THE SUNDAY OREGOMAX, PORTLAND. AUGUST 22, 1920
Y f
cror n
Tic Ingenious Scheme of the Famous Finger-Print
Expert and Lieutenant Skegan of the New York Po
lice to Make Automobiles So Safe That Even the
Most Daring Car Thief Will Be Afraid to Go Any
where Near Them,
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1 Owner, leaving; car, remove top dtak and aubstl
rutea the dfanaond-shaped top piece aa a aisnal
that his car 1 not to be moved.
Here are Deputy Police Commissioner A. Fanrot and Uentenant Jamea J. Skeeran and the "nnstealable
r v itli diamond disk la position to baXfle anv car thief who comes slons durlnar their absence.
r BY EUX.A McCLART. j
THERE Is one finger-print expert
in the United States for whom;
very crook, from the lowly
Mlp"- to the- high-class bank burgrlar
sjntertains a most wholesome respect.
XLe is Joseph A- Fa u rot, test known
as Inspector Faurot, but recently
CXTvated to the rank of third deputy
commissioner of the New Tork de
partment of police.
Many crooks who manage to evade
Id-time methods of detection have
thrown up their hands and admitted
their Identity when the finger-print
expert began telling them things
about their past which they hoped
bad been forgotten.
And now the inspector, after study
ing the habits of automobile thieves
for several months in co-operation
with Lieutenant James J. Skegan of
the police training school, has evolved
a. contrivance which, it Is declared,
wCl drive car thieves out of business.
Lieutenant Skegan, by the way, is
something more than a Joint inven
tor. He Is the owner of no less than
four congressional medals awarded
to him for conspicuous bravery, and
between the two of them they have
produced and patented a little con
trivance to be attached to the mud
guard over the left front wheel of a
motorcar. They have named it the
I'aurot-Skegan safety-scope.
The safety attachment is only a few
Inches high and might easily be mis
taken for the familiar mirror which
enables a car-driver to see at a
grlance what is behind him. It does
JKt look as if it could safely be trust
ed to prevent thieves from stealing
the car but, in the words of Com
missioner Faurot, it isn't always safe
for car thieves to Judge by appear
ance. Sad News for Joy Riders.
The interior mechanism of the safety-scope
does a whole lot of things
which, from superficial inspection
would not seem possible. The four
jicne diagrams appearine- at the rioht
hand of this page tell the story of
Happens wnen car thieves come
around.
"Close-np" of the car device showing- an owner's
private monosrammed disk In place to Indicate
that the car is in commission.
'ssisKaiMasaZ!
Thief Saw X haia fat nsd" dJacovexs tkart he- easvt
even start the car.
KM '-v:-- 'i
2
3 Thlef No. 2 tries to tow the car and the siren Im
mediately . lets loose an ear-piercing algnal of
distress.
-Thief No. 3 waits until dnsk aad then attempts to
knock off the safety device. Immediately a brilliant
red light flashes np as a signal that the car Is In
danger.
personal experience the "auto-laugh"
the automobile thieves have been giv
ing to various previous attempts to
The two police inventors know from safeguard automobiles against theft.
They believe they have found a way
to stop this "auto-laugh," or at least
to make the laugh come hard.
One of the most successful auto
mobile thieves in the country -was
caught not long ago in New Tork
city and the safety-scope contrivance
was shown and explained to him.
"How would you proceed in order
to steal a car protected in this way!"
he was asked by the inventor.
After some thought the thief an
swered: "I guess I would go after
a car that did not have the safety
scope protection."
There is another type of undesir
ables connected with the automobile
world who is also affected by the
safety-scope. The Joy rider! Gone
are his good times at the expense
of the car's owner.
Here is the description of the safety-scope
given verbatim by the police-inventors:
It consists of a contrivance for
shutting off the motor power and a
set of signals which indicate whether
or not the lawful owner is in charge
ot the vehicle. Also immediately upon
being tampered with the device au
tomatically sets off an audible alarm
siren.
The signals consist of two circular
disks, an upper and a lower one, and
a diamond-shaped disk which is sub
stituted for the upper disk when the
car is left unattended. The lower
disk is permanently affixed to an
indispensable part of the, vehicle. It
contains a burglar-proof lock and
the upper disks when in place are
locked to it. On its face is the own
er's distinctive mark, his monogram
or any other emblem that suits his
fancy. 1
When the car is lawfully In motion
the upper circular disk is attached.
This disk can be seen some distance
away even when the car is going a
good speed.
The diamond-shaped disk is white
in color. On the face of the diamond
is the inscription: "Tell a policeman
if this car moves carrying the dia
mond disk." When the owner or his
agent parks the car or leaves it un
attended in a garage or elsewhere.
he removes the upper circular disk,
slips it into his pocket, and thereby
automatically shuts off the motor
power. He then substitutes the dia
mond disk, locking it into the lower
disk. This whole operation is ex
The safety device la mounted on tha
mud sruard as shown. Its compli
cated inner mechanism which con
trols the operation of the engine Is
a secret of the police-Inventor.
dreds of real Huckleberry Finns, boys
who go out in the woods, brave bears
and all, in their routings and' in their
hunt for the fruit. Each year also
sees other devotees of the liLile pur
ple berry take the field in the search.
