This Day in History: 1931-03-18
Police work along the border of another state can sometimes be complicated. Chief Smith received a complaint that someone had stolen a radio from Smith’s roadside stand (Not a relative?) Mrs. Smith named a local man as the suspect. Chief Smith questioned the suspect who denied knowing anything about a radio. He said he had heard that a man he called “Frank”, who operated a labor camp in Hillburn had bought an electric radio for $3. He took Mrs. Smith to Hillburn to search for the radio. Of course they had to get Chief Stern of the Ramapo Police to go along. “Frank” was not home but they searched the house and found no radio. Later that night Chief Stern brought “Frank” to Smith’s house. “Frank” swore he knew nothing about the radio. The searched “Frank”‘s house but found no radio. While in Hillburn they got a lead that the radio was in the house of a woman in Saddle River. The next day he took Mrs. Smith again and State Trooper Stockburger to the Saddle River House. The woman denied knowing anything about any radio. Again they searched the house and found nothing. There is no evidence in the police record book that the radio was ever recovered.
(Bristow)