Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-18
LAND AUTO THIEF
BY CLEVER WORK
{. A. Smith. Head of Minneapolis De-
tectiye Agency, Catches Ira Bond,
Millionaire Broker.
HAD TRAVELLED WITH CROOKS
Sleuth Was Arrested With Gang in
Davenport and Was Then Thought
TO BE One OF 1t.

Clever detective work on the part of
c. A. Smith. head of the Northwestern
Detective agency of Minneapolis, was
responsible for the arrest and indict-
ment of Ira Bond, reputed millionaire
of Minneapolis, it became known Satur-
day
Smith was arrested with Bond in
Davenport and vas believed by author
tiles there to be in league with him in
the operations Of a gang of automobile
thieves. The gang is said to have stol-
en- 1000 cars in Chicago alone since
the first of the year.
After the arrest of Bond in Mime
apolis Friday it was learned that Smith
had been on his trail for many months.
Gained Bonds Confidence.
Smith rented offices on the second
floor of Bond in the Northwestern
building in Minneapolis He posed as
a buyer of used cars and. gained Bonds
confidence. Bond brought him to Chi
cagO and introduced him to Big Bill
Ravenkamp. Smith paid Ravenkamp
he said, 500 down on three cars to be
delivered later in St. BOnifacius. 30
miles from Minneapolis. When the
cars were delivered $3.50 more was to
be paid to Big Bill" in Minneapolis.
Others Are Arrested.
John B. Miller, Edgar Stevens. Mar
tin Peterson and John Rohn. believed
10 have been accomplices of Big Bill"
are under arrest in Minneapolis. Ste
vens. Peterson and Rohn drove the
cars to St. BOEifacius The third car
broke down at OwatOnna, Mimi Big
Bill" did not appear to collect the
$3.50. John B. Miller arrived, and say
ing he represented Ravenkamp, col
lected the money.
TrafIed by detectives. Miller ran from
the Minneapolis hotel and after a spir-
tied chase through the business streets
OF the city, was captured on the same
day that the other three were arrested
The men claim they were not asso-
ciated with Bond, and did not know
him.
Thieves CONFESS.
The indictments against Bond, Lem
Muller, and William Ravenkamp,
known TO automobile thieves from
coast to coast it is said, as Big Bill
were based on confessions made to
States Attorney Hoyne by Earl Har
ris and Edward Arnhelm that they
we're thieves hired by Bond to steal au-
tomobiles. They said they turned the
stolen cars over to him and he sold
them after altering and Tepainting
them and equipping them with new Ii
cenSe tags.
Bond said he would spend every dol
lar he has to fight the case against him
and will begin by making a strenuous
battle against cxtradition. When ar
rested i'm his handsomely appointed Of
fees in Minneapolis, he appeared indig-
nant. He said he knew of nothing he
had done for which an indictment
could be returned unless it was to buy
q car in St. Paul which afterward
proved to have been stolen from l.. {.
SWaTtz of Chicago.
Office Broken Open.
Powerful agencies are working in
the dark against me-" said Bond. Il
am the victim of some mysterious con-
spiraCy. Some one has broken into my
Office at night and gone over my books.
My telephone wires have been tapped
by detectives. | have done nothing
criminal | will be acquitted
Bond is under Indictment in Chicago.
lie is out on bail fixed at $4,000.