Imperial Valley press., 1923-10-10
ROUND UP MANY
MOTORISTS WHO
FOLLOW ENGINES
Seven Pay Fines of $500
Each; Police Seek
so Others
Trick Pulled to Stop
Serious Menace at
Local Fires

LOCdA fires
As the result of a campaign
last night by the FL Centre
fire department.. and the city
police to stamp out the practice
of automobile drivers hamper
ing the work Of the firemen In
responding to alarms, seven
men paid fines Of $5 each in
The police court this morning.
In addition to these upwards
Of SO or moro automobile driv-
ers were given cards last night
with notice to appear in court
today. Those who failed to do
so will be brought in by the
police, said Chief Barker.
Other automobile own ers,
whose license numbers the po-
lice and firemen obtained, will
be notified to appear il court.
Their numbers are now being
checked to locate the owners.
The men who paid fines this
morning were e. D. Dominguez,
Carl Barnes, W. Garrick, I.
Gordon, Harry Barkey, F. w.
Washiki and Paul Bradshaw.
In all over 100 drivers fell into
the dragnet spread by the firemen
and the police to catch those who
failed to comply with the city or
dinance requiring all ears within
the city limits to come to a stop
for three minutes following the
sounding of fire alarm, or who
failed to observe the state law for
bidding ears to be parked within
800 yards of fire.
The decision to take determined
action against the fire ordinance
violators was decided upon last
night following the first alarm at
6:30 for small fire in dwelling
house near the high school. Not-
withstanding frequent warnings by
the fire chief and requests in the
newspaper to cooperate with the
firemen, as soon as the alarm was
sounded hundreds of ears immed-
lately headed for the scene. So
numerous were the automobiles in
the vicinity of the high school, that
the second fire truck was unable
to reach the scene Of the fire un-
til everything was all over. At
least three times on the way, the
second truck was forced to stop,
being hemmed in by drivers who
were determined to see the fire and
10 hn n
the fire apparatus.
Time for Action
At a conference in the fire house,
Chic Ferguson decided the time
had come to show the law violators
that the firemen mean business. Per
mission was obtained from the city
council to fire the brush piles on
the city park and shortly after 8
o o'clock Chief Ferguson posted his
men at Seventh and Park, Sixth
and Park and Fifth and Park
streets. He then fired the brush
piles and the man stationed at
Seventh and Park strets turned in
the alarm. The response was just
what the firemen expected. No
sooner was the reflection of the
fire shown in the darkness than
machines began to come from all
directions.
One fire wagon answered the
alarm by way of Sixth street while
the other came through Seventh.
Both were preceded and followed
by automobiles, all headed for the
fire. The firemen who had been post
ed along Park street Immediately set
to work taking license numbers and
issuing traffic cards citing the re-
ceivers to appear in the police court.
Many Of the automobile drivers
tried to get away and though few
succeeded, the majority were round
ed up by firemen and police, the
latter having been instructed BY
Chief Barker to cooperate to the
fullest extent with the firemen.
Hardly had the apparatus return
ed to fire headquarters than an.
other alarm came in. This time
there was nothing pre-arranged
about it, and both wagons hurried
to Third and Orange streets from
where the alarm had been sent In.
Once more the automobiles raced
the apparatus, and though no men
had been posted, the firemen man
aged to pick up few more motor
lists. Upon reaching the fire box,
there was no sign of fire to bs
seen.
Believe Alarm False
While the firemen were waiting,
the night Waterman at the Uuien
Oil company eamc over TO the box
and stated he noticed an automobile
without any lights stop near the
fire box, and few moments later