The indications are that there will
be plenty of the berries to go around
for some time to come, for the reports
are to the effect that the patches as
known today show no signs of being
stripped and new ones are constantly
being discovered. .
The huckleberry is holding its own.
the bear is decreasing, the Indians are
pitifully few. but the paleface gains.
L.et'8 hope that there will always be
ample room for all of each that re
main and plenty of berries to go
round.
Freak Storms in Kansas
Prove Interesting.
Barbed Wire Fences So Strongly
Charged That at N Ight Every
Barb Gim Off Glow Like In
candescent fuiicht Bulb.
The thief-proof diamond disk Is to
carry a sign rending: 'Tell a police
man if this car moves carrying the
diamond disk.
tremely simple. It can be accom
plished in a flash and becomes quite
as commonplace as the unlocking of
the switch or turning over the motor.
Making Car Thefts Difficult.
The diamond disk displayed is a
signal that the car should not be in
motion. Should a thief attempt to
drive, off with a car displaying the
diamond disk he would find that the
motor power is shut off. If he should
by some ingenious method be success
ful in removing the diamond disk he
sets the automatic alarm horn in
operation, sounding a distress signal
for blocks.
Should a thief manage to hammer
the safety-scope off the car, which
would be an extremely difficult task,
as it is made of steel and firmly riv
ited to the mudguard, he would find
that doing so would not enable him
to steal the car, as knocking off the
safety-scope automatically shuts off
the motor power, leaves telltale holes
in the mudguard and starts a red
light burning.
HUCKLEBERRIES ARE RIPE AND FORESTS
SWARM WITH BEASTS, BIRDS AND HUMANS
Oregon's Wild Crop of Succulent Fruit This Tear Estimated to Be Worth $1,500,000, and Vacationists Com
bine Business and Pleasure.
Continued From First Page.) '
frequently be found of widely varying
shades. Usual characteristics of this
type of bear, as found in the Oregon
forests, are their remarkable uni
formity of size, their brown muzzles
and the frequent occurrence of a
white spot on their breasts. In South
America and Asia the same bear is
found. Instances of these animals
reaching BOO pounds in , weight are
frequent, though a 300-posrid bear in
this state i3 considered large.
Bears Are Raiders.
Campers in Oregon's forests are
freqently pestered by bruin raiders,
who pilfer the larder during the night.
for the bear is primarily a nocturnal
roamer, though in districts where he
is not molested he will frequently
venture at great distances during the
oaytime. They come by their liking
for huckleberries, possibly the most
esteemed of their forest forage, on
account of their well-developed sweet
tooth. They will not hesitate for a
minute to invade even the best guard
ed of camps in search of palatable
delicacies. Their fear of humans is
childlike in many of. its phases and
men who have spent the major por
tion of their time in the woods insist
that they have never heard of even
an Isolated instance of the ordinary
black bear harming anyone, this not
withstanding the. oft-repeated tale of
the fight that the mother will put up
over her cubs. .
One hunter, who has . spent the
greater portion of his life in the
woods, insists that he has deliberately
played with the little tads in an ef
fort to entice the mother bear to ac
tion, always .with uniform failure.
How true this would be in all cases
seems to be a matter for the iqdivid
ual to Judge for himself, for there
seems to be a well-founded feeling
that the mother will fight for her
young or that the big fellows will
defend themselves when cornered
when wounded or angered.
Animals Easily Seen.
They are undooubtedly the best-
known forest animals of this conti
nent and there are few people who
go out In the woods who - cannot
catch a, glimpse of them if they per
severe. This is especially so for the
reason, bat bears-must rely-on- their
sense of smell and hearing solely
for thlir protection, as they are ex
ceedingly near sighted and when dis
covered, as they frequently are by
persons who make their way near
them while feeding and from the'
windward side, they rise on their
hind feet and carefully examine the
suspicious objects before making
their fast but clumsy and lumberous
way through the underbrush, which
is generally accomplished with a
great deal of noise. . -
The bears in tne forests at this time
are having their last big feed before
their winter hibernation, for the time
will come, in the next few months,
when they will seek . their winter
quarters. Then." in hollow trees,
heaps of brush or caves or even in
dens that they build for themselves,
they spend the several cold months.
Here it is each year that mother bear
has her cubs, from one to four being
born in each litter, the time being
about midwinter. When these little
fellows first come into the world they
are but eight or nine inches in length,
naked and with their .eyes closed.
They have to-receive the best of care.
as they are very weak and It is a full
month before their eyes are open and
two months before they can even be
gin to follow their mothers.
Timid Traits Perceived.
Though the full-grown bear ' is ' a
powerful beast, he is shy and timid.
In the forests everything is consid
ered their game. They have a pas
sionate fondness for green com and
fresh vegetables and many is the
hardy old raider who has come to an
untimely death while on one of these
thieving trips. Their success in car
ing for themselves is attested by the
great number that yet survive in the
woods of this continent.
