Imperial Valley press., 1919-03-19
AUTO CLUB TELLS
OF A GIANT CAR
STEALING GANG
I am the auto thief.

I am the auto thief.
For plugged nickel I'll tell every
| secret of my business and then PI
90 out and get away with more cars
| than | know what to do with.
It is easier to steal cars in South
ern California than it is to pick or
| anges. Orchard owners protect their
fruit and auto owners don't.
| They think they have me on the
run, but my pardners are too willing
to help me out. Who are my pard-
| ers? Thew are the owners Of auto
mobiles, They are all of the owners
who are careless, and their name is
Legion. The carelesser they get the
richer ! get and | like 'em. >.
But / do not like the Automobile
Club Of Southern California with its
pesky busy theft bureau. l would
Ike to cut it out like an appendix.
It, and the police, may get me in
the end, but right now I am going
strong, thanks to these pardners of
mine-nice, careless fellows!
If it was as hard to buy machine
key that fit every auto lock as it
| is to buy decent shot of hop or a
| pinch of .snow" they might have
ne on the hip. But, shucks, l can
go out and buy lock keys just like
buying postage stamps.
can buy 15-cent key that will
| fit a $4,000 car. But most always |
don't have to spend the Is cents.
| My 'parders" leave their keys in the
locks downtown and then ! get a
5000 car for nothing just by step
)ine in and driving off.
| Broadway, Les Angeles and Broad
way. San Diego and Broadway, San
! BeTnardino, if San Bernardino had
} Br0adWay-are all the same. Yes
| ,erday I picked out the Los Angeles
| Broadway at noon time. Between
| Third ard Eighth streets l found
| shree cars with the keys in 'em. /
| hose the best enc and drove it away
| md stripped it naked.
ANY nut who drives a car with the
/ ear bumper hiding the rear license
0late is going to have his car hooked,
| and hooked good The cops don't
see the number and the getaway is
Easy. ANY number that has dents in
t or with some good cracks in the
enamel is a great help to me. That
s trade secret.
When I have to stop and scratch
ny head over car, then ] don't steal
t. But when 9 car sits up and begs
be stolen | am human and do the
work.
This mental X-ray of the thought
| processes of any automobile thief
operating at the present time in
| Southern California was "photo-
graphed' from expert testimony de-
! ivered yesterday by Detective John
! Powell of the Automobile Club of
Southern California, and is guaran-
eed authentic and even a little un-
| ler-eXposed.
! Furthermore, club officials state
with facts to back them, that motor
,ar thieves have organized chain
If Exchange stations stretching
from the Imperial Valley to Fresno
4 county, with the hub in Los Angeles
r Evidence has been secured which
shows that it is the purpose of this
! gang to steal cars in Imperial Val
ley and to strip them of all valuable
carts at points between the Valley
and Los Angeles, these parts then
sold in the latter place. The same
t is said, applies to their operation
in the vicinity of Fresno and San
6ernardino.
Santa Barbara is rapidly becoming
l way station for the half world Of
motor car theftdom, it is pointed out,
IS that city occupies strategic po-
sition on the Coast route between
northern points and Los Angeles.
1ars belonging to DR.. J. L. Martin
and Mrs. Maud Jones, of Fresno,
IRE two of those already recovered
| oy tie theft bureau. These were
,ound with their tires stripped Off.
Identification blanks filled out and
| filed with the Automobile Club have
been the means of recovering cars
belonging to G. A. Hamann, Carl
Raab and K. Dannis, of Los Angeles.
This Identification blank system is
maintained free of charge by the
organization and has proved valu-
able adjunct in the running down of
motor car theft gangs.
| Investigations carried on by Dep
uty City Marshal j. |. George of Col
| on have aided in establishing the
| fact that Southern California is in
the grip Of the gang operating be-
tween the Imperial Valley and Fres-
no. According to George, he has had
a shotgun battle with thieves near
Cotton, who were en- route to Los
| Angeles from the Valley with stol-
| en- cars One of the thieves was
wounded in the affair, he states, as
blood was later found on the high
way.
1t is the stripping" idea which is
the most popular at the present time,
say Automobile Club officials. Cars
are stolen, driven to some deserted
Darn or by-road, where the extra tires
| are removed and taken to market for
sale. Carburetors are also amputat-
ed, and other removable parts. Mo-
sorists can protect their property by
registering same with the Theft Bu
reau and by putting Identification
| marks on these removable parts.