THE ANGLING CYCLIST. • 



[We solicit for publication, under this department heading, contributions of interest to Angling 

 Cyclists, particularly outings on the wheel to fishing waters.] 



Accident Insurance for Cyclists. 



The action of a number of accident insurance 

 companies recently, in deciding to raise the 

 rates of premium or reduce the amount of in- 

 demnity in case of accident to bicyclists, is only 

 one of those incidents in which advantage is 

 sought to be taken of a popular practice. A 

 study of the causes of accidents, published in 

 the annual reports of many of these companies, 

 reveals the fact that a far greater number of 

 casualties result from every other form of loco- 

 motion than from cycling. The accidents oc- 

 curring while walking are fully twenty to thirty 

 per cent, greater than those happening while 

 bicycling. Some of the leading companies 

 have made haste to disavow any intention of 

 charging a higher rate to cyclists. 



Bicycle Thieves — Their Methods, Etc. 



Bicycle thieves, according to John R. Towle, 

 chief detective of the Wheelmen's Protective 

 Association, are divided into three distinct 

 classes, and they seldom depart from the 

 methods of their own particular classes. 



" The three systems of theft," said Mr. Towle 

 lately, "are taking bicycles from the street 

 curbs, breaking into stores, and obtaining 

 wheels under false pretences — that is, by hiring 

 or by deceiving the custodian of machines. 

 The members of the three classes are known to 

 each other and the police as ' snatchers,' 

 • crushers,' and ' con-men.' 



"'Snatchers,' seeing a wheel standing at 

 the curb, walk into the store outside of which 

 the property is left, look around the store, and 

 if questioned generally ask for street informa- 

 tion, walk to the curb, mount and ride quickly 

 away. This is the method of stealing most 

 commonly resorted to, and to a certain extent 

 proves more profitable, for scarcely any iden- 

 tity, description or trace of the thief remains. 



' ' ' Con-men ' are generally of respectable ap- 

 pearance and ready address. A trick often 

 played by them is to acquaint themselves 

 thoroughly with the employes and customers of 

 a store and wait until there is a transfer or 

 change of employes. Then they walk boldly 

 into the establishment and give the name and 

 address of some frequent patron. The clerk 



refers to his rental book and promptly provides 

 the bicycle. Very often after obtaining a 

 wheel by this means the thief will deliberately 

 puncture the tire or in some other way damage 

 the machine so that it will be unfit for service. 

 He will then enter a nearby store, bargain to 

 have the wheel repaired, and secure a more 

 salable one ' on which to finish his ride. ' 



' ' Wheels stolen by ' con-men ' are generally 

 disposed of to credulous individuals without 

 delay. They seldom retain possession of the 

 stolen machine longer than a few hours. The 

 pawnbroker is the last resort. Sometimes a 

 sale is easily consummated with men of elastic 

 conscience. They seize the opportunity to 

 purchase a bicycle at low price, and are willing 

 to risk the consequences of being discovered in 

 possession of stolen property. These stolen 

 wheels are hard to trace. They are seldom 

 put in storage for fear of detection, and few 

 such owners will run the risk of allowing the 

 bicycles to remain long in a repair shop. Bicy- 

 clists may present a bill to the Legislature 

 making it a serious offence for a person to 

 purchase a bicycle when a bill of sale be not 

 produced or a satisfactory explanation of pos- 

 session be not made. 



" The present system of numbering wheels 

 is entirely inadequate. An improvement would 

 be to change the present general inconspicuous 

 place of numbering, and before the first and 

 last figure place a mark, each mark having an 

 official stencil. For instance, if a wheel were 

 numbered 624,501 and the maker's mark were 

 a star, placed before and after the number, a 

 thief, desiring to change the identification, 

 must needs efface the stars as well as the fig- 

 ures. The metal, after filing, would not en- 

 dure the replacing of the stars. 



•' The use of such a system would also pre- 

 vent the addition of figures, a common prac- 

 tice now. To ply his trade under such condi- 

 tions, the successful bicycle thief must provide 

 himself with a complete set of trade stencils, 

 which, found in his possession, would be dam- 

 aging evidence against him, even when ar- 

 rested on suspicion. A further improvement 

 in the numbering of bicycles would be to place 

 the number in plain view. An altered number 



