The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-08-23
YOUNGEST AUTO
THIEF Is CAUGHT
Sam, Age II, Holds Record
as City's Most Youth
full Car Thief.
CUT BY FLYING GLASS
Boy, Plotting Stolen Car
Crashes into the Machine
of A. III. Lance.

The youngest auto thief" came 20
grief last night in collision Wnlcn
occurred scarcely ten minutes after ne
had made off with a light touring car
which had been parked near the cir
Gus grounds. ).
Sam Salerno, ~ years old, awoke IN
the county Jail today where he was
taken last night after he had been
captured by officer Frank McClusky,
There is one stitch in a deep cut ua-
der his chin. Flying glass from the
shattered windshield struck him.
The collision which brought about
the undoing of young Sam, occurred
at the intersection of Elizabeth ana
Grover streets. Herman Tanck, driv-
ing the automobile of A. H. Lance, 800
Prairie avenue, was going west on
Elizabeth street at a moderate rate
Of speed. Suddenly the stolen tour
ing car, piloted by Sam, shot out OF
Grover street, at speed estimated by
Tanck to be about 40 miles an hour.
The touring car struck the left side
of the Lance machine just at the
windshield, badly wrecking it. Tanck,
however, escaped without injury.
When the driver of the big machine
saw the diminutive size of the driver
of the other car, he Immediately held
him until the police arrived.
Refuses to Reveal Identity.
The boy at first refused to make
any statement Of who he was or where
he got the machine. officers at police
Headquarters where he was first TAX
en-, recognized him. Records show
that he had already had two previous
encounters with the police. A check
of the license number Of the machine
which he was driving proved that it
belonged to Toerkel Petersen of Som
ers, Wis.
A telephone call to the Petersen
home revealed the fact that he had
gone, with members of his family, to
the circus. Officers were Immediately
sent to locate him. He later identi-
fed the wreckage of his car.
A physician who was called to dress
Sans wounds said that had the glass
struck the boy a little further back
it would have cut the corroded artery,
and the boy would have then bled to
death before medical aid could have
been rendered.
Boy Has Record.
In the index file at police headquar-
tiers the card devoted to the activities
of Sam shows that on January 81,
1922, he was arrested at 2:15 a. m.
with a bicycle which he had stolen.
He was placed on probation. Then
on Christmas eve, last year, Sam was
picked up wandering about the down
town streets in the small hours,
watching the last of the celebrations
die away. He was taken to the sta
ton for violating the curfew ordi-
nance. He was released with warn
ing.
Police who wondered how Sam ever
got the machine started without key
looked over the wreckage. It was
found that the ingenious lad had
Topped wire from the starter button
to the battery, thereby cutting out the
switch circuit entirely, and removing
the need of key. A good many old
er persons, the police said, would have
had difficulty in solving the mystery
of the wiring of the car.
Sam later told the officers that af-
ter he got the car started he wanted
to put lot of distance between him
self and the circus grounds before the
car was missed 1t was this desire
which led to the burst of speed which
resulted in the crash.
Police said today that an attempt
will be made to send the lad to the
Waukesha Industrial School for Boys
until he is of age. Meanwhile he will
be held in custody. Sam is the young
est automobile thief ever captured in
the city. His home is 118 Charles
street.