New Britain herald., 1928-04-12
TRACING STOLEN AUTOMOBILES

Several nights ago we came upon friendly policeman talking with headquarters through one of the po- lice departments call boxes. The cop had his lead pencil working indus ,riously, and investigation showed he was taking down q list of figures that reminded one forccfully of a stock exchange list or a banking statement. Just bunch of numbers Of stolen automobiles. he volunteer cd after he had runs up. "l get a slew of them every night, and l am supposed to spend the remainder of the night watching for the automo- piles" We wished him luck
 To remember the long list of auto mobile numbers requires first class memory, and we trust every police man posse sscs one. To discern the numbers of cars that pass in the night requires an amazing eycsight: |: and we trust fervently that every policeman is gifted thus. We doubt whether both memories and eyesight are quite that good, however. Any how, we have noticed that when a stolen automobile is recovered in these parts it usually is due to the fact that the thieves abandoned the car after their joyride.
 The large total of stolen automo- bile numbers inflicted upon the po- | licemen on their beats nowadays is due to the comparatively new tele- graph printer-ticker machines in- stalled in police headquarters. These machines are hooked up with tn. police departments in certain other l towns and cities of the state, and whenever an embarrassed automo- bile owner reports the loss of his machine to the police the number is immediately put on the printer, and in jiffy innumcrablc other DO. lice departments are made aware oi the incid, mt. That means that within q short time hordes of policemen strutting about in the shades of night are made acquainted with the fact that Bill Jones car, license tag No 39S-G43. has been stolen. Tho aggricvcd citizen, before he leave: the police station, is made aware o. the fact that an army of policemen will be looking for the car "in : few minutes" He goes home and t, bed confident that his car will D, found in Windsor Locks or Southing ton before morning and the low down thieves will get their deserts What he doesn't pause 10 contcm plate is that at the same time tn
 police arc looking for A other stolcI cars, and the very cop who migh see his stolen car whiz by may no remember No. 99S-643.
 Next day the gricfstricken owner informed over the telephone that hi car has been found. Further investi Eation shows it was discovcrc
 abandoned up q side street tw
 blocks from the police station.
 All Of which may happen. an
 sometimes docs happen. The fac
 that the harasse1 night policemen (
 tho state were informed to look fo
 No. ?os-Gi3 didn't have a thing {
 do with finding the car: but th know ledge that the number wa
 flung into the reaches Of the niSl
 was like | mental tonic to the auto
 mobile owner and if he docs h
 duty he will send a box of cigal
 around to the police station as
 memcnto of the fine service pcl , formed.
 As matter Of fact, regardless l 'lo" many or how few license plat . numbers arc telegraphed from cit to city, most stolen cars are foun , Reports made through q nation! !. agency had If that nine-teuths , them ar" finally located. How th' s are located is a different story. may not be because of the high , systoma'izcd methods of telegraph , ing the Information by means Of Il , police automatic tclcsrsphing m;
 chimes, but they are found. FractiCa : |y nine -t%nths Of inc ninc-tenths | stolen cars may be discovered aba1
 q mental system tn" telegraph prin
 CTS are quit" par.s Nc"llcnc", if n loo per cent American and 300 p = cent supcr-cflicicnt.
 , DATES FOR TOURNEY. :, Toronto, Ont. April 12 P)-Tl
 Royal Canadian Golf association a | nounceS that tse tanad dian nation open championship will be held n he ROs,dal. Golf club 'Torout