The Detroit times., 1910-10-15
NOTORIOUS COKE
JOINT UNCOVERED
BY POLICE
All-Night vigils by Pair of Officers
Followed by Raid on g. II. Silver
mans Place and Arrest Of Pro-
prietor and Eight Habitues.
More Than $1,000 Worth Of Property
Stolen by Dope Sniffers" Il
Recovered.

the mystic symbol Of the police, IL
responsible for the uncovering Of
what the police say is Detroit's most
notorious cocaine joint. the recovery
OF more than $1,000 worth of stolen
property and the arrest OF the pro-
prietor OF the plant" and eight dope.
smiling patrons OF the place.
The little coin--18S6 was the date
OF its birth---was aided nobly In it's
work by Patrolman Wallace Williams,
colored, and Patrolmen Roy Baker
and Frank Lamonde. Through these
long. cold, autumn nights, these OF.
| ficers have lain and waited. Early
Friday morning their patience was
rewarded. When Williams, his face
dirt-smeared. his clothing In shreds,
his shoes worn at the heels, applied
at the door Of the coke plant on
Front-st., near Second-st., and slipped
the marked dime through the crack
of the door into the hands of the
proprietor, receiving his meager por-
ton of the drug in return, the work
OF the police was practically DONE.
Place 10 RaIded.
A few minutes later, six police Of
GERS. including Williams. disguised as
Negro cocaine fiend, entered. They
bounced upon George II. Silverman,
the luckless proprietor OF the joint.
A hurried search through his clothing
revealed the antiquated dime. He
was caught with the goods.
Silverman, who is well.known to
J the police, turned pallid at the pros
pect He tried to bluff II out at first.
why, there's lots OF dimes Of the
date 1885, he faltered.
None OF em are marked like this, .
answered Patrolman Baker.
II guess the jig's up" said Silver
man. Then he turned suddenly to q
table, where lay q half-filled bottle Of
| whisky and drained the contents at q
single gulp.
In the low. dingy room, among piles
OF stolen property, three habitues Of
the Silverman dump lay, senseless
and sodden with the drug by which
they had wooed slumber.
| The police brought them roughly
to their feet, threw them with Silver
man. who was begging for morphine,
into a waiting auto patrol and hur-
ried them to the central station.
Silverman Is registered on the
charge of violating the drug law, but
he will also be charged with conduct.
ing a fence" for stolen property.
Police headquarters resembled a
junk shop after the goods found In
the Silyerman Joint had been trans
ferred there. The police believe now
they have solved the mystery of 90
/ many show case and other petty rob-
berries.
Much Loot Recovered.
Every conceivable thing, from box
of cheap candy to most expensive
silverware, was found and confiscated
by the police. Tools, books, auto
mobile trimmings, dry goods. purses,
suit cases, children's toys, sflverware,
these and variety of other things
are included In the loot. A process
SIGN OF men and women filed into
headquarters during the morning and
already much Of the stuff has been
identified.
! Eighteen bottles filed with cocaine,
one big box Of the dope" q variety
Of hypodermic syringes--these are the
articles that explain Silverman's sue.
cess among the rif-raff OF Detroit's
streets. These also are held by the
police.
Three nights ago, Patrolmen Baker
and Williams started on the lay"
They worked I'm plain Clothes. the riY-
raff know the fly cops too well.
Silently they followed up those they
knew to be devotees OF the dope.
The trail led to Frontst., near the
Industrial home. II Is short, dark
thoroughfare In the heart OF the slum
district. Then came long periods of
silent watchfulness.
AII.NIght vigis.
From away up In corner of the
pavilion of the Wayne hotel, the two
officers watched All Tuesday and
| Wednesday nights, Williams and Bak-
er lay fat on their stomachs. their
eyes never leaving for an instant the
| dimly-lighted lane, Front-st.
Night after night, they watched q
procession Of men and women, miser-
able, tottering figures, their systems
craving for opiates, nerveless wrecks,
winking at disgrace to satisfy the pas
sion OF their lives-cocaine.
Finally the police were sure OF the
place. Thursday night was agreed
upon as the time for the coup. Ada
| Garroty, a shrill-voiced. garrulous wo.
| man, who boasts Of numberless ar
rests, came and went. From their
lofty perch. the policemen saw her go
to the door at Front-st., rap nervous
ly and finally put her hand down to
a slit at the bottom.
| Then Ada went away. A few min
utes later, while she was staggering
along Jefferson she. was arrested
by Patrolman Lamonde, who had been
! tipped off by the silent watchers at
the Wayne.
| Anolner came and went and was
arrested. Another followed. The po-
| lice were positive. What they needed
now was evidence.
| x was then that Williams. the Ne
gro policeman, came to the place with
his heroic dime. a clever plan con-
ceived I'm the brain OF Patrolman Ray
Baker. There is Williams who wor-
ships the drug. so the officer had no
| scruples about his name.
Three times he raped on the Front
ST. door.
Who's there?" came from within
civilians, you know me-"
We'll. what do you want?"
The officer slipped his hand under
the door.
"coker Handed out.
i "A little of the stun" he whisper.
ed, as he put the ancient dime In the
hand he found waiting for his on the
inside. One second more and tiny