Des Moines Register and LeaderJuly 26, 1915
OVER 100 AUTOISTS CAUGHT BREAKING LAW, SAY POLICE
Officers Take Down Numbers of Machines As They Whiz Past.
CHARGES ARE PREFERRED
Names of Owners Will Be Secured Today and Summonses Into Court Will Be Served.
TOO MANY CUTOUTS OPEN
Large Number of Other Drivers Accused of Trying to Emulate Speed Kings.
The desire to imitate Barney Oldfield in this wild exhibition of speed at the speedway yesterday afternoon seems to have proved too much for a large number of Des Moines autoists. As a result, a small army of speed fans will face Police Judge Meyer this week and defend themselves against a charge of forgettin the city ordinances prohibiting fast driving or driving with cutouts open.
Captain Brownson and Policeman McCarthy, stationed at Fifty-third street and Grand avenue, and Motorcycle Policeman Kelso, at Fortieth street and Grand avenue, yesterday wore out several pencils apiece listing the numbers of scores of machines that went past them.
To Issue Summonses Today.
Today summonses will be issued by the police department for more than 100 motorists charging them either with driving at a rate exceeding the speed limit or driving automobiles within the city limits with the cutouts open. The summonses were all prepared at the station last night to be served, the only work remaining being that of listing the names of the owners of the cars, which will be done at the state house this morning.
As the policemen labored the drivers rushed on, most of them not realizing they were being watched. Several did notice the officers at their work and returned to them, asking what charge was to be preferred against them. One or two, according to the policemen, wished to settle on the spot for the damages done the city of Des Moines, and others agreed to appear in police court this morning.
During the evening several who had seen the men at work with their paper pads and pencils called at the police station ready to answer charges that were to be placed against them. One accused the police of taking advantage of the day - the opening of the speedway. He accused the city officials of contemplating the replacing of moneys formerly paid into the treasury by the saloons by wholesale arrests for traffic violations.
Fines to Be Large.
Mathmaticians around the station last night were endeavoring to figure out how much the city will net through the Sabbath day crusade. At an average of $5 more than $500 will result from arrests as a few more than 105 numbers were taken.