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Show Many Schemes Used To Victimize Auto Owners In America I By WILLIAM ULLMAN (In American Motorist) Occasionally the law operates to cloak rather than iiuroask Ihe wolves of the highway who seek io the automobile auto-mobile owner a t;ulliblt victim Sometimes the victim like the goaded goad-ed ram. take. his courage In his hands turns. lowers his horn? and runs full tilt into his oppressor, burking him In the bulging enlesis between the left ventricle and the lower femur rueuiphorlcally known as ihe money bag The mature driver who has successfully suc-cessfully dodged the pitfalls of the bogus-starred authority of the law, the ambulance Chaser, the sneak Lhiel the fence and ihe frame up can count himself a post-graduate only when he has added to his re-portoirc re-portoirc a scheme which American Motorist has recently lound rampant ram-pant Take an exemplar case:-r-Mr. R. W. Holmes of 56 Monro Place. Winsied. Conn., is an eminently emi-nently respectable citizen who fjnda a natural delight In running an automobile au-tomobile in which he and the mem hers of blfl family can take outings Ho is a careful driver and only on rare occasions take- trips of such length as to brine; him into the confines con-fines of another State Mr. Holmes' memory of trips is. fortunately, clear and the point is an important one to remember in view of what transpires. tran-spires. PRINTED FORM Around the middle of July this stalwart citizen receives a printed lorm from a firm of New York law-wts law-wts advising him that his machine nas been in a collision with an automobile auto-mobile belonging to someone else let's say in Orange to offer a con-ira5t con-ira5t of Mr Holmes' supposedly green intelligence and baa caused damage for an unstated amount. The facts In the case, the letter Informs Mr. Holmes, show that he was at lault and advises that unless he lakc.s the matter up either directly or l through the company by which he Is insured, legal action will be Insti- i u ted. Now note onl the envelope is ad- ! dressed to Mr. Holme. The printed communication confines itself to the universal: 'Dear Sir" Even the name of the law lirm barren of signature, the printed name being the only indication to the writer of ; the letter. In addition to possessing a vivid memory, Mr. Holmes chanre-s to be b red-blooded American citizen So instead in-stead of bowing to the yoke of iav umidatlon and threatened legal ae-' Hon he answers in his own vernacular vernacu-lar He rememvicrs beyond dispute J that his machine has not been In; Orange on the date stated, say April I 14, having been stored for repairs; at the time. Nor ran he recall the ' mythical complainant, whom he col Hb OMISSION OF DATE IfT". Mr. Holmes calls attention to the omission of date, address and slgna-tore slgna-tore on the letter and also the omission omis-sion of the year, state and other details de-tails which are usually regarded as ' pertiment. in any case which is to turnlsh concrete evidence in a court of law. Mr, Holmes Is uncharitable enough to draw a elmile to 'shyster, methods" and other unflattering pro- j edures. In summing up his letter he might state: "It only occurred to me how easy II would be for anyone to say that ihe sheet (printed and without signature) sig-nature) was a mere letter form and was filled out by mistake by some employee. Of course' such a claim : would never be put forward by such a firm as yours." Shades of Mohamet, the Prophet! Within a week a short, cut I answer comes : "We regret that our form letter of the 9th Inst.. wan forwarded to you ' by mistake This letter should Iihvp been sent to the owner ot car No. I 14081 instead of to yourself" Mr. Holmes has alread (riven , II nualiticntlon of red blood and a clear j t 3 rut memory. He is also possessed uSi Inordinate curiosity. The cai not I withstanding, Mr. Holmes allowed his i I curiosity latitude to ascertain the owner i the mysterious ear No. l 1081 OWNS FORD Presupposing that a ur James Gib-ibons. Gib-ibons. ot Ansonia t'onn , owns a Ford j louring car which hears the license i No HUM and Mr. Holmes has laid i the far t- of this totally hypothetical lease beiore him it would naturally .hi expected that Mr Gibbon.- was In Bome way conn-ecled with an auto moblld collision. No law firm would i be BO unethical as to proceed in a desultory manner as outlined in these communications unless It, had 'donie definite facts to no on. .And still, stfange to relate, Mr Gibbons I has ihls to say when the facts of 'the case are laid before him: "1 Mould "say that my rar has not been in Orange for over a year and I have, never had any auto trouble there or elsewhere It certainly look- like a shyster case. It any-ihing any-ihing further is done in this case ! I would be glad to hear from you " Thoroughly aroused Mr. Holmes I writes atraln to the law firm staling the results of his investigation. As. ta mere matter ol courtesy he en-' closes a two-ce.nl stamp for reply . Perhaps he announces thut he may. In the failure to receive explanation. ; submit his experience to the editor i of a prominent automobile magazine lor publication. Perhaps, in ln championship of motorists to relieve 'them from worry and threats his! 'words are a bit heated --perhaps i but no there Is no reply Perhaps this experience is all hypo thetical. Perhaps it is simply a 'warning to brother automobile own lers of a pitfall to avoid. And per haps, (he automoblllst Of Inquiring turn of mind, who stops in at 56 i find a Mr W R. Holmes on the tront porch, lounging in a rocker, puffing at a panatella and wearing a smile of deep satisfaction. |