New-York tribune., 1922-02-08
Four Held, "a
More Hunted i'm
Auto Theft Ring
l.. :. Warrants Issued for
I3 Owners and I5 Others
Charging Conspiracy to
Dcfra,ld Insurance Firms
Loot MayReach 500, 600
Three Policemen Reported
Involved; Alleged Lead
crs Fight Capiors, Escape

Federal authorities here issued war
rants yesterday for the arrest Of thir-
teen persons. described as mon of sub
stance, who have collected insurance on
vanished autom obilcs, and fifteen al.
! legged thieves charged with conspiring
with them to dcfraud insurance com
psuies.
It was said at the Federal Building
that this is the first local instance IN
which owners have been accused Of
colluslon in automobilc thcfts on a
large scale. Three members of The
police auto squad arc said to have been
| implicated in two confessions obtained
yesterday.
Four Arrests Here
The warrants call for seven arrests
in Hartford. Conn. fivc in New Britain
Conn. aud eight mere. Others accused
arc scattered throughout Connecticut
and southern New York. Four men
were taken into custody in New York
CITY by Agents Lamb and Barbcra. of
the Department of Justice The for
mcr said afterWard that the gang whose
prosecution was started by these ar
rests is only the first of some fifteen
wh'ch Will be indicted IN an attempt to
eliminate this form Of fraud. The
total loss which these alleged thieves
have caused the insurance companies
the agents estimated a nearly $500 600.
According TO Maxwell s. Mattuck. the
Assistant United States District At
torncY who is handling the case. the
methods employed By these gangs
showed high degree Of organization.
Owners Of renutcd shady tendencies
were approached by the leaders Of the
gang with An offer to steal cars in
sured tor their full purchase value and
so badly ran down that in some cases
they could not have been sold within
5000 Of tho original value. The
tnicves guaranteed to keen the automo-
! bl'cs IN hiding for ninety DAYS, to allow
tlme for collecting the insurance. and
III return were to be paid 5000 and TO
retain whatever money thew could gof
4 by the sale Of tho cars through The
! underwo orld
Stolen Cars Transformed
GaragNs were maintained by tine
gangs Mr.. Mattuck wont on. at Bristol
( Hartford, New Britain New Haven
Newark and '!obokon and at several
points On Long Island. Tho stolen
cars arc thought to have been hidden
: s"aN IN these places during the period
Of necessary concealmcnt. UNDERGOING
complete Transformation while 50
secretcd Motor numbers we're altered,
identification marks were Painted out
OF removed and in general The apDcar-
aucc of the cars wa charged so com
i nletclY that in several instances the
original owners Of the vehicles dared
IT. buy back thC machines on which
they bad collected insurance.
ihes" agents are sand 10 have re-
covered twelve stolen cars
no government claims TO have good
evidence connecting the accused with
tho alleged colusivc theft of twelve
/ cars and 90 have reason TO believe that
the total loss it has caused the un0cr-
writer's totals at least sac. 900 and pos
slbr doablc That figure. Tho amount
Of insurance on TIE vanished cars
i ranges from $1,000 to $500 averag ne
about $500. tho prosecutor said
Two Ring'oadcrs Escape
An attcmpt was made week ago to
find the linglesders Of this alleged
conspiracy. but ono Of them is thought
to have been warned and made his
escape before nc could be arrested.
The Other. after at first making little
show OF resistancc. suddenly turned
upon MS two captors. sent tncm roll
ing Oh the hoor and made his escape
through tusiliadc OF shots fred bv
'hc Fedora agents from tho corners
into which hc had thrown them.
The two owners arrested yesterday
were Moe Galush. in business al 62,
broadway, Who collected ST .ocO from
The underwriters ON a $1,000 claim or