The sun., 1919-02-26
TAXICAB OWNER
GONE; WEALTHY
YOUTH ACCUSED
A.W. Pratt Engaged Italian
Chauffeur, Later Tried to
Sell Latter's Car.
Q INQUIRIES STARTED
Driver Not Seen After Start
ing on Trip Two Weeks
Ago.

Two weeks ago young Italian,
Charles Cappola, who used his brand
new automobile OF which he was very
proud for hacking, picked up two fares
in Norwalk. Conn, and drove away
with them toward Darien. He has not
been seen by Rcquaintances since. but
Arthur william Pratt, son OF wealthy
New York woman, whose home Is IN
Darien, is under arrest here on the
charge OF etealing Cappola's car and
trying to sell 1t.
Cappolas disappearance and the fnd-
ing Of his automobile in this city pre-
sent mystery toward the solving of
which three separate Investigations are
now directed. Assistant District At
torney Unger OF New York spent all
yesterday in South Norwalk and Darien
with three city detectives-the police Of
that part of Connecticut have been
thinking Of little else for days-and here
Randolph Gerard, an attorney who has
been retained by the Cappola family. Is
doing his best to find out what became
the boy
When Pratt was arraigned yesterday
before Magistrate Marsh in Yorkville
Court Assistant District Attorney Unser
asked that bail be increased from $1,000
TO $4,000 andNt that the examination be
put over for a week.
There Is a strong suspicion that the
defendant ts guilty of a more serious
crime than grand larceny" he said.
Aunt Furnishes Rail.
Pratts attorney, John Minton, pro-
tested the increase of bail and the ad-
journment of week and the hearing
was finally set for Thursday at o'clock,
although the bail increase was granted.
Pratt stayed in jail until the afternoon,
when he was released after his aunt,
Miss Josephine Campbell of 266 West
Fortieth street, had furnished $4,000
cash and $4,000 In Liberty bonds
Pratt and Cappola had known each
other slightly for some time. The boys
father owns some of the jitneys which
are common in that part OF Connecticut
and Cappola drove for him. He was
about nineteen, a rather slight, shy boy,
who spent most of his leisure time at
home. Pratt is tall. heavy set man
who lives with his wife In Darien and
was In the habit Of riding about a good
deal at night in small cars he and his
friends used to hire. He got to know
Cappola through riding in the boys car.
Last summer he told Cappola he would
like to taste some good Italian wine, and
the boy asked him to his home in South
Norw ak. Pratt went with another man.
friend who was seen much in his COM
Eany. The family In this way got to
know Pratt and rather looked up to
linn as the wealthy man whose mother
owned Pratt's Island. a summer cottage
colony near Darien. Pratt used to ham
die the rents for his mother In the sum-
,!er time
on February 10, an unlucky day for
Cappola. he got a new automobile and
felt that prosperity was coming to him,
for people like to ride in shiny new tit
Seys rather than in shabby ones like his
old car.
His brother Tony was also to be a
driver and Charles had promised that
the next day he would drive Tony to
Bridgeport SO that he would get his
drivers license He made an appoint
nent with him for ESQ o'clock in
Horwalk, but II was l o'clock before he
arrived
Brother Waited for Him.
He told Tony then that he had JOB TO
90 first. but that he would not be long and
the brother was TO wait. As they talked
two men stepped into the automobile and
Charles drove them in the direction of
Darien. Some time later. about an hour,
two men on Pratt's Island. a desolote
wind swept bit of sand. on which are a
dozen empty frame cottages. saw new
automobile drive up in front of one OF
tie cottages and three men got out.
That Is as far as the investiga tors
hive traced the movements of the car
Whether one OF these men was Cappola
gud another Pratt has not yet been
determined. And what they were doing
IN that lonesome place is still a mys-
tory. Many things have been found OH
the island TO interest Cnger and the
detectives but what they are they dc
i.ot care to tell yet.
-Four hours later Pratt is alleged ia
lave been In New York trying to sell
Cappolas car. The complaint on which
10 is held says that he went first tc
the automobile bureau OF the Secretary
af States Office and got New York
license plates under the name of Harry
Clark of Pelham. lie next went tC
Arthur Weisel, who owns garage or
East Sixty-ffth street, near Second ave-
nue. and offered TO sell him the auto.
ilobile.
He asked 5000 for IT, but when of.
t-red less offered TO let II go for s325
As the car had only been used a day
end was valued when new at $3.50
Meisel decided TO let the police know
'out this giver away OF automobiles.
so he told Pratt to come back later
raft had said he needed only s25 IT
cash, and that Weisel could send the
remainder to him in Chicago. Wher
Pratt came back 10 get the money h,
WAS arrested by Detective Armstrong
The car was traced back to South Nor.
= ak, s-a~S-!t was~sr~ irst rfcSght therI
t'at the man arrested was Cappola, ex
pt they could not understand why h,
slould be arrested for stealing his owl
car.
Then it was learned that the mar
was Pratt and the question changed
TO, What became of Cappola?
Pratt denied he had stolen the car
lie said he had merely gone to tn,
garage with another man who had
car he wanted to sell and also that tn
car was given 10 him to sell by a man
lie has maintained. and so has his at
tnrney, Mr.. Minton. that he came t
,}ew York early on the day OF Cappola'
temperance and that he knew nothinI
about it.
Bloodstains Found.
An examination OF the automobile in
dicated that something unusual had hap
rened in IT, Cappola was in the habi
a. carrying a revolver in the left nan
'oor pocket. where he could reach
3. he was held up on any of his lat
ght rides This pocket, or ZAP, wa
lnrn. as If some one had snatched at
nd had to rip the pocket to get It ope
?nd the front of II was stained a dar
red Mr. tnger said In court yesterda
that a quick examination nv Dr or