One thing about the bear that dif
ferentiates him from the most of the
rest of the denizens of the forest Is
the trait that he has of standing up
right. His front feet can almost be
called hands and are somewhat of the
same formation as are the hands of
humans. Though fitted with hardy
sets of claws in place of fingers, these
are seldom-used for attack, but for
turning over logs or stones after
grubs or insects. When eating huckle
berries the bear ordinarily stands
upright and embraces the bushes. He
really loves them and this is an ex
cellent manner of showing his fond
ness. 4 Forests Draw Vacationists.
Increasing numbers . of city folks
venture into the woods each year and
the campaign of vacation attractions,
, aa now being carried on by- many or
ganizations in this section, manages
to draw good crowds in the forests.
This is making many amateur stu
dents of woods lore and there are
many inhabitants now who cam put
to blush some of the old-timers at
the game, and the continual inroads
of good highways into the hearts of
the most wooded sections are taking
their students where the tragedies of
nature and her beauties are fully dis
played and accentuated. This year,
for instanse, several of the Boy Scout
troops of Portland have established
summer campa in the woods. One of
these is on Benson plateau, between
Wahtum lake and the highway. About
150 boys were here at last reports
and the population of the camp is
continually changing, as some of the
youngsters return to the city and
others take their places. These chaps
do not exist solely on the rations they
carry with them and they are stiff
rivals of the bears in foraging in the
berry patches. The forest rangers
also have their goodly share of the
forest fruits and numberless are the
luscious pies that these two communl
ties of dwellers in the fastness of na
ture this summer make, for many of
them are expert at culinary arts and
can prove to the skeptical that It is
not necessary to have an ideal oven
to manufacture pastry.
Just as a finale it Is Interesting to
realize that the liking for huckleber
ries is very general, bears, Indians,
palefaces and grouse all having their
well-founded fondnesses. Right now
there seems to be plenty Xor ail. with
the berries holding their own . and
seemingly with the discovery of more
patches each year to fill the increas
ing" demand. The Indians dry them
like currants for their winter food.
the bears and grouse eat them on the
scene and the white humans preserve
them or carry them away.
Huckleberry Finns Made.
At this time, when the vacation
period is at its best, the sojourners
in the forest can easily earn their
expenses with but little effort. The
double advantage is seen of getting
the change of environment and the
outdoor life, as well as providing for
their winter dessert. Business and
pleasure are easily combined. The
occasional bear encountered in the
berry patches considers that he has
fully as much right there as anyone
else, and his claims seem to have
some ground. The bear is just as
much afraid - if not more so than
would be the human who figures as
the other half of the sketch. Both
parties register astonishment and it
is a 50-50 chance as to who will make
the first break for freedom and run
from the fancied danger. Generally
both the bear and the boy, man or
girls are Just as astonished.
Huckleberry Finn possibly never
saw a huckleberry in his life on the
Mississippi river, but Mark Twain de
serves a great deal of credit for
creating one of the best known and
most loved figures of American boy
i Ufa.- In-Oregon -today, there axe hun-
THE credulity of visitors is often
taxed by accounts of wind storms
and other atmospheric phenomena in
Kansas, but probably none sounds so
unreal as the stories of electrical
storms or disturbances that pass over
the western part of the state.
These electrically charged winds are
often especially severe and frequently
are accompanied by sand storms. For
a long time reports of these strange
storms were scouted by persons who .
had no first-hand knowledge, and
when they were first reported to the
experts of the weather bureau about
25 years ago they were pronounced
St. Elmo's fire, which is sometimes
seen at the top of ships' masts during
snow storm.
These storms, though, were an en
tirely different proposition. They oc
cur when the air is intensely dry and
no thunder and lightning is ever
noted with them.
Barbed-wire fences lecome eo
strongly charged that at night every
barb has been seen to give off a glow
like a tiny incandescent electric light
bulb. One well-authenticated case is
reported where a wire thus charged
came loose during a high wind and
described an arc over the grass, kill
ing all vegetation it touched.
S. D. Flora, state meteorologist,
who made a thorough investigation of
these storms, found that cooking
utensils on stoves because so highly
charged housewives had to wrap the
handles with heavy cloth, not to pre
vent burning, but to avoid tho pain of
severe electric shocks from them.
The night-time effects of these
storms are startling In the extreme to
an Inexperienced person. Numerous
Instances have been, reported to Mr.
Flora where herds of cattle have
been seen with "balls of fire as large
as marbles on the t:ps of their
horns," and a ranchman in Cheyenne
county had the unique experience one
night of driving cattle with this con
tinuous display from their horns and
similar balls of fire, which he de
scribed as large as "the cork of an
ink bottle," at the tip of each ear of
the mule he was riding and also at
the end of his riding whip.
In Meade county, near Plains, a
dog had been chained to a metal
clothes line. The line became so
highly charged during one of these
storms the dog set up a prolonged
howl of. misery, and every attempt to
release him was so "shocking to per
sons trying it they finally had to re
sort to thick gloves to loosen the
chain.
America Gets Pulp Lands.
"SYDNEY, N. S. It is announced
that 1200 square miles of pulp wood
lands in Newfoundland, held under
option by S. Duncan McLean of Syd
ney, N. s., are to hje taken over by
American interests.