The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1918-08-17
AUTO THIEVES ARRESTED

AUTO THIEVES ARRESTED.
Local Officers Illustrate Attempt %
Sell Stolen Car.
Last Saturday a young white man,
Giving his name as Frederick Harms,
called at this office and had an ad-
|yertisement inserted in the Chief, OF
fering five-passenger Fora car loi
sale sale at a bargain.
Philip Bergeron, of Napoleonvllle,,
who conducts a jitney between tnat
place and Donaldsonville, was at,
tracted by the advertisement ana
called on Harris who was staying at
the Hotel Donaldson. After examln, !,
ing the car, and finding it in GOOD
condition, Bergeron agreed to buy IT.,
but being someyhat suspicid Is, ask
ed Harris the name of the pef&en or
company from whom he bought the
car. Harris exhibited an act OF sale
showing he had purchased the car re-
Gently from Walter de la Marques
sales manager Of the InternatlolM
Motor Co., New Orleans. Not Ab4.
convinced that the sale and relxlpt
exhibited to him was what - pur-
ported to be, Mr.. Bergeron duested
August Thibaut, who conducts a gar
age at Napoleonville, to call up Mr.,
De la Marque over the long DISTANCE
telephone and the latter confirmed
the sale. Bergeron then gave a
check to Harris for $400 which Har-
ris Jcashed at the Bank Of Ascension
Tuesday morning.
Shortly after he received the
money Harris was met in the street
by Chief of Police R. r. Dill, and be-
ling stranger apparently of draft
age, and acting in somewhat sus-
picious manner, was accosted by the
officer and asked to produce his regis
tration card. Being unable to COM
ply with this resquest, Harris was
placed under arrest and when ques-
toned at the courthouse he could
! not give satisfactory account of
himself, 80 Sheriff Hanson deemed it
advisable to hold Harris for further
investigation. Up to this time Meth
er the sheriff nor the chief of police
knew of the sale of the car to Ber-
geron. But shortly thereafter, Ber-
geron learned of the arrest of Harris
and called upon he sheriff and re
lated the matter to him. Upon be-
| ing confronted by Bergeron, Harris
again maintained that he had pur-
chased the car from De la Marque,
and offered to return Bergeron's
money if the latter was not satisfied,
and in fact did return the money.
The sheriff thereupon called up
Superintendent of Police Mooney in
New Orleans and asked him to locate
tde la Marque and question hims il
regard to the sale. Later the SUI
perintendent called up the sheriff and
Informed him that he had interview
ed de Ia Marque, who denied all
knowledge of Harris and of The
sale iii question; but q few minutes
before hearing from the superinte
lent, someone giving his name as
de la Marque called up the sheriff
land told him that he had sold the car
to Harris; that the transaction Aas
alright, and he may release Harris
When sheriff Hanson related this tx
Superintendent Mooney the Latter
was very much surprised and prom
Used to have de la Marque apprehend
led Immediately. Shortly thereafter
the superintendent called up tn,
sheriff and told him that de Il
Marque was in custody and that h.
Ihad confessed. He also told the sher
Tiff that the car in question was solt
lby the Wells Motor Company of New
| Orleans to Riley Boykins Of that city
land was stolen from the latter OF
August 9. Harris was then placed il
Jail and was delivered into the Gus
tody of Detective Stubs, of New Or
leans, who came here Tor MIN 0,
Tuesday afternoon, and is now lodg
ed in the parish prison in New Or
leans.
: It is generally believed that in tn,
!; arrest Of de la sMarque and Harris
two members of gang of automo
| bile thieves who have been operatin,
, in various portions of the state hav,
been apprehended, and it is also be
. lieved that these MEN were imp1icate,
in the theft Of the Dominique ca
: here last Sunday. The fact that tn,
car sold here by Harris was stolen i,
. New Orleans, suggests the opinion
, that the gangsters made it practic
: to market the stolen cars far ava.
3 from the scene of the theft, and il
J pursuance of this theory it is pSs
summed that the Dominique car will B
! offered for sale in New Orleans o
i some other place. e.