Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-09-24

sell 1t is another type, and is generally
I mechanic
Then there IS the professional auto.
mobile bandit or stick up man, who
steals an automobile to use in making
a quick and sure getaway after com
hitting a holdup.
Automobiles are often stolen by pro-
fessional yeggmen for the same purpose.
Some burglars use an automobile to
haul away stolen loot when IL is too
heavy or bulky to be carried.
STEAL CARS FOR
TRADE IN BOOZE.
The "bootlegger'' steals automobiles to
use in his Illegal liquor trade.
He finds It to his advantage often
times to desert an auto IN which he is
hauling whisky rather than to be ar
rested.
He also finds it to his advantage to have
some other persons automobile when
hauling liquor, as the federal officers
might confcate the car under the law
and in that way the bootlegger is not
heavy loosen.
Howard Cert, the local police say, 10
the most clever automobile thief that ever
operated IN Indianapolis.
Cert was convicted in this and other
cities and sent to prison for automobile
stealing.
Last December he was caught in this
city while stealing automobiles and was
sentenced to serve n life term I'm Mich
igan City prison as a habitual criminal.
Cert was an apt hand at solving the
various locking devices on cars. and when
few days ago he was taken to Shelby
Vile as a witness against men alleged
to have purchased automobiles from him
Cert found no difficulty in picking the
lock on the ShelbyviHe jail and escap-
Ing
The methods Of the professional auto
thief are worthy Of interest and the sue
cess of these methods has caused the
number Of thefts to mount and the in
surance companies to raise their rates.
1t is estimated that in this county each
year Joy riders and professional auto
mobile thieves steal 100000 cars.
Recoveries run as low as 40 per cent
in some places and rs per cent is a rea-
sonable average for the country.
Stealing automobiles Is the most pop
ular outdoor sport for crooks.
Many owners Of cars still leave their
automobiles parked unprotected. appar-
emily with the idea OF making life sim
pie for the Joy riders. who like to Dor
row cars, and the professional thief who
prefers an unlocked car TO a locked one,
even though he may be able to get away
with the latter.
AS a rule the professional has moth
Ing to do but to walk up to a lonesome
looking car and give ii a hasty glance
and see If the owner has tried TO foil
him.
II the car seems TO be unincumbered
with locks, he slips into the drivers seat
and is soon out Of sight.
II the owner warily removes a small
piece Of mechanism 10 prevent the THEFT
Of his automobile the thief win resort
to the service car OF his 'par' parked
nearoy.
Even the supposedly thiefproof lock
which clamps around the wheel and is
pointed at the end, doesn't worry gangs
who desire to steal an unusually desir-
able car.
The thieves remove the wheel and re-
place it with another wheel, and the
average person will think 10 is just some
automobiles repairing a tire.
EXPECT THEFTs
! To DIMINISH.
There will always be large number
Of automobile thefts, but the recently
enacted federal law, penalizing interstate
commerce IN stolen cars, the work OF
| automobile sleuths, and the educating OF
the automobile owners TO lock their caIs
and to use more caution about leaving
cars unprotected, should reduce the mum.
Der stolen in the future.
| 1t is interesting to note the report re-
Gently made public by the National Au-
tomobile Dealers association.
There were $3.50 automobiles stolen
in nineteen index cities of the United
| staes tin 1919, compared to 25,613 in the
same cities in 1918. This is an increase
Of 22.4 per cent. The figures obtained
are from the official reports Of the chiefs
of police