MOTOR THIEVES

Southland Times, Issue 18829, 24 May 1920, Page 7

MOTOR THIEVES

GANG OF YOUNG MEN, CHASED ALL OVER NEW SOUTH WALES. SYDNEY, May 12. A gang of young motor thieves —their ages being 19, 22, 22 and 23 respectively—have just led the New South Wales police a merry dance. They were pursued by the police over the greater portion of New South Wales, and eventually run to earth in Queei.siund. They are now under arrest on a series of charges. The adventure commenced on April 2Sth, when a Sydney motor cycle constable, who had been in a suburban sergeant’s house for a few minutes, found that his motor cycle, side car, revolver and handcuffs had been stolen. The turnout was found a week later in the hush near a distant township, discarded. At the same time Senator Cox (otherwise "Fighting Charlie” Cox, Brigadier-General, known to all New Zealanders who fought in Palestine!, reported that his parage harl been broken into and a big Buiek car stolen. The next day a garage in another suburb was robbed of 10 tins of petrol, and a Chinese gardener was stuck up by motor thieves and robbed of £56. Thus equipped, the thieves headed into the country- south-west. The police were soon hot on the trail. It was an erratic trail, but not hard to follow. It was marked by a series of thefts —the most, common being the breaking into of garages, by which supplies of petrol were obtained. For a while the thieves displayed Senator Cox’s number, but when they had had one nr two narrow escapes, for the number was telegraphed all over the country. they “lob' other number pbl°s, and worked the changes. Up and down the highways am! byways of the State the chase proceeded. The police lost their quarry once or twice, but they were brought back to the track by reports of thefts. The thieves got away down by Goulburn and C’owra, and then apparently turned north. They travelled through the northern town very fast, generally moving only at nights, with three detectives, in a fast car, only about two jumps behind them. The police every where were on the alert, hut the thieves showed great ingenuity in disguising their car and taking unfrequented roads. Their tyres wore out and they broke into a garage and stole four more. Then the car fell into serious disrepair, and they abandoned it, broke into a doctor’s parage, secured his Overland, and continued their merry career. But the ring of telegrams and police gradually got round them. The apparently anxious party of four very travel-stained men who appeared in Warwick, South Queensland —the place which immortalised itself by pelting Mr Hughes with rotten prrirs aroused the suspicions of the police. They were arrested, brought to Sydney, and remanded.