The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-02
TRACKING DOPE
F|ENDs TO LAIR
Police Making Many Raids, but
Vendors Are Too Sharp to
Get Caught.
VERY POLITE TO OFFICERS
Help to Conduct Search and Then
Usher Them Out With
an Air.


Following the passage of the Hal
man bill, prohibiting the sale or til
giving away of cocaine by any perso
except n licensed pharmacist. phys
clan, dentist or manufacturing chem
fist and also making the possession G
the drug prima facie evidence of in
tent to sell, police efforts in runnin
down dope sellers in Richmond hav
been redoubled. and an eye NOR,
watchful than ever is being kept oil
those who are known to be engaged
In business considered by authoritie
the greatest evil and the greatest
source Of crime with which they hav,
to contend.
Some of the more energetic officers
particularly the bicycle squad of the
First District, have made the search
for and the conviction of cocaine SELL
crs a regular occupation that now
receives most of their attention. Scarce
" night goes by that some middle
man is rot Swallowed in an attempt
to get at the source of his trade. or
that the kings are not watched to
see if by any chance they may not be
caught with the drug in their possess
sion.
Know the Game Well
But the negroes In the trade are as
shrewd as the police, and in their vigil
lance and care to ward off n too close
scrutiny they are the match of the
authorities. So secret are they in
their movements and so adept in the
art of selling and yet avoiding detec-
ton. that the police are effectually
blocked in almost every attempt at
capture. But the officers are tireless.
and they hope. in tine, to wipe out all
the dens which infest Butchertown,
Seventeenth Street, and other sections
In the eastern part OF the city.
The dope sellers know the police arc
know the dope sellers. They know
each other by sight and name; but
perhaps the dope sellers know the po-
lice a little better than the police
know them. The cocaine dealers are
the politest people in the world to the
police. Or every occasion of a raid
they greet the officers like old friends
las they are-courteously show them
over the house, and blandiy point out
the improperly of their being sus-
pected Of so nefarious a trade and the
fmpossibilsty of having cocaine in their
possession. In the searching of cor
ners and crannies, beds holes and
every conceivable hiding place, they
set themselves most agreeably to help
and even hold rho lamp suggest some
other place to be examined. and kindly
and generously invite another visit.
All the time the officers know the
drug is somewhere in the house. but
that the finding of 1t will be more Of
ten due to fortuitous circumstances
than to careful search. Some of tho
biggest finds" have been the result
of accident, and therefore the police
never quite give up hope.
Saturday Night Raids.
Five places Were raided on Saturday
night by three of the bicycle men. but
the quest was vain. In two instances
the officers were cordially greeted by
men who arc positively known to be
In the business, but who cannot be
caught in the act of selling, and in
whose possession cocaine cannot be
found. They lied suavely and per-
sistently. They helped search the
places, and confidently asserted that
shcre was nothing doing" They were
dressed in the latest fashion. Jewelry
shone resplendently over their persons.
They were fat and sleek, the very pic
ture of health.
joe said one of the officers, 1--WE
didn't get you tonight you've got us
beat; you have had us beat every time.
- 90 SUI as Tue sun SHINES were
going to get you one of these DAYS and
put yonsbehind the bars"
The negro laughed. but there was a
note of uneashess in his voice. ~
Know you're trying to get me- he
said, "but you'll never do it," He
bowed the officers out.
Other places were visited Iii turn.
In one little room about ten feet
square. a dope king" and one of his
middlemen Were discovered Business
was over Tor the night, and they Ware
ENJOYING nltle game of cards when
the police rudely broke in upon their
quiet. The four walls were papered
with flar.ng advertisements of Ray
mond Hitchcock's show. No doubt he
hind them somewhere bottles of CO.
came wcro snugiy reposing. but thew
couldn't be found The two negroes
Willingly helped the officers TO search,
with, of course the usual result. One
of the men is a large dealer; the other
is an agent. They have been caught
before. but the punishment then was
slight. They arc more vGilant' now.
All Very Polite
At another house suspected of hcinc
speakeasy and cocaine Joint COM
bined, the officers got peep inside by
removing pane of glass and gently
Taising the curtain. Half dozen
negroes We're guzzling whiskey and
gin with evident satisfaction They
didn't hear the officers until the latter
quietly requested admittancc.
My Gawd, Mr. Lceceman,n one OF
them yelled, ''wahrid you come FROM
The others rolled out of their chair
as Ii shostly hands had been laid or
them, and their wild-eyed terror at the
unexpected appearance of faces at the
window they thought securely fastened
was pititul to see The officers en-
tered the place was searched but nc
money had been seen to change hands
and the startled negroes were left tc
their peaceful drinking.
In still another place several ne
Eroes, evidently drunk or filled with
dope We're sleeping on the bed or on
I the floor dead 10 everything appa
rently, The house is known TO be a
cocaine joint, but the man who runs
the den has learned his business well
nc has plenty of money and cash Judi
eiously distributed among his agents Il
ne.ts ..-,4r Il.