Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-28
FIVE GRAND FORKS BOYS HELD
ON CHARGES OF CAR THEFTS::
MANY AUTOMOBILES STOLEN
Sixth Lad Waived Examine
tion And Case Will Come
Up Later; Authorities
Have Been Working On
Case For Several Weeks;
Cars Stolen In Nearby
Towns.

Five Grand Forks boys. charged
with being members Of gang re-
sponsible for the theft Of large
number of autom obiles here, and else
where In this district, during the last
several months were scheduled to be
taken before District Judge G. NJ.
Cooley this afternoon, upon recon-
mendation of Judge A. B. Guptil of
Fargo. juvenile court commissioner.
The youths were given q hearing
before Judge Guptil this morning. A
custody. waived examination before
the district court. and his case will be
taken up later, according to Juvenile
court officers.
Three young men who are charged
with the robbery of the w. A. Gar
rison company store on South Third
street, recently. also were scheduled
to be taken before Judge Cooley this
afternoon.
All of the youths taken into Gus
tody in connection with the auto rob-
berries, are under 1s years Of age. and
under the existing laws their names
cannot be published. because the case
Is in Juvenile court.
The apprehension Of the boys fol-
lowed several weeks of Investigation
by the forces of the city police de-
partment. and the county sheriff.
Many Cars Stolen.
Since early in June reports of more
than SO automobiles stolen in Grand
Forks and in this vicinity have been
made to the city and county authori-
ties. A systematic search was insti-
gated, and in several cases evidence
was secured that pointed to the guilt
Of one or more of the band that was
taken into court today.
Final evidence was rounded UP,
when two boys who had abandoned
stolen car at Emerado recently.
as they were walking into Grand
Forks. They had reached Ojata when
overtaken by the local man. Their
story, and their appearance on the
country road at night, made the taxi
man a bit suspicious. and he told the
sherif's stan OF having picked up the
two boys. Later, when they were
questioned about the disappearance
of several cars, they are said to have
told story duplicating the others,
who also were in court today.
! Others Arc Sought.
! 1t is understood that number Of
other youths are believed to have been
working with the group now in Gus
! tOuy. ana IurLnor 1nVeSIlSat1On Is De-
ing conducted by the sheriff and po-
lice departments, leading toward the
apprehension of any who may be in
dulging themselves in the gentle sport
of stealing automobiles.
Many of the cars which have been
taken. have been located, evidently
having been stolen for the purpose of
joy-riding. In number of instances
the machines were driven until they
ran out of gas. or until something
went wrong with the mechanism. and
then they were abandoned. In some
instances. according to the story told
to the authorities. one or two of the
boys would "pick up" a machine,
drive it around for awhile, and then
| turn it over to one or two other
youths. In some instances the car
would be driven only at night, with
the license number removed, and
other marks Of Identification taken
Off where possible, and during the day
1t would be hidden. to be taken out
again at night by some member Of the
gang