New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-16
SMUGGLED DRUGS SEIZED.
CUSTOMS OFFICERS ALSO MAKE FOUR
ARRESTS.
LARGE QUANTITIES OF CoNTRABAND GOODS
VALUED AT FROM $4,000 TO 5000 IN Pos-
srssIoN OF TIE AI-THORITIES

LARGE QUANTITIES OF CoNTRABAND GOODS
VALUED AT FROM $4,000 TO 5000. IN POS
SESSION OF THE AUTHORITIES.
As the result OF carefully planned work on the
part OF the customs authorities who have oeeh con-
Quoting investigation for several mo"'''s' 80
alleged smuggers OF valuable drugs were aire''.u
Yesterday afternoon by special agents OF the treas
ury Department 1t has been known TOT some ''n,o
that large quantities OF phenacetn' tr'on" Su
nhonal onIurn ammonia and other drugs were oe'
ing sold to druggists throughout the CITY, anu ."o
aid OF special agents was ca.eo IN 10 run 'o"' 80"
gang and find their headquarters
-Four men have been arrested. and the uoVein.
nent IL In possession Of between 1900 and soooV
worth Of drugs ~.
The men arrested are Howard f. Wooten. VINO
keeps a cigar and fruit store at NO lSSs nroau"a'
William H. Commons. OF No Dl west I"en.,
.,gh,h-st. Paul 6 Nahon Of No. POI West Twenty
ATHEIST and Francis J. Plasse. The -FOUR Pr'so''-
ers were arraigned before United States Cofnm'S-
sioner Shields. who held them for examination.
Wooten in 5000 ball. Commons and Piasse IN s@'''
each and Nahon In $1,000 The seized gooos were
locked up temporarily In a closet IN the Ioin'"s
sjoner's room and none or the prisoners was
able 10 furnish bail they were turned over u 'ne
custody Of Marshal Henkel and were taken to Lud-
low Street Jail. $1,000,
Wcoten was the first prisoner arrested Ahurew
NcCort a Custom House officer and two speclai
agents made the arrest. He at nrst ue"eu i'.
identity. saying that his name was Wiiaihe, -
as the officers were armed with search ""''
they decfned that q change OF name wouio man.
no difference In their plan. In the rear rooi" "a
tho store n leather satchel resembling dress-sui'
casa was found Wooten asked what IL CON
tanned and said that he did not know a. u "u
not belong to him. He was told that II ne oiu "o.
produce the key at once the case "ou'' " 49,
omen and under this threat he hahueu o'e' W.
KEY. In the case the officers found huiiOei W
nornd nackaues of phenacetin. few one-ouhce
rons =, dubvmol two one-pound cans Of opium ana
another that had contained opium pu' iau -.
a,,,,ad ~ tie contents On the handle OF the case
nos q tag of the Richardson House. lo'o"'o,
wootcn was asked IL he had any more COM
goods in his possession. and replied u" III" - ~.
He was placed in custody and searoneu. -
nockets were found a number OF invoices u a.
s,pnments Of contraband drugs from merchants :"
Ceada oxnress receipts letters from Canada rela-
tive to the shipment OF the eooos e. Pon.es 10
together with list Of the n@ IA Could be sold, as
well as the names OF the men through "hon' wv
drugs sold. . ,..,o +be store well
sati.ded with the result of their work wnen
caught sight of two .5e Of the
He took out his knife and cutting h3 Sre IN t
end Of Of the packages ,Te packages then
sei1ed and taken with the prisoner 10 ny h,r con
Building There they were 0o ths ccers Twenty
nep6und cans OF phenacetin, ten dozen
one S ,r,onaI ana a dozen packages or suiphona
We're stacked up on the long table IN ed
Shelds's room when the ofncers hau
their inventory. T., A., Tho custody
Commons was brought In 10 me eus.veS
Al his home where he lived with his VIE an hsd
children The officers who made me atteS orne 70
search warrant and they proceeoeo az orS a. 81,
hunt for contraband goods: The result OF tne as
search was the finding of handbag VI w1on AND
srooaI together with bottles and packages 4, o.
drugs not included in the list OF was
also found packed full of drugs The prisoner
and the seized goods were taken 70 ' hFouebt in
later in the evening Plasse was arrested III "a q
store at Seventh-av and Twenty,thrd-st anu ID .
monia was found In his possession. Nahon IVA wa
arrested in drugstore, at Seventh-ave ahu iwei,-
tvthird-st where ne is employed In ms pos
session were found forty-nine packages OF cigar
cites which had been smugged into TINS country
so the customs officers say