The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-07-24

Ruv - - Ke~4~
Wsnlnbson 10y
Steadily incrtaptng thefts q auto
mobiles have brought into existence
/. nav Kind ~ detecfive Profes-
s,nr.I .,cck~ Icr~ ~ reali,ad fhat
~. IT, .,.o. -. hrsrch n
t,,e-.rn ,ec,,sr,n~ .nsra.i terhninue
ana nn.i;fcstion n Il oniv re-
cently that datectivea found that
the same thing applies 70 recover
;n~ stoJen c.rr
A. fhis slvniAcant fact dawna On
81. nc,;cs der.rtment. ~ the dIffer-
ert cities thsv ~ creating auto
soua6s comnosed AZ man who viii
rive ali their time to pufsuinr sto-
len motor vehicles And what il
mora thav ara IN most cases an
ccirt;rr onlv aneciaIlv ,naiifietI
men for the lob.
The exnert automobile detective,
thev have concluded has IN know
antnmobiles he not only has to
know how to run them, and a good
deal about their mechanism, but
he must be ON speaking terms with
the different makes, and have at the
tin of his tongue all the little fea-
lures that identify each one. There
are several hundred makes of cars
| ON the market. and the expert auto
detective knows the general out
line. design on the hub, colors,
shape of the radiator, and other
distinguishing points Of nearly all
of them.
Furthermore, ne has a quick eye.
A good many people can walk past
q row of cars and name every one
coWectly. But not 80 many can CO
the same thing if the machines are
rafting past or are seen from a
distance. Still fewer can take in
other details, such as the appear
ance of the driver and condition OF
the car, at a hasty glance.
The auto detective can not only
perform such feats of observation,
| but he can pick out a hybrid car
that ia. one patched together from
two or more makes in order to
disguise it. While the amateur is
rryzlipg over the mystery of a body
like a Red Arrow. and wheels which
arc similar to a Saranac. the astute
detective gives the uncataloged
srecimen one Hook and remarks
"tnere amt no such animal" And
of course he l,astens 10 delye into
iha reason for the existence Ut the
frsak
| Diff;cuIt 10 Locate Cars.
When a car disappear from the
curb without leaving a trace of thief,
n, problen. of finding it is abou,
tho most difficult Won can imagine
The notice department keeps rec
or,ls of the numbers and descrip-
;:cns of cars rapcrted stolen. The
au,o souaG fxes thes. in mind and
: il is given co clues as to direc-
tion in which he carr disappeared
tbr mhmbers 70 ont in their ma
chi,oc or r,,,tor.vcles % watch on,
f.r cars answering the descriptions
listed and also for any suspicious
loo,,inp rigs. Drivers OF such cars
Az questioned and their machines
inv, stigated. Numbers on the cars
ara psnecially noted. as they arc
ono of TN. most reliable means OF
Identification.
Everv 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 9
thief DISCUSSES a car, he change.
as MANY numbers as he happens tt
notice either nv irving to cut ou
the stenciled figures altogether, OF
bv Changing some of the figures 81
that the owner will not be able t.
claim his car through them. Elk
nerienced automobile detective.
usually have little trouble in spot
ting numbers that have been tam
nered with. and the thief often neg
iects to find and alter all the mum
bers. so that if the owner had /.
record of all his numbers the iden
tity of his car can be proved beyont
doubt.
l Wandering about town to watcl