The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-06-27
OFFICERS RECOVER
MANY STOLEN CARS
RICHIAND COUNTY AUTHORl-
TIES ROUND UP ORGANIZED
GANG OF THIEVES AND AR.
REST FOUR WHITE MEN,
WITH MORE SOON.

against what they term a section OF
an organized gang of motor car
thieves when they arrested four
white men and located Is stolen ma
chimes. A confession from one Of the
alleged robbers shows that the sys-
tenn started operations over one
year ago at Spartanburg when a
Ford car was stolen from in front of
the Gresham hotel. Emory r.
Rikard's place, two miles from Sum-
n1itt, Lexington county was he
"fence" for stole cars, the officers
say, a big barn being the hiding
place for stolen gas wagons.
Behind the bars in the county jail
are Will Burns, formerly Of Ashe-
vile, N. c.; Emory Rikard, of Lex
ingto county; J. E. Williams of
.Asheville and Will Calhoun of
Greensboro, N. c., These men are
being held for investigation pending
the recovery of cars and the arrest
of eight other men. The machines re-
covered to date include nine Ford
cars stolen from Columbia; two cars
from Spartanburg; one from Green's
boro; one from High Point; one from
Randleman, n. c., and one from
Batesburg.
Sheriff Heise, Chief Dunnaway of
the county police force and Deputy
Sheriff Thompson have worked un-
tiringly on the case sice May 19 and
long trips and all night runs have
been made since the arrest of Will
Burns Saturday, June 4. Burns was
taken in Lexington county and in a
few daysithree others were lodged in
jail. Machines were located one af-
ter another until Is were rounded
up.
J. E; Williams in a signed state
ment said he joined the gang over a
gears age while he was a clerk in
cigar store at Spartanburg and that
he ad his pal stole Ford car, chang
ed the number and sold the machine
in Columbia. While in the capital
city another Ford car belonging to
the Edison Phonograph company was
stolen, he said, and carried over to
Emory Rikard's place near Summit
where the body was take off and an
other substituted in tbs place. Will
liams Says this was his first trip to
Rikard's place. Another Ford car
was stolen at Spartanburg and sold
in Columbia according to the confes-
sion. The next move was made on
the 1900 block Of Hampton street
where a Ford touring car with a
nickel plated radiator was taken.
Williams says this machine was car.
ried to Charlotte where it was sold
for $500. Another Ford was stolen
from the vicinity of GlbDes court
and an Essex machine was taken
from some point in North Carolina
and carried to Ccwpens, according
to- the confession. Williams names
his pals in each transaction.
Sheriff Heise said yesterday that
eight white men are being sought
and about 20 more machines are to
be recovered. The sheriff said the
arrest of Burns at Shandon Annex
on the morning of Saturday, June 4,
started the weaving Of web around
what he believes to be an organized
gang. The first car to be recovered
was found at Rikard's place in Lex
ington county, according to the
sheriff. This machine was the one
taken from the photograph COM
pany and the original body is said tc
have been found in a mill pond. A
touring car body had been placed on
the chassis. A Cadillac car was To-
Gated at Rikard's which was claim.
ed by a party at Randleman, N. C,
Another Ford car was taken at Ri
kard's and this machine has not been
identified, as the officers say the
numbers were changed.
Leaving Columbia last Thursday
Sheriff Heise and Chief Dunnaway
weet to Rockingham, N. c., where
Sheriff Mcdonald Joined the party
for a trip to saw mill near Euerbe.