Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-06
OVER 1000 CARS
STOLEN in STATE
More Than Half Have Been
Taken Since Drastic PEN
atty Was Provided

State Highway Department re-
ports show that during 1919 there
have been 2,049 automobiles stolen,
of which only 272 have been reported
as recovered. The automobile code
of 1919 provided for reports to the
State authorities of all cars stolen
and it is estimated here that the
value of the stolen cars was ap-
proximately 100000.
OF the cars reported stolen, 1852
were taken after the approval of the
new law which establishes a penalty
Of $1,000 and 10 years in Jail as the
maximum penalty for automobile
theft. In addition to the 272 cars
reported recovered, the State is hold
ing under advisement II cases
wherein proof of ownership has not
been established,
AS soon as a report of a theft of
a car comes here notice is prepared
for all police authorities and for
the state officials of other states and
at 15-day intervals records of stolen
cars are sent out. In each case the
name of the car and the manufactur-
er's number are given. The Auto
mobile Division keeps two card in
dexes of each car for which regis
tration is granted. On one of these
cards is the engine number and on
the other is the manufacturers num-
Der. When application is made for
the registration of a machine, a
search is made with the idea of
learning whether or not a license has
already been issued to a car with
similar manufacturers and engine
number. This system of checking is
calculated to reveal theft.
The bulletin of the Automobile
Division also contains q record of
cars recovered. The record of No
Is snows that the thieves,
during the period covered by that
bulletin, stole SO Ford cars. Other
cars stolen were: Briscoe 1, Buick
II, Cadillac 8, Chalmers 2, Chandler
8. Chevrolet 8, Dearborn 1, Dodge 4,
Essex 1, Franklin 2, Haynes 1, Hud-
Mercer 1, Mitchell /, Marmon /, Ma
tional 1. Oakland 1, Oldsmobile 2,
Overland 8, Packard /, Paige 3,
Studebaker i, Stutz 3, Velie l,
Willys-Knight 2. The ratio of stolen
cars is practically the same on all
bulletins.
Recoveries of stolen cars are made
in peculiar manners. For example,
in Erie county, last July, an auto
mobile went over the side of a small
bridge, demolishing the railing. In
making repairs to the bridge, at
taches of the State Highway Depart
ment found under the timbers a pair
of Connecticut licenses. 1t was re-
called by local people that some
time previously a car without license
tags was found in q field near by.
An investigation showed that the
Connecticut license belonged to that
car and that the machine had been
stolen from a man near Boston. This
man recovered his car. A Massa-
chusetts man, who recovered q ma
chine through the efforts of the State
Highway Department, declared that
he had written to nine other Com
monwealths regarding his car with
out receiving a reply.
The bulletin services of the Auto
mobile Division is soon to be ex-
tended so that all of the prominent
garages in Pennsylvania will receive
lists Of stolen cars.
In case of emergency brought
about by a railroad tie-up due to
strikes, 10000 army trucks and 300,-
600 privately owned motor trucks
are available to transport foodstuffs
and other essentials to the larger
cities.
The New York State Autom obile
Association with a membership of
10000, has completed plans for a
campaign to force a more rigid and
general observation of the Motor We
hicle, Uniform Traffic and Anti