A GANG OF MOTOR THIEVES

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 121, 22 May 1920, Page 6

A GANG OF MOTOR THIEVES

CHASED ALL OVER. NEW SOUTH WALES. (rr.OM OUR .OWN CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNEY, 12th May. A gang of young motor thieves —their ages being 19, 22, 22, and 25 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 eaxth in Queensland. They • are now under, arrest .on ■ a series of charges.

The adventure commenced on 28th. May, when a Sydney motor-cycle constable, who had been in a suburban sergeant's house for a few minutes, found that hi 6 motor-cycle, side-car, revolver, and handcuffs had been stolen. The turnout was found a week later in the bush 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 garage had been broken into and a big Buick car stolen. The next dAy a garage in another suburb was robbed oT 16 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 or two narrow escapes, for the number was telegraphed all over the country, they stole other number plates, and worked the changes. Up and down the highways and 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 Cowra, and then apparently turned north. ' They travelled through the northern town very fast, generally moving *oniy at nights, with three detectives, in a fast car, only about, two jumps behind them. The police everywhere were on the alert, but the' thieves showed great ingenuity in disguising their car and taking unfrequented roads. Their tires 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 garage, 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 im-morbalise-d itself by pelting Mr. Hughes with rotten eggs—aroused the suspicions of the police. They were arrested, brought to Sydney, and remanded.