This Day in History: 1935-02-16
Some interstate police cooperation resulted in the arrest of a gasoline thief. Suffern police officer Kratch got a tip on the license number of a car whose driver had been seen stealing gas out of another car. Chief Vilord of Suffern and Chief Smith of Mahwah traced the license number to what the newspaper account described as “a man of unimpeachable reputation” discovery that a Mahwah man. Unable to afford to pay the license fees for his car, he had simply painted over his old plate with the 1935 colors. Gas was another problem, so he simply took it from parked cars as the need arose. He was held for a later court appraisal of his ingenious methods.
(Bristow)