Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-02-10
MOTOR THIEVES
MAKE RICH HAULS
Organized Bands Worked in
Larger Cities With Utmost
Tmpunity in 1917.

According TO MOTOR Age HgureA
gathered by the Detroit Autoniobilo
club show tb,Jlb.6d6 was lost through
cht hefts In 1871 Careful checking
of figures from ak uArts of ttsrsroun-
~ show that between January / and
October l. 1917, Ia flfty OF the largest
cities Of the United states, 2a.750 mo-
tor cars were stolen. aud OF 5000 M
trace has ever been found, Figuring
the average cost OF these AT $3.50 per
car. the total value OF lost property
would be t3.6OO.0gD. The 5000 cars
represent OF lcastfi per cent of The
total number or cars manufactured In
1916. Though this N not-a large per
ccntago, tho aggregate is considerable
as the following table shows,
Cars Stolen. 22.f3O.
Unrco9vered cars, 5000, val
Esumatcd damage to o.. 500
recovered cars at SIS each 1887 900
Estimated rewards for re-
$50 each ...,,....;t.. 5000
Estimated expense from
public trehsury In recoV-
cry or fA,500 cars at $50
cach ...s s,sss,..s.. ..,..s, 2b,VuO
Estimated cost II maiuts-
nance OF bureaus IN sal
aries and expense In OBJ
tanning evidence. etc.. i00, 600
Total. .,...........tg .tg,sa7, 500
These statistics are from only fifty
Of the largest cities In tho United
States There are at least &c cities
more whose population is between
5000 and 1000 and which can we'll
be taken into conslheration As rec
ordH have recently shown an alarming
IA ha
considered. ms their total population
is a little over third. Estimating
their total as third and beginning
from thai basis. IL would make "A total
Of S207g.iG6 loss for these I 1h cities
which would bring n grand total on
account o! motor car theft Ia SS,9i6.-
G66 The effect Of this already has
been felt In insurance rates.
But most astounding repor, comes
from Los Angeles. saying that the
twelve months Of 1917 constituted "A
million -doilnr year for motor ear
made by Kirk sIerghn, alias David
Beatty. u confessed thief now under
arrest that Boa Angeles is the "city
OF easiest pickinss' for thieves In the
country lie cllins II is possible to
steal any car parked In the downtown
district. Blame for this condition IN
placed by Morgan on the carelessness
OF the car owners. lie elites the fact
he stole eight cars OF the same make,
successfully discarding ench when II
became too road soiled 10 please his
fnatidions taste rho daring of the
thieves was illustrated when they at
tachcd tow line 20 a valuable chr
standing under an oleclric street lamp
as several bSstanlers looked on, took
" to another part OF the city fnu
stripped from II every removable part.
The owner had left his car locked and
presumed II was safe
The Los Angeles thief goes we'll pre-
pared tn do his Job, rs evidenced by
an incident reported 10 the police on
Christmas night Two men were soen
to stop a ear alongside another at a
curb. They cNamired this car hastily
and discovered a locking device on the
front wheel without delay they re
moved the entire wheel from the axle.
replaced II with another and drove
the car away The person who OBJ
served the occurrence said II was ali
done 80 quickly he did not realize the
men were stealing the car until after
they we're gone away with e.
The average lumber Of cars stolen
daily is little less than five. From
January 1 Ia November 30. 1917, tho
cars stolen numbered if24. OF these
rG were recovered. II Is estimated
thieves have profi,td TO the extent NJ
about t22b.000 from thoir car thefts
during the yenr and about $40. 900
from Accessories taken.