The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1922-08-29
DESPERATE GANG
Of AUTO THIEVES
BROUGHT TOLIGHT
Arrest of Fitzgibbon on Con-
spiracy Charge Unearths
Traffic in Stolen Cars.
LOCAL MEN ARE HELD
One Confesses to Deal With
Coal Operator to Collect
Insurance Money.

With the arrest of Frank Fitzgib-
bon, 81. of 1913 Z. Washington ST.,
coal operator, on a grand jury in
dictment charging conspiracy 10 COM
nit a felony, it became known that
he is alleged to have had lealings
&Eith one OF the most daring gangs
automobile thieves that ever op-
Grated in the central States. Mem
bers have confessed theft of thirty au-
tomobiles.
Charges against F'itzgibbOn are that
he conspired with Herman Chandjie Of
the Brevort Hotel and Edward Siers-
dorfer, 143 n. Delaware St, to have
them steal his limousine, valued at
$1,000. and insured for $500, that he
might collect the insurance. It was
following the arrests of Chandjie and
Siersdorfer that their confessions and
the Investigations OF Detectives Nc
eileen, McMurtry. Ruginstein and
Sullivan resulted in the returning Of
IN indictment against Fitzgibbon.
-Four Are Arrested
Chandjie, Siersdorfer, Viola Miles,
IS, of 403 E. South St, and Jean Nc
Donald, IS, of 4033 E. Washington
St, were arrested at Marion, Ohio,
May 9. in a big automobile stolen in
Indianapolis. The automobile was the
property Of Mortimer Forscott. 81
The Hampton Court, vice president
of the Kahn Tailoring Company.
The two men and woman were
brought back to Indianapolis and are
IT..
women are out on bond, but the men
have been in Jail since their arrest.
All have been indicted by the grand
Jury.
The two men confessed that they
had stolen thirty high priced automo-
biles in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Bos-
ton, Dayton ard Louisville, when the
detectives happened to ask them about
the Mcfarland automobile owned by
Fitzgibbon. They then confessed that
Rpey took that automobile after max
+. z a bargain with Fitzgibbon-
Chandjie said he met Fitzgfbbon at
Garden Point chicken dinner place
IN Broad Ripple and that Fftzgibbon
eaid the car was too expensive and
that he wanted TO get rid Of it as he
had $500 insurance on the automo-
bile. Chandjie said he agreed to take
the automobile provided that Fftz-
Eibbon would give him several days
start before reporting the loss to the
police. Chandjie said he took the car
and in company with his wife, Gladys
Chandiie, an actress, drove about In
dianapoIs and to Garden Point and
put the car in a garage on Meridian
st. near Ohio ST., where it remained
during the night and on the next day
the three started south for Birning-
ham, Ala Some days later Fftzgib-
bon is said to have reported the au-
Tomobile stolen.
Confession in Detail
The confession of Chandjie told in
detail of the trip to Birmingham,
and later to Aneanta, Ala, the home
city Of Mrs. Chandjie.
The insurance company traced the
movements Of the three persons and
the automobile from Indianapolis to
Oneanta, Ala They also claim that
they have positive proof that the Nc
Farland automobile was in the garage
in Alabama on the very day that Fltz-
gibbon reported the car stolen.
Some days later Chandjie returned
to Indianapolis and early in April he
confessed having told Fftzgibbon that
he drove the big automobile over a
zNIiff in the mountains. He asked for
&As pay. but was told the insurance
Company had not settled
Fitzgibbon in jail
r-it7z;bI,or was locked in the Ma
rion County Jail today following his
arrest by Sheriff Snider, having failed
TO obtain bond
OF the thirty high-priced automo-
biles stolen in various cities by the
gang, the Indianapolis detectives
have recovered about ten.