The evening times., 1899-05-16
CONTRABAND DRUGS
FOUND IN new YORK
Four Men Arrested by Custom
House Officers.
Valuable Compounds Discovered on
Their Premises.
Packages of Smursicd Goods Sc
crcted in the EstE blishment
of u Cigar Dealer.

New York May 16.-Special custom
house agents wer. engaged yesterday af-
ternoon in rounding up band of alleged
smugglers. Four men we're arrested. and
large stock of phenacetine. trional, sui
phonal. opium. and other valuable drugs
was seized and taken TO the Federal Build
ing.
The capture was the result of carefully
planned work on the part of the custom
house authorities who have been lnVes-
tigating the work Of the men arrested for
several months. 1t was known that large
quantities of these drugs were being sold
to druggists throughout the city.
The leader of the band, the custom house
authorities say. is in custody. together with
at least two of his principal associates,
and the Government is in possession of be-
tween 81 eco and 5000 worth of valuable
drugs. on which il is asserted no duty
was paid.
The first prisoner taken was Howard f.
Wooten, who keeps cigar and fruit store
at No. 1899 Broadway. Andrew McCort, a
custom house officer. and two special
agents made the arrest. Wooten at first
denied his identity saying his name was
Williams.
In the rear room of the store leather
satchel resembling a dress suit case was
found Wooten was asked what 1t contain
ed and said that he did not know, as II
did not belong to him. lie was told that
if be did not produce the key at once the
case would be cut open. and under TINS
threat he handed over the key.
In the case the officers found some pound
packages of phenacetine, few one-ounce
cans of thymol, two one-pound cans of opi-
UNI. another that had contained opium. but
had been emptied of its contents. and some
railroad time tables. On the handle OF the
case was a tag of the Richardson House,
: >Akronto.
contraband goods in his possession and re-
piled in the negative. He was searched,
and in his pockets were found invoices
from merchants in Canada OF consignments
of contraband drugs. express receipts. let
ters from Canada relative to the shipment
of these goods. receipted bills, together
with a list Of the names of the houses To
whom these goods had been or could be
sold as well as the names of the men
through whom the drugs were sold.
The customs officials were about 10 leave
the store we'll satisfied with the result oi
their work, when McCort caught sight of
two bulky packages wrapped up in heavy
paper lying partly concealed at one side OF
the store He took out his knife. and cut
ting a hole in one end OF one OF the pack
ages. took out from it box of sulphonal.
The two packages were then seized and
taken with the prisoner to the Federal
Building.
There they were opened and their con-
tents proved big surprise. Twenty one
pound cans of phenacetine. ten dozen one
ounce cans of trional and a dozen pack
ages of sulphonal were stacked up on the
d.
when the customs officials had complete ed
their inventory. The value of the goods
was estimated at about 81. 900.
Another prisoner was soon brought in.
He WAS William II. Commons. of 3i1 West
Twenty-eight Street He had been arrest
ed at his home, where he lived with his
wife and two children. The officers who
made the arrest had a search warrant. and
they proceeded at once to hunt for contra
band goods. The result of their search
was the finding of a handbag filled with
packages of phenacetine, sulphonal. and
trional. together with bottles and pack
ages of drugs not included in the list OF
contraband articles.
Two more prisoners were brought in
later in the evening. Francis J. Plasse
was arrested in a cigar store at Seventh
Avenue and Twenty-third Street. Pack
ages of phenacetine. trional and sulphonal
were found in his possession.
Paul S. Nahon. of POI West Twenty-fifth
Street. was arrested in drug store where
he is employed. at Seventh Avenue and
Twenty third Street. In Nahons posses
sion were found forty-nine packages OF
cigarettes. which the customs officers say
had been smuggled into this country.
The four prisoners were arraiSIed be-
fore United States Commissioner Shields.
who held them for examination. Wooten
In $1,000 bail. Commons and Plasse in
$500 each. and Nahon in s1,Co0. The
seized goods were locked UP temporarily
in closet in the commiss ,oner's room.
AS none Of the prisoners were able 10 fur
nish the required amount of bail they were
turned over to the custody of Marshal
Henkel, and escorted by half a dozen
deputy marshals to Ludlow Street Jail.