The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-02
DRIVERS
 BELIEVED SH0RN
 BY CLEVER GANG
Alleged Fake Insurance Company Patronized By
 Many Drivers Here.
POLICE SAY. POLICY
 ISN'T WORTH PENNY
Victims All Over State In vestigating, Authorities
 Declare.

Evidence of a gigantic statewide automobile insurance swindle, which the police state has netted the four operators of the scheme thousands oi dollars and became such a. lucrative proposition that offices were opened in Hartford for the purpose of muclt- ing the public was received this morn ing by Capt. E. O. Cronan and search is being made in this city for an agent who Is alleged to have robbed credu- 1ous jitney drivers.
 Formal complaint charging one of the band who signs himself "J. J. Myers with larceny. was entered this morning by John Bergen, a jitneur, of 552 Harral avenue, who claims he was swindled of $12.50. Complaints were received from the police of Hart ford, New Britain and New Haven by Capt. Cronan at the same time telling him to be on lockout for members of the band.
 The alleged swindlers who claim to represent "The Automobile Owners Cooperative Association possess elaborately engraved cards and a pol icy that resembles a bank note in ap- pearance. It is stated they offer diff ferent propositions to their victims. < Bergen, and 1t is reported numerous other auto owners in this city who subscribed, were told that the policy which costs $22.5o protects them against the maximum accident loss o1 $1,000. He was told that if he took out a; policy he could drive his car anywhere in the country and If ii broke down and met with injury all he had to do was to take it to the nearest garage, show his policy and have the damage repaired gratis. 1 "All garages have an understand | ing with us and are affiliated with -Four company said the agent who signed himself ''Rfley.Y This sounded very good to Bergen He didn't have the money so he bor- rowed $12.5D of his sister as first pay | ment. He failed to- see the agent again and did not even receive 8 policy. Investigation by Capt. Cronar | this morning unearthed the fact that in Hartford the company had opened up expensively furnished offices in the 1 D'Esopo Building, Main and Null l berry streets and that four of the men stopped at the Garde hotel Autoists in Hartford. New Haver and New Britain were evidently of 6
 more credulous character than those
 in this city. The victims in these citiel
 were told that they could not TUT
 their cars outside of the municipalit,
 in which they had obtained their Ii
 cense without fear of arrest.
 Pay us $25 and you belong to oul
 association which permits you tt
 drive anywhere" the owners were in formed.
 Ridiculous as this seems many pai.
 protection and one of the agents or
 some such charge was arrested an.
 put up a bond of $100 in Berlin fo
 trial. In some cases only $20 wa.
 charged but generally the lamb
 paid $25.
 The policy of the company whic]
 guarantees nothing, states that tn
 concern is incorporated under tn
 laws of Pennsylvania and elaborat
 personal agents cards state that tn
 firm has offices in NPhiladelphia. an Newark, N. J.
 Capt. Cronan says that eyidentl the police of Hartford, from whor he received a letter this morning an
 the authorities in New Haven hay made matters rather hot for the ban and they have now selected Bridge port as the place for their operation, Bergen is the first known victim C
 the gang but the police are of tn
 opinion that many others will com forward and enter complaint whe they learn of the alleged swindle. Tn agent who signs himself "Rflev'' known to a jitney driver in this cit . and the police state they intend f ; make the jitneur divulge the where abouts of the alleged culprit.