New-York tribune., 1921-02-14
Prisoner A used Of
Grand Larceny Expect
ed to Link Police Di-
rectly With Car Thefts
Garages Used as
Clearing Houses
Groehl Will Prosecute
Suspect and Then Turn
Him Over to Whitman

With the arraignment Of a prisoner
describing himself as Thomas O'Brien
thirty-five years old of 332 East Thir-
ty-fifth Street, in Washington Heights
Court to-day, it Is believed that the
most important developments tending
to connect the police with wholesale
automobile thefts will be brought out
From unofficial sources yesterday it
was indicated that this one arrest may
ne the means Of getting at the founda-
ton Of the entire ring of automobile
thieves said to have been operating in
colluslon with various police fficials
The prisoner who calls himself
O'Brien will be prosecuted by Former
Magistrate Frederick j. Groehl, one of
the assistants to Mr.. Whitman in the
investigation Of alleged collusion be-
tween the police and automobile
thieves. Judge Groehl made the arrest
last Saturday night. assisted by De-
tective Sergeant William F. Reith, who
has been assigned to the Whitman staff
as an investigator.
Judge Groehl would make no state
ment concerning O'Brien's arrest last
night other than to say that he was
Satisfied" He is known to have worked
all day yesterday checking up angles
to the case. 1t was learned officially,
however, that the prosecution expects
to link OBrien, who is alleged to have
been caught disposing of stolen car
bearing New Jersey license, with the
theft of at least fifty nigh grade ma
chimes.
The technical charge against O'Brien
Is grand larceny. 1t is believed that
after he is arraigned he will be held
IN prohihitive bail and then taken be-
lore Mr. Whitman for questioning, after
which, in all probability, the grand
jury viii be asked to indict him.
Clearing Houses for Stolen Cars
The statements alleged to have been
nade by UBrien to Judge Groehl and
heltn are said to have revealed three
large garages as Clearing houses" for
stolen cars. One of these places is de-
tant automobile highway in the Bronx,
and 1t was said that it was O'Brien's
connection with this garage that led
to his arrest.
Another garage in the chain alleged
to have been used in the disposal of
stolen cars is said to be in one of the
largest towns in Westchester County
and one that is not more than seven or
eight miles from the Connecticut bor-
der.
Members Of Mr.. whitman's staff, 1t
is known, spent several busy days in
White Plains, county seat of West
chester, last week, and it is believed
that it was the information obtained
there from garage men that caused the
arrest Of O'Brien in New York.
Bearing out this story is the fact
that Chief of Police James Donovan of
Port Chester, Westchester County, and
the largest village in New York State,
has cooperated with Connecticut police
authorities in tracing many stolen
automobiles to garages IN or near
White Plains.
Disposal Plant in Jersey
Chief Donovan made matters so un-
comfortable for New York auto thieves
who were using Port Chester as "dis-
posal plant" that they are known to
have transferred their activities to
White Plains. Port Chester was used
by the thieves because the Connecticut
State line runs almost directly through
the center of the village, and a jump
to either side Of the line could be made
from any of its garages within a few
m 'nutes.
The third garage, said to have been
named by O'Brien in a statement which
is declared to involve high police Off
cials in this city,. is in a New Jersey
C ty. The Tribune was Informed last
night that this place is one of the
largest in the city of Newark
Mr.. Whitman yesterday refused to
discuss the new developments in the
automobile scandal re sulting from the
arrest of O'Brien, although he ad-
mitted that the case would receive his
personal attention to-day The former
Governor also declined to say whether
he had been furnished With any evil
dence which would indica'e that the
murder of Alberto ,AlteHo, wealthy
Italian importer, Thursday afternoon,
was connected in any way with a
quarrel he is said to have had in
Police Headquarters with a detective
shortly before he was assassinated.
Aiterio Slain as '4Squealer''
Alterio was shot and instantly killed
by an unidentified assassin within 100
feet of Police Headquarters. 1t is said
that he had "squealed" or a ring of
Italian rum runners, and that the man
who shot him had received signal to
this effect from a detective who was
aware Of what had taker place in
Police Headquarters. The first shot
fred at Alterio killed him, but the
eunman fred again and wounded Aida
Perretti, of 81 Mulberry Street, in the
leg.
While Mr.. Whitman would not dis
cuss the later developments in this
case, he admitted thae tlere were
number of phases in connection with
il chat probably would prove very in
teresting.
The former Governor will not go
before the grand jury until tomorrow,
and at that time it Is expected that
two or more indictments will be handed
down in connection with graft in the
Fire Department.
Judge Thomas C. I. Grain presiding
over the January Extraol diaary Grand
Jury. which has the Whitman investl-
CATION in charge, will hear arguments
to-day for the inspection of grand
jury minutes on which indictments
have been found. He also will hear
arguments, it is said, Tor snd against
the dismissal of the indictments found
against Detective Sergeants Martin S,
Owens and Thomas J, Horan Both
Il. Z