Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-06-27
POLICE BOARD MAY ACT.
TO DEFEND DEPARTMENT
Directors and Officers Resent
lnsinuations of Oere-
LECTION.

police department or compelling the
production OF proof In any instance
wherein any member OF the department
directors OF the Department OF Pub
may have been derelict or at fault.
lie safety at their meeting this after
will givc consideration TO tho best plans
noon. Il WAS understood this morning
for procedure under the circumstances.
the result OF what tho members or the
This step. IL was developed today, Is
bcard consider some very ugly IN
ainuations regarding the actions or the
notice in connection with the unearth-
ing Of the extensive traihcking in
stolen automobiles in this city and
their search now under way for
Clarence II. Ratledge. whom the off,
Gals want in connection with the re-
p,rted theft OF several machines Such
tnsin,ations have been made before, II
WAS stated. but never substantated
and II Is Understood 10 he the desire
az the directors To see that this sort
OF thing Is stopped.
In connection with the search the
police department Is making for Rat
ledge. for whom warrants have been
and transporting liquor IN violation Of
the law. IL has been intimated that
someone may have been or still being
the beneficiary OF police protection.
Superintendent OF Police George Black
in a statement yesterday dehed any
one with any knowledge ~ such
,hing 90 come forward and produce
their proof The directors uf the de-
lartmcut are said 10 feel as kcenly
ss the superintendent the odium Of
such attacks I'm the dark and they
have finally resolved TO try To compel
those responsible 10 produce their
proof or else abide by the conse-
auenccs.
The directors and the police super
intendeni. 70 was stated. realizing tho
public position they hold. admit tho
right ~ criticism where such Is war
ranted. hut they are said 10 resent any
attacks OF the kind where such attacks
are unfounded and where those maxi
ms them fail 10 produce any substan-
tial grounds on which 10 base their
limitations and IN an effort 20 find
Why by which this sort Of thing
can he stopped. IL is understood. the
subjects is Ia he considered al today's
session.
An official ~ the department. pointed
out today that the police cannot ar
rest man without they have sufii-
cient evidence 10 do 50. otherwise they
make che city liable To suit for dam
ages and Ia this they have 10 art care
fully and be SURE of their ground he
fore thcv proceed. Il takes time %
gather evidence. 81 was stated. and this
cannot he picked up In = day or a wee
and sometimes not IN months.
In connection with the search being
maae for Rauedge Il was pointed out
that tho police have been working or
the cAse for several weefus and they
src stu ~ work on st. No nrrcst IA:
been rnado and IL " i,fficuit 60 prcdN'
when the fugitive may he apprchcnded
hut every e-or; Is heing made 10y ths
DEPARTMENT 10 come up with the mar
whom they say they believe Will T.,
able 90 throw much light upon the de-
Vclopmcnts concerning the steilins
and resale Of automobiles in this city
is OF a. could ,'~ learned thls mUrn-
ina there has been nothing developed
that would furnish n definite clue :,
tn. whereabouts 81 Ratledge but ef
forts to find aim have not hecn relaNe,
and N search is stin in progress.
Another fesiure Of the case, a.
brought - hight by the recent dev elop
nents. Is the fact that Of the autoinu
n.les stolen here the large majority
nro recovered either ~ this -tty or Il
other cities through the efforts OF tn
lo-ral police and detectives. one othcia
81 the department pGsDted ont toda!
that the police are roundly crnsure'
for the theft ~ Automobiles but the.
are never given due credit for ihc re-
covery 81 such machines as they ma.
succeed in iestorinz 10 their r!ghtfu
owners These reccveries are nearly al
q mar with tho total number taken AM
during the course OF the year. u wa
stated. the average Win be tust abcu
even.
The theft Of automobiles. it
claimed, In largeiy due 70 the careless
ness ~ the owners themselves and II
police can IN no way be held resTon
sitac fer they have no way of knowin
when man gets into a car and drive
away whether he H. the rtghtul owne
az ne machine or not. They enter int
the cass only after the theft Is reporte
g. them and when they begin their ef
forts % locate and recover the auto
mobiles and run 70 earth the perso
who had stolen Il.
Records 90 the department revea
that during the last three months tn
department has recovered PRACTICAL
as many care a. have been stolen an
tho IL considered an unusual recort
especially when compared with IN
thsfts as reported from other cite
where the total Of stolen cars IL ia
above the total here. The recent dc
Velopments. Il Is believed. viii go
hong WY toward breaking UP the az
pArcntly web orga nixed traffic who
hsse been carried on in Wilmingto
Cor sometime past
From April until the present tim
scooryiinr 20 the records Of the Dete,
tive Bureau the following stolen auto
mobiles have been recovered and 70
turned. TAshnan G. Hubert. At-
h-aw this latter ear having been sto
on twice once from a Philadelphi
owner and later sold 20 blaw and the
stolen from him and later rcCovere
and returned 20 the original owner
Philadelphia: William Leach williai
Belts. stolen hero. recovered In Phill
oslphia through efforts OF local polio,
James Mason. recovered In loo
garage. car Of Buick Motor Co take
from their show room I'm Philadelphia
"a new car found abandoned on stree
here. II II. Collins OF Richa rcsc
Park. recovered IN Baltimore. throug
erorN OF local police; KEEL Motor G