Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-26
POLICE BELIEVE THEY
UNEARThED MOTOR
PLOT THEFT HERE
Continued from page /.

witnesses to appear against him.
Stumbled on Liquor Charge.
On tho evening Of Tuesday. Juno IL,
Detectives Virden and Mnhoney went
to Cofields Beach. where they had
learned RAtledge had q cabin. intend
ips to arrest him on tho automobile
larceny charge. They werc not after
him at that time on tho charge Of
transporting liquor, for the police knew
nothing then about his having any
liquor In his possession. While they
were searching for Rstledse he owl
IDENTIFY saw them. for he ran from tho
cabin. jumped into tho Ford enclosed
runnbout which the police are now
holding and started TO drive away. The
two detectives were somc distance
from their own machine. but made q
run for II and started after the fugitive.
Ratledse got out OF the car he had
and escaped In tho darkness.
The detectives overhauled the au-
tomobile and In II they say they found
the liquor which they are holding a.
evidence and the presence of which
resulted In tho charge Of transporting
liquor against RatledGe. In the auto
mobile also. tho police say. they found
O young woman. who gave the nanc
Of Mrs. Lillian p. Moreton Of 1889 du
Pont street. 6he was At that tme en-
ployed In tho business of1co OF the
Evening Journal. but at that ONCE to-
day II was stated she In no longer en-
ployed there.
Superintendent Black explained this
| 49, - ~ A.Il e.
Moreton. but he also stated that no
charge has been placed against her
by the police. The police know where
she may be found at any time they
want her, II was stated today.
Minister Innocent Party.
Superintendent Black eaid he and
his men have made a thorough investi-
cation OF tho sale Of several cars, some
Of them said to have been stolen prop
erty. to residents OF Brandywine hun
dred. by Rev. J. 4. Hudson. formerly
OF Bethel NJ. r. Church. Claymont- and
now OF Wyoming. Kent county. Both
the minister. and also his wife. have
talked to Superinte ndent Black, the
latter said this morning. and he Is con
WINGED the miniFter was an innocent
party TO tho entire transa ton, 30 far
as tho theft OF tho cars In concerned
He told the police head that he simply
sold the cars in order to try TO helI
out with his own finances and that b.
had no knowledge at any time OF thu
fact that any OF the machines he han
died had been stolen. Both he and hi
wife. Superintendent Black stated
. were greatly agitated when the,
learned that some OF the cars the.
disposed Of had been stolen. Both o
them went 10 tho superintendent Of
fee and explained their connection
with the transactions. Superintendent
Black said today ne Is satisfied the
were innocent parties to the Who'll
scheme and tho police arc trying {
determine whether Ratledge deliber
ately sought the service of the clergy
y man as a better means to cloak hi
: own alleged transactions in counectio
3 with the general traffic in stolen carr
II he knew they were stolen.
: According TO the explanation Of th
: authorities, there have not been III
! large number Of cars stolen here ths
D were reported in a Newspaper articl
printed yesterday. Reference to th
records of the title bureau in Dove
: while there may have been 20 or Z
. cars titled there in his name, u no ir
dication. according the the police. ths
all OF them were stolen. Under tn
: state law it is illegal for anyone ,
have an untitled car In his or bt
possession. and il any owner ga.
Ratledge a car to sell he would ha,
to have il titled In his own name befol
- be could handle the proposition and |
\, this way he naturally could have har
died many cars for sale. 90 that IN
. record Is no evidence or conclusi>
proof that all Of the machines titled !
:, his name had been stolen.
- Remove Identifying Marks.
-. The police stated today that Il
- method followed in the general schen
- in the extensive theft Of cars here W,
-, 10 take them from the streets abo'
= town. send them TO Philadelphia, whe
>, the identifying numbers OF the maj
=, ers were changed. and then retui
them to this city for sale. Ford ca
are said TO have been handled excl
sively in the case under consideratio
for the reason that they have but o,
number and once this Is effectively r
moved and another substituted II
= more difficult to identify the macht
unless by some secret mark or ow
er's particular means OF identihcat!o
ly The automobile owned by Mr.. Hu
bart, the police say. was recovered
,i- the garage at SIT Shipley street, whe
oy it was for sale. The Klaw car was 7
he covered by the police in Phnadelph
de and 1t had been stolen twice. they sta
he Statements that Ratledge has be
n in this city and moving about appa
zh emily without fear Of arrest are d
n MED by the police. They have be
t. close upon his trail and they are ss
X isf1ed he has not been in WilmingtC
e. they say. They have sent out "hier
ms regarding the stolen automobiles a
TO 1t is very likely they will also send c
en- "niers" for Ratledse. 1t was stated
of City Hall this morning.
During the past few weeks the
have been a few automobiles stol,
but most Of them have been recover
rs and returned The police say they ha
no evidence to connect Ratledge w
n the theft OF all these cars and tn
of cannot say that be had anything
fs do with all OF such cases. The warral
ck issued for him on the three speci
ch charges are based on evidence the I
RS lice say which they consider conc
10 sive that the man they are seeki
knows something about the particu
en- cases in question.
de VI the Ratledge garage the pol
he . III billheads of the Parkside No
ed . Twenty-f1fth street and Parkw
RS Philadelphia. which concern. II is
legged, Ratledge was supposed to r,
resent in this city. This upon inve,
IT. cation. proved 10 be a phantom ct
Germ and the address given a vac,