The New York herald., 1921-02-14
ON TRAIL OF THIEVES
PurlOined Cars as Rum Car
riers Make Bootleggers'
Loss Less if Caught.
THREE COPS SUSPECTED
Four Garage Owners Also in
Plot to Protect Men in Out
law Bands.

Following the arrest and extended
questioning yesterday of man who is
alleged to have been captured while
he was attempting to dispose OF
stolen automobile. 1t was reported that
members of the staff OF Charles S.
Whitman had obtained information
tending to implicate three members of
the Police Department and four
garage owners in a plot to aid in the
disposal of stolen cars and give pro-
lection to the thieves.
The arrest followed closely the receipt
of reports by the special prosecutors
staff that large band, of which Frank
Walsh, murdered in New Jersey, was a
member. has been engaged for some
time in rounding up stolen automobiles
in the neighborhood of this city and
using them for the transportation Of
stolen liquors which were disposed of
through a territory extending from Phil
adelphia to New Haven.
The prisoner was taken into custody
by former City Magistrate Frederick j.
Groehl. who is assisting Mr. Whitman in
his police investigation, and by Detective
William Reith. assigned to the special
prosecutors force. They are understood
to have heard that he was coming into
the State with an automobile that had
been stolen Friday from Charles Law
renee, an official OF the Submarine Boat
Corporation of Newark. n. j.. and they
laid a trap for him.
Secrecy as to Place of Arrest.
Just where the arrest was made is a
secret. but the prisoner was booked at
the West 125th street police station early
yesterday morning and later taken to
Yorfville Court, where he was held for
examination to-day. He gave his name
as Thomas OBrien. his occupation as
clerk and his address as 322 East Thir-
ty-fifth street. The charge against him
was bringing a stolen automobile into
this State.
In connection with the reports OF eX-
tensive operations of an interstate gang
OF automobile and rum thieves, IT was
said yesterday that the men are alleged
TO have been using small towns in the
vicinity of the big cities as places for
the storage of their loot. They are
said TO have caused large quantities of
stolen liquors to be taken to points not
far from this city and to have distrib-
uted these stocks by sending calls to
the various places where the stolen cars
were assembled and Communicating
them for transporting the stolen booze
to bootleggers.
In this way the thieves felt, it is
said that they could more readily afford
to abandon their cars full OF liquors II
closely pressed by authorities who had
not been fixed. They also felt that il
Il became necessary to engage in gun
fights II would be better TO do so from
stolen car than from one to which
they had legitimate title.
Four Garages Are Suspected.
one OF the garages said to have been
implicated in the revelations OF ycster-
day is in the vicinity of White Plains.
another near Port Chester. a third in
The Bronx and another in Newark. This
trail will be followed as far as il may
lead. and although the prosecutors re-
fused to comment upon the matter yes
terday 1t Is known that they have high
hopes for developments in the near
future. They expect that investigation
along this line may clear the mystery
OF tie shooting of Walsh
Assistant District Attorney James +.
Smith spent all OF Saturday night and
most of yesterday in Newark in an ef-
fort to find n room Walsh is said to
have occupied there on certain days OF
the week.
Mr. Whitman was In this city. but he
refused 10 make any comment whatever
upon the progress OF his investigation.
lie has said that he intends to trace the
origin of story TO the effect that Al
berto Altorlo. an Italian merchant. was
sla In last Thursday az a result Of a re-
port which he had made at Police Head
quarters concerning a grating member
OF the force.
The report was that as Alterio walked
down the steps on leaving headquarters
n police officer gave signal TO man
on the opposite side OF the street; that
this man traifed Alterio. and that a few
minutes later the merchant was shot
from behind.
II the reports relating to the inter-
state gang OF rum thieves are correct.
il is the belief OF persons connected with
the investigation that there must be con-
siderable corruption In the area In which
they operate and that in every town
which they have selected as n base they
must have fixed" one or more public
officials