Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-18
auto BANDITS TRY
. TO KILL DETECTIVE
Open Fire on Liebrandt, Twice
Before Target for Un.
known Enemies
SWIFT ATTACK IS FAILURE

-
-Four young bandits in stolen
motorcar tried to kill District Detective
Iicbrnndt. Of the Twenty second street
aud Hunting Park avenue police sta
ton last night. II was the third at
tempt on his life in n few months.
The detective. with ratrolmen Me.
Dewitt and Temple. engaged in pistol
duel with the bandits. but they got
away unhurt. The car. large and
costly machine belonging to Joseph Il.
Whelan. Of 1917 West Erie avenue.
was recovered later. Apparently it had
been stolen for the attempted murder.
Detective Licb"andt has been
markc' man in the district because "f
his activity in running down and ar
resting auto thieves. Twice before
shots have been fired at him when he
was alone on the street. Last night was
the irst time the bandits had attacked
him when he had others along.
The attack last night occurred nj
Twenty sixth and Clea "tieId streets.
The detective and the patromen. who
also were in plain clntnes. had stopped
30 caution IL motoriSt about parking
regulations. Nenrb: workm"n w"rc
welding trolley track. and crowd of
men and women. with some children,
were standing near watching them.
Bullets Miss Detective
A big car dashed down Twenty. sixth
street. -Four young men we're in it,
their overcoat collars turned up. The
machine was going at speed of be.
tween thirty-fve and forty miles nm
hour. Liebrandt and the patrolmcn
looked up as 1t came abreast, turning
into Clcarteld street. As they did 80
the men in the machine opened fire.
Bullets sang past Liebrandts head,
but all missed their mark.
The detective jumped behind trolley
role. and from the shelter of this
slender steel shield returned the fire
with his automatic The two patrol.
men had drawn their revovers in
stant,y and they. TOO. fired at the car as
It flashed. past. The target was moving
too swiftly, however. and the three Of
ficers were taken too mucl, BY surprise
for their aim to be good.
Before Ltebrandt and his companions
could commander another car for pui
suit the big machine had disappeared.
The detective and his aides then tele
phoned the police station and lcarnel
that Mr. Whelen had reported his cal
had been stolen from in front of 1870
West Erie avenue, near his home
where he had been visiting.
Abandoned Machine Found
Later Patrolman Joseph Long foun(
the stolen machine abandoned at Twen.
ty.cighth and Parrish streets. The cal
was q valuable one. and the fact tha
the thieves abandoned 1t after it hat
served their purpose indicates to thu
police that they had set out with til,
Intention Of getting" the detective
and stole n car SO as to better confuse
their identity.
The machine stolen by the bandit
has been favorlte prey for auto thieves
This was the fourth time 1t had bee:
taken since Sartember "a. Its owne
values it at $4,000.
Yesterday three boys-Georse Krci
der. Thomas Wales and Jane
O'Rourke-were arrested on a charg
of having attempted to steal the ca
from Seventeenth and Summer streets
Wheian at that time told the police III
boys jumped into the machine and at
tempted to start it. but could not be
cause the motor was cold. 4 Par
guard caught Kreider. who involve
the others, and all three were held b
Magistrate Coward in $500 bail.
Stolen Cars Recovered
Motor thieves have been active in IN
district and the police no less activ
In recovering stolen cars. In the las
month the police of the Twenty sccon
street and Hunting Park station hav
recovered automobiles valued at 500,
600. OF which S33 900 worth have bee
restored TO their owners in the Ia.
fifteen days. Three more machines wer
reported stolen in the district la
night.
The police believe the men who fire
at Detective Liebrandt were member
of large gang. Six men believed t
belong to this same crowd Of youn
men, known to the police as the North
west Rangers" were held in heav
None Of the six could have been con
cerned, however. in last nights afail
as all were under arrest.
Edward Splane. seventeen years ole
of Twenty seventh street and Lehil
avenue, and Max Golensky. seventeen
Of Twenty fifth and Oakdale street
were held in $500 bail each today
tho magistrate. Both have been a
rested before and are now held und
q total of $4,000 bail apiece. Othe
held were Dan Mcqueen. eighteen yea
Olu, Oh ileLipcibci anu tirei :" SN'S''
$500 bail; Martin Cahill. sixteen yea
old, Bambrey and Clearie!d street
$500 bail; Hugh McAllister, s!xtc'
years old, Bonsall and Cambria street
$500 bail. and Joseph Wernert. min
teen years old, Twenty sixth street al
Lehigh avenue, S4OO bail.
The polr'e say mSmbers OF I
"Rang" delight in annoying the patro
men, sometimes taking cars out Of she
brayado and running close to puliceme
attracting their attention BY spa~hir
them or knocking their hats off and III,
leading them II chase through the ne!sl
borhood, finally abandoning the car al
slipping away.
APARTMENT LOOTED
ne rNcu ANN IEAIEl p