The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-04
WHAT BECOMES
OF AUTOMOBILE
TIRES STOLEN?
Police sSleuths Say
Boofleggers Buy
Them.
BY DAVIS KENNEDY.
Consolidated Press Correspondent.

lCopyright, 1922, by The Argus.)
Cleveland, Ohio. Aug. "A ques-
ton which has been puzzling the
automobile owners of the nation
has been settled by an investiga-
ton just concluded by police au-
thorities and announced here.
What becomes Of all the tires and
other accessories stolen from ma
chimes during the course of a year,
the aggregate of the thefts mount
ing into millions OF dollars?
The police and reputable acces-
sorry dealers have discovered that
the stolen property goes almost ex-
clusively to the bootleggers Of the
country.
This discovery has opened up
wide field for study by the GRIM
inologists and sociological workers.
1t is demonstrated how one crime,
allowed to 60 unchecked, begets
another. The bootleggers, plying a
criminal trade, have no hesitation
in compounding other crimes by
providing q steady market for stol-
en- property with which to equip
the machines used by them.
Big Nightly Hauls.
1t has been realized for some
time that there must be some we'll
organized method Of disposing of
stolen tires, radiator thermometers,
spotlights and other easily re-
moved accessories. The thefts
themselves seem to have been the
result of organized effort No one
is ever seen removing a spare
tire, but in each large city the
nightly hauls must require large
trucks to take care of them.
OF late tire thefts have been con-
fined largely to the finer grades OF
tires and to entirely new castings.
Bootleggers, while criminal, are
very discriminating. They know
that their safety often depends
upon fight and safety in automo-
bile fight is dependent largely up
on dependable tires. Bootleggers
furthermore do not travel in cheap
small cars. This is particularly true
OF the class known as rum run.
ners," who bring the Illicit liquo.
from distant cities or from across
the Canadian border, but it ap.
plies as we'll to the retail "mer.
chants" who deliver the goods" II
homes in the cities.
| nicvnise 0Eo~>rS9 Tk
For a time it was thought there
must be some immense fence" Of
wholesale clearing house for tn,
disposal Of stolen automobiles ant
accessories, but the investigation
has shown that each city absorb
largely its own thefts. Great cen
ters Of population like New York
Chicago, Philadelphia. ST. Louis
Detroit, Cleveland and San Fran
cisco draw as well upon outlyin,
territory, although the thefts il
these cities generally take care o
the demand. Bootleggers are lib
eral buyers Of accessories whicl
they know to be stolen, becaus
they realize the difficulty of trac
ing such property, but they do no
buy stolen automobiles. The risl
Of detection there is too great.
How to combat the theft Of &C
cessories is question whic
awaits solution. The police kno,
J some of the contributing cause.
but these are equally difficult t
/ meet. Persons who leave thei
cars standing in the streets al
night-using open air garages
naturally invite the thieves to hel
. themselves. A beautiful new spar
cord tire sparkling upon the rea
of car is q great temptation t
. the criminal tire specialist. Ordir
ary locks and chains do not dete
, him. He carries strong clipper
I and files which quickly dispose {
the restraining mechanical de
vices.
Recommend Old ~Spare."
Police of the country are thinl
ing of recommending to automobil
: owners that except in the case Of
new car, they carry an old tire as
spare, putting the newly bougl
casing Immediately upon one Of th
wheels. This they say would RI
duce the thefts considerably. o.
casionally the thieves are Dol
! enough to jack up a car and TAX
good looking tire OF the wheel
but ordinarily they prey upon th
brand new tire which has neve
been used.