Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1916-06-29
BOLD CAR THIEVES
Tricks of the Clever Crooks That
Steal Automobiles.
DARING IN THEIR METHODS.

One of Their Pet Schemes 10 to Dis
suise Themselves az Repairsrs and
Openly Tow the Car Away-ordi.
nary Safeguards Are q Joke to Thorn.
The man who steals an automobile Is
one Of the cleverest mechanicians In
the country. He knows every make Of
car from the steering wheel to the tires
and there Is scarcely any precaution
taken by the owner Of the car to safe
guard his property that the automobile
thief cannot beat
Some car owners fondly imagine that
when they chain the wheel of their car
with a fairly thick steel chain they
have made it impossible for any crook
to move the auto from its anchorage.
The simplicity Of this safeguard must
cause hilarity among the motorcar
crooks. for the ordinary steel chain can
be cut In a second with the appliances
that the motor thieves carry in their
outfit.
But most car owners consider they
have made the car immovable by mere.
ly locking the switch box. 1t will inter
est them to know that the car thieves
can beat this precaution very easily.
The clever mechanician who makes a
business Of stealing cars can cross
wires 80 as to cause ignition and move
the engine without bothering with the
switch box at all. A method that is kin.
dergarten to the car thief Is to connect
wires from the dry cell battery direct
to the ignition coil. thus starting the
motor without difficulty.
Some cars have devices by which the
gasoline supply can be locked, and this
Is regarded by some owners as placing
hopeless barrier In the way of the
thief who would run Off with the
standing car. For how can a car be
moved when the supply Of gasoline is
shut off? Nothing easier. The motor.
car thief carries with him his own sup.
ply Of gasoline in q flask. With this
gasoline the automobile thief can nego.
tiate good run with the car by con.
Meeting his flask of gasoline direct to
the carburetor. Feeding the gasoline
to the carburetor through a rubber
hose. the automobile thief can send the
car sufficiently far to enable him to put
the gasoline tank and the car In regu-
Lar commission and speed where he
will to safety and sale.
But the commonest and therefore the
safest trick of the automobile thief re-
quires no expert mechanical knowl-
edge. 1t simply requires nerve, which
these thieves possess to an unusual de-
gree. This trick is the old one of driv.
Ing up in an auto that looks like a "a.
rage repair wagon, hitching a rope to
the car that Is to be stolen and towing
1t away. The thieves dress for the part
In oil soaked overalls. When they have
selected the car to be stolen, picking
one that Is In side street and not like
ly to be under the eye Of policeman
who may have been tipped to watch
the car, the thieves come up to the
scene In their old car, looking like the
ordinary crew sent for from the garage
to repair car that Is in trouble or isn't
working as well as its fastidious owner
would wish.
They alight from their own car and
make a great pretense of examining
the car that they intend to spirit away.
They remove the hood and scrutinize
the motor. They get out kit of tools
and tinker for awhile with some part
or the machinery. If any one should
happen to be watching them or looking
on from neighboring window all the
men do has the appearance of natural
work by honest workmen from the
repair shop. Presently the men hold
consultation, pointing to some part
OF the motor machinery, and apparent
ly come to the conclusion that the car
cannot be started with the tools at
their command. Then they hitch a
rope to the car and tow it away at the
end of their own car. Could anything
be more simple?
How can you beat such a game as
this? Carrying away part of the ma
chinery does not prevent the thieves
from towing the car away. One sure
way to prevent robbery Is to have the
car watched. The policeman on that
patrol will keep an eye on 1t If you
are only going to make visit to some
office building and coming back In a
short time. But If you keep your car
In the street the entire day no one can
watch 1T. You are simply taking a
chance with the car thieves.
There are other ways Of making the
path of the motorcar crook as steep
and difficult as possible. One motor
LIST believes he has solved the thief
problem by having a slot cut Ia the
clutch pedal shaft. Through this he
passes a bar which he locks. So far
bis car has not been stolen. Another
way is to remove the rotor. This
makes 1t very difficult for any thief to
steal the car, for he would have to
carry number Of rotors to be sure
Of having one that would fit that par.
icular motor. Philadelphia North |
American.