The New York herald., 1921-08-15

Automobile thieves in Manhattan
and The Bronx stole more than $500
cars, valued at about So, SOC, 900, during
the last six months. according to the
daily lists published by the Police
Department. fewer than so per cent.
having been recovered.
1t was announced by the police last
would be discontinued because 'the
experiment had proved unsatisfactory"
Insurance companies, whose losses
have been enormous, say that the po-
lice are ashamed to print the lists any
more because they show that auto
mobile thefts are increasing.
Last February the average was
fewer than fifteen cars a day: during
the first ten days OF August 215 cars
were stolen, an average Of more than
twenty-cne every day. On August 10
thirty-five cars were stolen-a record
for one day
Almost half of the stolen cars were
Fords. The Fords on the list between
February IA and August ii numbered
l.VJ4. 1ncN were UlOSlly 1Jzu anu
models. The Ford thief is particular
about that. Estimating the average
value at $500. the loss to Ford owners
alone Is more than 81 900. 900 a year.
All Makes Are stolen.
Although Fords were most popular
with automobile thieves. practically
every make OF car was included In the
six months record. The list by cars.
with FIVE days missing. follows:
Ford. 1904; Buick. 242 ; Chandler. 133 !:
Hudson. III; Cadillac 1o2: Chevrolet.
80 Dodge. 90 Oldsmobile. So +: Packard.
40; Studebaker. 30: Stutz. "a: Paige.
30: Oakland, 30 Overland. 26 Marmon,
20: REQ. 20; Maxwell. 10; Essex. IL:
Cole, l6: Chalmers, Il; Lexington, IA !;
Nash. IL; Mercer. 13; Hupn.obile. IL
White. IL; National. IL. Fewer than
ten each: Grant, Locomobile. Mack.
Autocar. Peerless, Doris, Rainier. Metz.
Patterson, Cunningham. American, Bid
die. Fiat, Liberty, Shaw. Lozler. Dixie.
King. Republic. Stearns. Riker, bort.
Moon, willys-Knight, Mitchell. Michi-
gan, Pullman, Franklin, Anderson.
Atlas. Pierce-Arrow. Sterling. McFar-
land. Kissel Crow -Elkhart. Pathfinder,
stevens, Walker, Yale. Owen. Westcott.
Collier, Morley. DayElder. Roamer,
Saxon, Templar, Stewart, winton. Velie.
clvdsedaie. Scripps- Booth, Daniels.
singer. Cleveland. Haynes. Elgin. Benz.
Jordan. Auburn. Standard and Minerva.
II Is n fact well known TO the police
that the automobile thief Is az thor
oughly organized as II he carried a
unon card In his pocket and paid dues.
The only difference between him and
other skilled craftsmen IL that he never
goes on strike. The bands which have
To-, -
serienced and their methods are precise.
snIes Planned In Advance.
They know whose cars they are
taking and have calculated the risk.
They have planned In advance the dis
position Of the car and they choose their
prize with an eye to the market. That
of~course is the season Ford cars are In
such demand They can be disguised
easily and sold anywhere.
The so-called private garages that re-
Gently have sprung M on the outskirts
Of the CITY have proved a boon to auto
mobile thieves and bootleggers. These
garages are nothing but a string Of
sheds standing in rows. each with its
individual lock. They are rented for
SIS to s25 n month.
An automobile thief steals n car and
drives TO one OF these places, stores
the car and when convenient repaints
Il and puts a new number plate on.
AS long as Il remains in the garage
no one can touch II without a warrant.
BootlegRers. many OF whom work with
the automobile thieves. get touring
car or truck load Of whskey and store
II ~ = private garage until they find q
purchaser.
The police know these tricks but
there Is nothing they can do until pri-
vate garages arc regulated by ordinance.
"A detective who has been successful
in rounding UP automobile thieves said
every private garage owner should he
compelled to report daily to the police
the arrival OF new cars, giving the
license number and manufa ctnrar's Z
number and should have n master key
10 open All the locks.
Another suggestion prompted by long
experience IN the ways Of automobile
thieves Is that all ferries, bridges and
main highways leading out OF the city
should bc policed and car numbers