The Washington times., 1917-05-19
MOTOR CAR THEFTS
REGULAR BUSINESS
L D. Recap Suggests Every
Number Be Recorded.
EXPERTS FOLLOW THIEVEUY
More Than 80 Per Cent Of Stolen
Cars Are Lost.

bfles has become so common tina
imperative action is being taken b
the police of the country to proven
thefts and to recover stolen cars.
d. Recap, of Detroit, sales and ser
vice engineer for the King Motto
Car Company. recently delivered
talk before Superintendent Michae
H. CrowIey's police officers at Bos
ton, Mass, in which he said in part
"It il startling to learn that o
the large number OF cars stolen ever!
year, only 60 per cent or 30 per cen
are recovered. This proves pohc'
departments are not keeping pac,
with those who have commentaries
the stealing OF motor cars.
ITO illustrate. Here is the meth
cd used. by one set of automobile
thieves where automobile stealing hai
been going on extensively. Out 'id'
the city limits & house burned down
The barn left standing was abandon
ed by the owner. It stood in sno'
not conspicuous to passersby. Tht
automobile thieves gained possession
of this barn, entirely refitted the in
aide, so that a motor car could DC
completely changed as far as any
ordinary Identification marks were
concerned. The outward appearing
of the barn was left unchanged to
avoid suspicion or possible inspection
Disguise Made Perfect.
The men employed here were ex-
perts in their line. When a stolen
car was brought in the Identification
numbers were either chiseled on with
hammer and chisel. or melted on by
the aeetylene process. New numbers
of the same size were put on in their
places. Lamps were changed; TOP
windshield, speedometer, and all ex-
ira equipment. such as bumpers, e1-
ira tires. shock absorbers, etc, were
removed; the paint was taken OF and
the car painted a different color. Then
the car was taken to the city and sold
with little chance OF its being identi-
ned by the owner.
I'm another large city there was a
similar means OF changing the iden-
tfty Of stolen cars The cars were
completely dissembled and the parts
sold separately. This means OF pro-
eedure was a little more complicated.
but far more rumenerative, and paid
handsomely for the extra trouble.
The most brazen method of all Is
that used by the automobile stealing
syndicate. This combination sends
agents around to dealers in second
hand cars to keep in touch with the
kind Of cars wanted by the custom
ers A dealer has just had a call for
a particular car and would like to get
st for his customer. The agent tells
will bring II around. He then goes
10 the head of the syndicate and re-
ports the order for the above men,
toned car. The chief issues oruers
at once 70 90 and get that car. So q
couple OF men, or perhaps three men
and women, get into a car owned by
the syndicate, bearing q private
license, and drive around until they
locate q model car they are after.
They follow It until its owner drives
up to a curb and disappears inside
of a building.
Then one OF their number gets out,
steps into the car and drives away.
Keep Him Talking.
The rest drive their machine into
the vacated space and then go into
store near by and walt for the owner
Of the stolen car to appear When he
comes they come out and get into
their machine. Naturally, he asks
them IL they had seen his car, stand
Ing there when they drove up. OF
course. they had not.
Their game was to keep him in
eenVersation as long as possible, TO
give the thief plenty of time to get
away before the police are notified
They suggest to the man that, mas
much as that space was vacant when
they drove up, perhaps some one had
stolen his car and he had better re-
port the theft TO the police depart
ment. He thanks them and never
suspects that they ere the thieves.
BY the time the police have his re-
port, the stolen car is safely under
going the necessary changes to es-
cape Identification. 1t is then taken
TO the dealer wanting the car and
soId.
Now just how are we TO aid IN.
police department in recovering lost
or stolen cars when Il is going on in
such q Wholesale manner? There are
numerous locking devices in the mar
Eet To-Day devices for checking the
row OF gasolene to the carburetor;
oevlees for locking the Ignition
switch; devices for locking the con-
troll levers. etc, yet none are sum
eient 70 keep thieves from working
around them. therefore, some other
means must be employed.
Identifying Every Part.
Detailed Identification offers a DOS
Eibility. By this is meant identin-
cation Of every part Of the car. Every
motor car manufacturer has a sys-
tenn Of marking the various parts
that enter into the assembly of his
car Usually a system OF numbers Is
useo and every part has its num-
Der. II the police and detectives
could be taught motor car design SO
mat they might become familiar with
the places where the identifcatIon
numbers may be found on the various
parts OF different makes Of cars
hurried examination OF q suspected
car might reveal its identity, even
though the car had undergone a com
plete transportation as described
above, because in nearly every case
OF such a transformation there wouIs
De most likely one or more of the
manufacturers numbers that would
De overlooked in REMEMBERING or thai
would simply be painted over. one
such number would serve As suf6-
Client Identification TO return the car
10 fits owner.
AS things are today. there sr.
but two numbers on an autonohJis |
that the owner and police know anv.
ming about These two numbers are |
me car number and the motor num- /
Der. Both are required when ohtaIn-
nR q licenRa from fha ...-.s.-