely changed that
even tho original owners could not identify them.
The police arc largely dependent upon inforIns
non which they get from secondhand dealers,
garage keepers and proprctors Of repair and pain,
shops We're IL not for the tips given by these
men very few cars would be recovered.
Our very defective system Of registering cars in
the Office Of the Secretary Of State is serious
handicap 70 the police. thief walk into the
State Automobile Registration Office and make on.
an application as owner for a set of license