The Wiles of the Automobile Thief 



TlllvRl-^ Ls a department in llu' 

 liureau of New York police which 

 does nothing all the year around 

 but round up automobile thie\es. W hen 

 an automobile is stolen, the case is 

 immediately referred to the "Stolen 

 Automobile Squad." 



The professional automobile thief 

 has the air and appearance of a 

 polished gentleman. He is of the 

 resourceful "Raffles" type. He 

 dresses perfectly, and hi:- coni- 



If the ignition 

 system is locked the 

 thieves quickly in- 

 stall one of their 

 own temporarily 



niand of luiglisli is great enough to 

 deceive (he most suspicious of polici'men. 

 His ingenuity seems to be l)oundiess. 



It may be that an automobile tliii-i 

 has stolen a car under your \ery nose! 

 He is the last man you would suspect. 

 He appnjaches an empty automobile, 



Sometimes the empty automobile is sim- 

 ply hitched to a truck and towed away 



Such olistacles as chain-locks arc in- 

 consequential trifles to the professional 

 thief. He simply cuts them with nippers 



climbs in wiih careless case, starts 



the engine and drives away. When 



he is two or three blocks away, his 



confederates will climb in, and the car 



will be driven hastih' into some deserted 



street. 



The first step is to disguise tiie car. 

 Name-plates, usually from another state, 

 •ire liastiK' clamped o\er the original 

 plates. The hood is lifted, the serial 

 numbiT of the engiiu- is likil or grouinl 

 away, and new numbers an- stamped in 

 their |)lace. The numbered pl.Ue on the 

 running-board is remo\'ed and anotiier 

 substituted. Imiiedinienla, such as mir- 



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