Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-27
THE AUTOMOBILE
SLEUTH
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN
ASHINGTON, D. c., July %.
Steadily increasing thefts
of automobiles have brought
into existence a new kind Of

detective. Professional crooks long
ago realized that stealing autos was
branch of thievery requiring spe-
cial technique and qualification. 1t
is only recently that detectives found
that the same thing applies to recov.
ering stolen cars.
AS this significant fact dawns on
the police departments of the diff
ferent cities they are creating auto
squads composed Of men who will
give all their time to pursuing stolen
motor vehicles. And what is more.
they are in most cases appointing
only specially qualified men for the
job.
The expert automobile detective,
they have concluded, has to know au-
tomobiles. He not only has to know
how to run them, and good deal
about their mechanism, but he must
be on speaking terms with the diff
ferent makes, and have at the tip
of his tongue all the little features
that identify each one. There are sew
eral hundred makes of cars on the
market, and the expert auto detec,
tive knows the general outline, de-
sign on the hub, colors, shape Of the
radiator, and other distinguishing
points Of nearly all Of them.
Furthermore, he has a quick eye A
good many people can walk past
row of cars and name every one cor
rectly. But not so many can do the
same thing if the machines are rat
Ting past or are seen from a dis
lance. Still fewer can take in other
details, such as the appearance of
the driver and condition of the car,
at hasty glance.
The auto detective cannot only per-
form such feats of observation, but
he can pick out hybrid car, that is,
more makes in order to disguise it.
While the amateur is puzzling over
the mystery of a body like a Red Ar
row, and wheels which are similar to
a Saranac, the astute detective gives
the uncatalogued specimen one look
and remarks there amt no such ami
NAL" And, of course, he hastens to
delve into the reason for the ex-
istence of the freak.
Difficult to Locate Cars
When a car disappears from the
curb without leaving a trace of theft
the problem of finding it is about the
most difficult you can imagine. The
police department keeps records of
the numbers and descriptions of cars
reported stolen. The auto squad fixes
these in mind and If it is given no
clues as to direction in which the
cars disappeared, the members 20
out in their machines or motorcycles
to watch out for cars answering the
descriptions listed and also for any
suspicious-looking rigs. Drivers of
such cars are questioned and their
machines investigated. Numbers on
the cars are especially noted, as they
are one of the most reliable means
of Identification.
Every car has an engine number,
and more expensive cars have as
many as five or more numbers on
the chassis, horn, frame. generator,
starter, or other parts. When thief
DISCUSSES a car, he changes as many
numbers as he happens to notice,
either by trying to cut out the stem
clled figures altogether, or by chang
ing some of the figures so that the
owner will not be able to claim his
car through them. Experienced auto
mobile detectives usually have little
trouble in spotting numbers that
have been tempered with, and the
thief often neglects to find and alter
all the numbers, SO that If the owner
had a record of all his numbers the
identity of his car can be proved be-
yond doubt.
Wandering about town to watch
for stolen automobiles to come past
may seem a random method Of pur-
ness when followed by experts is
undeniable. Outside of the fact that
he looks contemptuously at a magni-
tying glass the auto hound is more
like the tnfallible Sherlock Holmes
than any other type of modern de-
bewildered owner bereft Of his car. /
In this city, where an auto squad
of four men has been operating for
year, 80 per cent of go cars have
been recovered. This is a much bet
ter showing than was made when
the entire police department was
charged with the responsibility of
looking out for stolen cars. But 80
per cent, though unusual, is not
unique. 1t has been matched in Salt |
al
all places where special attention is
given to pursuing the auto thief |
scientifically.
That the professional auto Jack |
is worthy of signal interest may be
readily, seen from a study of his
methods and their frequent success.
Thefts have mounted so that insur-
ance companies raised their rates |
several times on this form of auto
liability. The number of cars stolen
in this country is now estimated at
over 100000 year, and the number |
is still increasing. Recoveries run |
as low as 40 per cent in some places, |
with IS per cent as a reasonable av- |
erage for the country.
Stealing automobiles is the most |
popular outdoor sport Of crooks, far |
understanding pocketbook snatching. |
And owners of cars, as in the past, |
still leave their cars about unpro- |
life simple for joyriders, who |
like to borrow cars, and for the pro-
fessional, who prefers an unlocked |
car to locked one, even though he /
may be able to get away with the /
latter.
How the Professional Works
Usually the auto Jack has moth
ing to do but walk up to lonesome
looking car and give it hasty glance
to see if the owner has tried to foil
by locks, he slips into
the drivers seat and in a second he |
Is out of sight.
If the car is locked it is more
trouble TO steal, and many a thief |
will pass It by in favor of an unpro-
are more painstaling. If a car is
worth stealing, it is worth stealing |
right, they seem to think, and these |
persevering ones who know the mech
are friends with every protection de- /
vice on the market, will proceed to
illustrate just how the right turn of |
a wrench or manipulation of wires
will fix a protected car so that it
will run while the owner still has |
the keys safe in his pocket.
If the owner has warily removed
a small piece of the mechanism to !!
prevent the car from running, the
thief resorts to his service car which
a. petI ~ anu WllCu is
parked nearby. This car is just like
a garage service car, even to having
a firm name painted on it. So when |
a nicely dressed gentlemen who
seems to be having trouble in start
ing his engine and summon; the |
service car for assistance no notice
is taken. IF the well-equipped serv-
ice car cannot supply the missing |
part it takes the disabled machine in |
tow and hauls it triurnphantly off.
Work in Broad Daylight
Even the supposedly fool-proof |
wheel lock, which clamps around a
wheel and is pointed on the end, has !
been calmly fixed" BY d gang in or
der to take an unusually desirable
car. A car bearing this lock cannot
be run without considerable noise
and severe jolt at every revolution
of the whenl- hut the thief il, this