The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-04-06
CONFESS STEALING
So AUTOMOBILES
Continued From Page y

drlVe IL 10 Cincinnati. He received
from $50 to $3.50 for the stolen cars.
he said.
Pottorff told how in one case he
stole two autos and Mrs. Claffey
drove one of them to the Ohio city.
Both were sold for $3.50 and she re.
ceived $95 for her share. In cases
where she merely drove him to a To-
cal theft field and drove his car home
Pottorff said he gave her $40 and
often purchased clothing for her.
Arrested for Speeding
Fate played part in the arrest
of POttorff, who had successfully
eluded police for two months. De.
tectives traced stolen cars to the
vicinity Of his residence, but were
never able TO capture him with one.
When they obtained evidence they
could not find him. Ten days ago he
was arrested for speeding while
driving his own auto. Putting up
cash bail, he returned to city court
the next day and detectives who had
recognized his name on the city
prison slate were waiting.
For some time he refused to con-
fess, but finally made statement tell
ing the officers thirty-eight> autos
were all he could remember stealing.
Worley said. He is in Cincinnati to-
day, to testify in any court pro-
ceedinE those arrested there might
bring to resist eXtradition he c.
Drawdy, who went under the
name of Woods. told OF meeting Pot
torff in n. Illinois st. lunchroom.
and going riding with him in a
Chrysler auto, which was stored in
nearby garage. The pair then
stole n Chevrolet parked near Uni
Versity Park and drove 1t to Gin
cinnati. Drawdy said Pottorff left
him, promising to meet him later,
but failed to show up.
Drawdy begged rides back to this
city, he said, and later Pottorff met
him on the street here and gave him
SIS as his share of the profit.
The three held here are charged
with vehicle taking, but the charges
probably will be, presented to the
Federal grand jury and the cases
prosecuted on Federal indictments.
Morley said.
Drawdy admitted being with Pot
torff in the thefts of several other
autos most of them Fords and Chev-
rolets. One time they stole a Cadil-
lac and obtained $500 from a Cincin-
natl doctor. Drawdy said his share
in the thefts ranged from SO to $50.
Usher Implicated
Usher was implicated by Pottorff
as the purchaser of several of the
cars at Cincinnati. Usher with Pot
torff and Drawdy stole a Packard
in Cincinnati and drove it here, po-
lice said. The trio then drove to
Chicago, where the car was sold for
$3.50, they said.
Drawdy got $50 as his share and
Pottorff and Usher split the remain
der. according to Worley. Pottorff's
statement told about the thefts of
three Buick coupes which they sold
in Cincinnati, to men who have not
been arrested.
Mrs. Claffey's statement admitted
part in the thefts but denied knowl-
edge Of the sales. She gave infor-
nation that led to the solution of
the case, detectives say.
Check Ownership
Detectives have been able to
check from the confessions the own
ers Of fourteen of the stolen autos.
They are:
Raleigh Miller, 964 n. Oxford St;
Helen Weydell. Sixteenth and Me-
ridian St; Edward Zeyen. 1905 N.
Illinois ST.; Albert La Rue. Bloom
ington, Ind: Fl. II. Dirfnger,
Lemon. Logansport, Ind. all Ford
coupes.
Ida Granauer. S21 n. Tacoma
Ave; Rhoda Welding. 1871 Central
Ave; II. II. Rails. SIS n. Gray ST.:
Jones Whitaker Sales Company, 353
y. Capitol Ave. Chevrolets.
Dr. T. B. Noble, 1908 Hume
Mansur Bldg. and A. L. Metzger,
1920 n. Meridian ST.. Cadillacs.
Albert Sweet, Milroy, Ind, Buick.
and international Harvester Com