Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-03
RICH. GIRL IS HELD
AS MOTOR BANDIT,
SOUGHT THRILLS
Heiress, With BIighted Ro-
nance Simply in Quest of
Excitement, Mother Says.
NOW IN BROOKLYN JIAL

New York, Oct 3.-From beautiful
and petted child of luxury to girl auto
bandit, held in SIS 900 bail as a mem
ber OF gang OF Brooklyn thieves,
which has stolen 1000 automobiles.
That is the amazing story OF Dorothy
Helen Smith. who turned sauto bandit
she tried in vain TO forget her child
hood romance which left her bitter to-
ward all the world.
Yesterday. her mother. Mrs. Charles
Gordon Smith, wife OF wealthy New
York manufactures. told the story of
her daughters unfortunate marriage
TO man said TO be already married.
She told OF her daughters craving
for excitement even i'm her early teens
and how this thirst for thrills was
turned into a mania for excitement
which finally led her 10 a cell in the
Raymond street Jail in Brooklyn.
where she is held a prisoner.
The mothers story is a story of ach-
ing hearts. OF loves dream blighted. OF
abandoned recklessness and OF a
mothers loyalty throughout it all.
For love of her daughter, Mrs. Smith
now living modestly at 3s7 Gates ave-
nue.. is parted from her husband, who
is president of the Smith New York
Metal Works. and has left the luxuri-
Gus Smith home at III Hergmier
street. Brooklyn.
Dorothy, she said, three years ago
was married to David Bratton. grand
son OF Andrew Peck. millionaire
Brooklyn sporting goods manufac-
aurer, and 100000 heir to his grand
fathers estate. The couple, after a
wedding at The Little Church Around
the Corner" in Manhattan, departed
for California on their honeymoon.
When they arrived there, Mrs. Smith
said yesterday, Dorothy found that
her husband had another wife and
two children.
1t was then. she says, that her
daughter unleashed all OF the devils OF
recklessness which had since childhood
lurked in her blood. Escapade after
escapade. mostly harmless, were in.
dulged in TO forget. She tried tn,
movies, won the friendship of Anits
Stewart and was on the road to star
dom. her mother says, but the movies
paled. II was too much hard work an,
not enough~~excitement She sough
other thrills. She looped the loop witt
Eddie RiclSenbacker. famous ace.
She had run the whole gamut OF un
usual things when the lure OF aut,
banditry got into her blood.
She declared to Assistant Distric
Attorney John e. Ruston:
Just the excitement and the Thrill
of il made me help steal automobiles
1 liked the speeding away and tn
plotting 10 avoid detection. II wa
great excitement while it lasted, bu
J the end had to come sooner or later
And il has come. .lasnt it?"
= She was arrested Saturday, wit
Z Thomas Sweeney. a garage owner, wit
whom she is charged in aiding in tn
theft of cars which were turned owe
. to Edward Lang. SIS Albany avenu,
! known as "the brains OF Greater Ne'
> York's most extensive ring of aut
> thieves" Lang's wife is also hel,
Both Lang and his brother. John Lant
, are under indictment for previous au
, to thefts.
> According TO District Attorne
Lewis, both Miss Smith and Sweene
have made complete confessions, in
volving Lang of being head Of the aut
thefts plot.
All four prisoners are held in s25
600 bail each.
According to District Attorne
e Lewis. Sweeney confessed that he r,
: ceived only $50 or $50 for the theft
= each car, and Miss Smiths rewaI
was just enough TO live on-and II
. excitement. 1t was excitement st
wanted.