Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-08-16
THIEVES THRIVE
ON STOLEN AUTOS
Well Organized Band Operates
Boldly in Territory of Which
Omaha is the Center.
LOSSES REACH MILLIONS

Approximately 100 machines, worth
on an average of $500 each. have been
stolen in Omaha since January l, 1916.
Approximately 500 machines have
been stolen since the first Of the year
from various places in Nebraska.
Approximately 5000 machines have
been stolen from five states in terri
tory contiguous to Omaha.
Thefts total more than a million
and a quarter Of dollars.
A special telegram from The Bees
staff correspondent at Des Moines
says:
SHERIFF John Griffin, of Polk county,
Iowa, believes he has uncovered a
gang of automobile thieves who have
stolen thousands of dollars worth Of
cars in this and adjoining counties
as we'll as in Omaha, Lincoln and
Fremont. He says the gang operates
from Ottawa county, Missouri. Three
members of the gang are under arrest,
he says"
A man and woman wanted in Lin
coin are being held in Fairfield.
Edward Craven has been arrested
at Bedford charged with stealing a
car there. Part of the gang, Griffin
says, were members of the Mabray
gang, which operated fake horse race
swindles in this territory.
One Caught in Omaha.
c. E. Caldwell, of Shenandoah, Ia,
was arrested Sunday night by Omaha
detectives in an automobile from
which the engine numbers had been
partly effaced.> He is out under bond
furnished by City Attorney Harry B.
Fleharty. who is acting in a private
capacity.
In Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota,
Kansas and Missouri nearly 5000 ma
chimes, worth more than $l,25O,000,
have been stolen since January l.,
1916, and of this number the percent
age recovered is so small as to be
almost unworthy of mention.
Private detectives employed by in
surance companies find that their ef-
forts are practically useless. The po-
lice in most cities discovered this fact
long time ago.
Carefully organized bands Of
thieves are making this territory their
stamping grounds" declared the rep
resentative of a national detective
agency who is in charge Of investiga-
tions of stolen machines.
Thieves Work Boldly.
1.-THE cars are stolen, hauled to a
garage or barn where they can work
under protection, and so transformed
as to be beyond recognition of the
owner, even though subjected to
closest scrutiny.
Engine numbers are filed off and
new ones stamped on, the cars are
reprinted, accessories changed about,
and then they are driven or shipped
out of range of the owners investiga-
ton.
THE business of auto stealing is
mighty we'll organized and profit
able, since it offers enormous win
nings and can be carried on with a
remarkable degree of success.
Car Owners Must Help.
"The solution lies not in efforts of
regularly constituted authorities. In
stead, car owners should be more
cor.fnl M their machines, Adequate
locking devices should be installed,
and secret ineradicable identification
marks, duly witnessed BY responsible.
parties placed as well.
"As the situation now l., even
though stolen car is identified, and
Identification is not so easy as 1t
sounds-in most cases the thieves go
uncaught.
Cars are in many cases taken en-
tirely apart, and sold piecemeal."
Omaha authorities for long while
have been working on clues which
pointed to former members OF the
Mabray gang Of fake horse race
swindlers as the leaders of a syndil-
cate of auto thieves, but their investi-
cations brought no results.
Joy Riders Nuisance.
OF the hundreds of cars reported
stolen every month, at the local po-
lice headquarters, perhaps IS per cent
are taken by "joy riders" who simply
borrow" the cars and after riding
around for a while, abandon them on
the streets. The remaining Is per
cent is stolen by thieves who are III
the business for peculiarly reasons
Occasionally the police recover a
car stolen from Omaha, in some Out
Of the way place, but the thieves are
rarely caught, and the net result is
that an innocent purchaser is COM
PEELED to turn his bargain" car back
to the real owner.
T.1Ies Hnld Annual Meet.