The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-10
SAYS HE
TOOK CARS OUT
ALED0 GARAGE
Attempt to Steal Automobile a
Reynolds Falls Says He Pull.
ed the Job Alene.

clyde Anderson, l8-year-Old Ale
do youth, formerly an inmate OF
the reform school at st. Charles,
was arrested yesterday at Rock Is
land as the joy rider who broke
into the Baker garage on East
Sixth street last Friday night and
removed cars. Anderson was
brought back to Aledo last night
by Sheriff Fleming. He admitted
being the thief, but says that he
pulled the job alone.
Although Anderson told no con-
nected story of the nights work,
he answered all questions asked
him by Sheriff Fleming and the
men whose cars he had taken. He
could not set any definite time as
to when the cars were taken from
the garage, but says that he was
at home at the time the Dolly went
through Aledo about Z o'clock in
the evening. After that he came
up town. He tried to open a win
dow in the garage and took the
new Buick touring car belonging
to Mike O'Day. The purpose Of
the theft was trip to Moline. Be-
fore he could get out Of town, how
ever, something went wrong with
the Buick, and it was abandoned
near the O'Day residence on North
College avenue. He then went back
to the garage for another car. Just
what time he went back he does
not know, but he said that he spent
most Of the night tampering with
the cars and trying to find one that
he could run. Anderson says that
he carried a tub of water from the
depot, about half block away, to
the garage and filled the radiators
Of some of the cars. After several
unsuccessful attempts to start the
cars he crept into one and slept
for a time. Upon awakening, an
attempt to start the Briscoe touring
car belonging to Will Shaw proved
successful, and he succeeded in
getting it as far as the Aledo Ma
chine company, on East Fifth
street. Here the battery ran down,
and he went back to the garage
and removed the batteries from the
other Briscoe, belonging to Mr..
Shaw, which was stored there, car
ried them back to the car, connect
ed them and drove around to the
Illinois Oil company. where he at
tempted to obtain gas. He smash
ed the switch of the station in the
effort, which was unsuccessful. He
was forced to abandon the car near
the Silver Leaf dairy. north of
Aledo. This waF thought to be q
little after Z in the morning, as the
car was seen near the oil station at
that hour. After leaving the car
he walked to Hamlet and caught a
ride from there to Reynolds. At
Reynolds he attempted to steal an
other car. but was caught and TAX
en- to Rock Island by the Reynolds
authorities. The police in Rock Is
land. who had been notified Of the
Aledo thief, recognized him and
phoned to Sheriff Fleming, who i'm
mediately left for Rock Island and
returned with the youth last night.
Although Anderson says no one
was with him during the night, it
is thought that others must have
helped him. Another Aledo youth.
who was first thought to have been
implicated In the job. denies all
knowledge OF the crime and has
given an alibi that he was at home
all evening. Many of the petty
crimes that have been occurring
frequently in Aledo are thought to
have been the work of the Ander-
son youth. who seems to be more
Of a kleptomaniac than . profess
sional thief. No date has been set
for the hearing.