Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-20
MALICIOUS
AUTO THIEF.
WRECKSCARS
Person or Persons Taking Mo-
tors for Joyrides Deliberately
Disable Mechanism: Police
Hot on Trail of Suspects

Hot on Trail of Suspects
Nth the recovery OF another ma
" chine early this morning which
W is said to have been stolen and
a report that still another machine
was stolen last night, the police au
thorities are much aroused With a
growing determination to fix the 7e.
sponsibility for the series Of thett7
that occurred over the weekend.
Well directed suspicious are being
| followed out and it is expected that
| soon the persons responsible fer many
| Of the thefts will be found
Il have told the police to shoot il
anyone in an automobile refuses to
stop when they are ordered to do so
by policeman" declared julius w.
Asch, deputy sheriff OF til" city and
county of Honolulu.
Lying in the ditch on School street
near Asylum road, automobile 1928
owned by the White Seal laundry and
generally used by Frank Schmidt, was
found early this morning by s. K. Fer
rera, motorcycle officer. One tire was
blown out, the tools were gone. but
the engine was still going.
No reports of this theft came to
the station and the police think Il
was taken last nigh without the
knowledge Of its owner.
A Japanese boy reported that ma
chine 1890, recorded in the automo-
ollie book as the property If Mrs Ivy
Young, was stolen last night from its
garage at the home Of the boy in
Kalihi. The machine is believed to
have been taken about midnight and
was said TO have been seen near Scho-
field last night shortly after that
time. AS yet no report of the theft
has been received.
With the theft Of a Ford touring
car belonging to Frank P Hurley,
contractor, the work uf thieves over
the weekend began. This car was
stolen from in front IF the owner s
residence at 1895 PsIolo road, report
ed Immediately 20 the police and
found by them yesterday at Aiea. 1t
was brought to the police station.
The righteousness OF the auto thief
is seen in the condition in which
Hurley's car was left. The spark
plugs and magnetic mad been removed
and small stones mad been put into
the cylinders, which will necessitate
taking the whole machine apart.
Thieves took a car belonging to
w. G. Allen from in front Of his resi-
dence on Wilhelmina Rise on Sunday
morning. The car was allowed to
coast down the hill, but had not gone
far before 1t smashed into a telephone
pole, damaging the fender and radia-
tor. 1t Is said that thieves came
up to the place where the stolen car
was standing In q Ford automobile
and that one OF them got out Of 1t and
took Mr.. Aliens car.
Automobile 2111 was taken from
the associated Garage on Saturday
night by Frank Cavaco, who, when
found little later at King and Alakea
streets, claimed that he had been CIV
en- permission to borrow the car by
the owner. Towever, Henry Hus-
tace, who had been using the car
and had Just returned to Wai-nae,
said that he knew nothing Of the per.
mission. As yet, the matter has not
been satisfactorily settled. 1t was
reported to the police, but whether
1t was a theft or not Is not known.
A Scripps-Bootn car, the property
Of Sergt. George Stutzman, U. 8. A.,
1922 Kamehameha Nv road, was not
stolen as was first believed. The po-
lice say that the machine was loaned
to another person on Saturday after
noon to be returned on Sunday after
noon at o'clock. The machine was
taken from in front of the Moana on
Saturday afternoon, and when it was
not returned on Sunday at the speci.
fled time the owner began to fear
that 1t had been stolen and reported
1t to the police at 1920 o'clock last
night. At 1880 the machine was re-
turned to the owner.
Speaking Of the numerous auto
thefts, w. r. Harrington. president of
the auto club, today said:
"Of course the Honolulu automobile
club is interested in this epidemic
Of thieving that is going on. We have
been following the development of it
for some time and Mr.. R. B. Booth
has specialized on the subject. He
Is convinced of the inefficiency of
the police and their methods.
so far as Independent action is
concerned, the suggestion has been
made Of employing a. private detec-
tive. This, If done at all, should be
by the insurance agencies. Some time
ago the proposal was made in the
club that we start an insurance bu-
reau for our members. The objec.
ton was made that we would thus
come in competition with members
or the club interested in the insur-
ance business, and the objection pre-
vailed. Therefore, it seems to me
that any steps towards private polio
ing of the city should be taken by
the agencies, which would of course
have the hearty support of the auto
mobile club and all owners.
The primary difficulty of the
whole situation is found in the OBJ |
vious inefficiency Of the police de-
partment which lacks the initiative |
and discipline that should be the dis
character of police admin.
istration in a growing city. The po- |
lice management has never passed |
out Of the small town class, except |
in its consistent refusal to acknow.
ledge that il has any faultS "