The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-16
MOTOR BANDIT
EXPLAINS HIS
THEFT SYSTEM
Stole 200 Cars But
Got Nabbed With
aFord.
BY LLOYD W. FISHER

Consolidated Press Correspondent
Copyright, 1922, by The Argus)
Reading, Pa, Aug. 16.-Inner-
most secrets of the up-to-date auto
bandit were revealed here today in
further statement by Lewis Ed
wards, ar individual of many names
held for stealing a Ford car, but
who has confessed participation in
the stealing o. more than zoe auto
mobiles.
Not oniy has Edwards and the
gang with which he has been af-
| filiated stolen the 200 cars but they
were responsible for the theft of
100000 worth of silk in Phila-
delphia ard he quietly has admitted
tc the police that he participated in
a number of payroll stick ups
His methods ut least were up-to-
date in getting away with the auto
mobiles. Fist he would proceed
to some city where he was not
known. There he would Sc. in
touch with an automobile agency
and through this method ind Out
prospects. A visit to The latter
would reveal the sort OF car the
prospect wss in the market for
This done Edwards and his gang
would seek an empty private ssarage
: through the medium of newjtape,
advertisements. Meanwhile, th'
auto Jacks would comb the city fol
the sort of cars that would be use
t full to them.
!, Posed as Railroader.
In renting the garage, accordin,
e to Edwards, which invariably woul(
! have to be we'll away from the cen
3 ter of~the city in a residential part
: he would tell the people from whom
he rented that he was either trav
cling man or a railroad employ
o and that he would be home only a
4 night. Then he would steal tn
= car.
o His next move would be a visi
r to the state capital where he woul
o produce false owners and sales al
: fidavits and secure a new licens
= granted under one OF his man
J. aliases. He then would return
- his garage, place the new number
J. on his machine and take it out
a the prospective buyer. 1t was
n simple matter for him to chang
the various numbers, especially o
p the engine, sevens becoming two
rt threes and skies being made eigh'
ut and ones fours.
Caught by Woman.
a. It was through the Intelligent
A. of a clever woman that Edwart
Tx was caught here. He had rente
X a garage from a Mrs. Miller. 81
I'd visited it and found Ford ther
the plates of which correspond
,e with one she had read in the pap
IN had been stolen. When Edwar'
re came back from Harrisburg carr
ut ing two new license tags under b
d. arm the police we're waiting (
to him. He dropped the tags al
or tried to shoot his way to freedo
with two pistols. but the poll
finally ran him down. He admit
that he carried the guns to k
II any one VINO IIleu 10 arrest ullu.
ar Has Prison Record.
II, His photo and finger prints We
d. forwarded to the National Bure
tic of Identification and there 1t "
found he had been arrested first
the national capital in 1916 4
stealing a motorcycle. He was 8,
tenced to Atlanta but escap
Under the name of Stewart he v
sentenced to six years for felont
\ entry at Jacksonville, Florida,
A escaped in six months while wo
30 ing on the roads. Since then
has managed to keep out of pol
hands until . woman got him he
he He admits that he changed
Tas name many times. but most Of
bly, time he was known % James
lis Saunders, Arthur Stewart ,
San Arthur Porter.