Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-11-24
AUTO THEFTS SINCE
JUNE ARE $l46,O0O
Police and County Attorneys Office
Take Turns in Fixing Re
sponsibility.
1874 STOLEN; II ARRESTS
Reeves Defends His Office by Show
ing Disposition Made OF Cases
Turned Over 10 II.

| With the police department and
the county attorneys office engaged
in a game OF battledore and shuttle
cock with each side claiming credit
Tor doing all that can be done to
stop automobile stealing in Tulsa.
the Tulsa Automobile association and
the allied civic clubs are reaching
the point where other steps may be
taken TO combat the auto thief pes
thence.
We've done our part. talk to the
police" is met by, We've done our
part talk to the county attorney"
and both police and county attorney
have published facts and figures TO
sustain their claims.
The controversy came TO a head
Friday when Justice Maxey declared
that prosecution OF Russell Warner,
young farmer, arrested recently by
the police on charge of stealing an
automobile, was the victim OF a
frame-up. Arthur Ash who had been
taken into custody on the same
charge. created a sensation in the
courtroom when he declared that
Police Captain Wood knew in ad-
vance that an automobile was to be
stolen. Wood, on the witness stand
lnumated that he had agreed to use
Ash in an effort to run down auto
mobile thieves.
Earlier in the day Mayor Hubbard
submitted to the directors Of the
chamber OF commerce a report
showing what the police have done
IN the way OF apprehending automo-
bile thieves and this was followed
oy u suggestion from the chamber
OF commerce that the courts speed
up their work in order that defen-
dantS held on charges of stealing
automobiles be given speedy hear
.ngS.
Friday night the allied civic clubs
took cognizanCe OF the situation and
took action looking toward lcgisla-
uon which Will make IL incumbent
upon the county attorney to file suit
on bonds forfeited by defendants IN
automobile theft cases TO this aC-
lon, County Attorney Reeves replied
mat such Il provision is already on
the statute books and that the pres.
ent law offers plenty OF incentive to
he county attorney to collect for
feitcd bonds.
Then Friday night the county at
tOrney gave out a statement in reply
to the statement of the police depart
ment. In which il was claimed 80
defendants had been turned over
to the county for prosecution OF
these, all but two have had hearings
The records OF the justice courts
were cited TO show what disposition
had been made iof these cases The
statement contains this paragraph:
with reference TO the statement of
the police and mayor that they are
discouraged in Their efforts to sup
press auto thievery because thieves
were not prosecuted; they were
turned loose on bond and permitted
to PLY their trade again" | wish to
say that the records compiled by the
police department and vOuched for
AZ correct by them show that there
have been 1874 cars stolen since June
/ Of the total value of il46,075.
Taking their statement at face vaule
they have apprehended the thieves
who participated in the theft OF only
Il Of these cars"
Thus the game continues and It
is still impossible to secure automo-
bile insurance in Tulsa