The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-31
Ingenious Attempt Made to
Smuggle Morphine Into the
State Prison.
C0C0ANUTS STUFFED
WITH THE NARCOTICS
Man Who Had Just Finished
Sentence Quickly Gets Into
Jail Again.


and morphine 20 kill hundred persons.
Fred Brown, who Saturday morning COM
pleled years sentence for burglary was
caught in the act by Deputy Warden A.
c. Urc late Saturday afternoon. and is
now In the custody OF the sheriff. await
ing trial on the charge OF attempting to
sDnugse dope" to prisoners
The attempt at smuggling was most
cleverly arranged by Brown. who be-
fore his term at the Utah prison served
prison sentence in California Leav-
ing the prison Saturday morning, he re-
turned later in the dag with lhrce sacks
OF fruit consigned TO three OF tho prison
inmates. One of the paper sacks con.
1sined false bottom. crudcly arranged
by Brown. in which was concealed a
quantity of morphine. Some of the drug
leaked out on the desk in the wardens
Office. where all goods or letters for con-
Nicts arc thoroughly examined This led
10 the Investigation which resulted in the
discovery OF the three cocoanuts fllIed
with dope. TWO containing yen shee and
the other being filled with morphine. Yen
shee is Tho Chinese name for the ashes
resulting from smoking opium
The cocoanuts and drugs were con-
signed 10 Ambrose Donlin. serving ten
years for robbery; j. 3. Davis. serving
lonr years for grand larceny, and I'd
Mccullough. doing n year for burglary
deny Knowing ANYTHING about the at
tempt to smuSele them drugs and Brown
refuses 10 tell who is In with him on
the deal.
Brown Admits Guilt.
To purchase the opatcs. Brown spent |
$500 OF the $40 he had when he left the |
prison. When confronted With his guilt |
he frankly owned up. lie said he had |
chase the yen shcc and morphine. aut
ms he was absent from the prison less
than seven hours all told, and some |
little time WIS necessary 20 prepare the |
cocoanutS and the Daper sack with the |
false bottom II is certain Inc could not !
barc gone Very far.
Utah statutes make tho smuggling or |
attempting to smugcle or the furnishing
OK drugs 10 prisoners and convicts only |
q InisdenlcOnor So If Brown should re-
cciNc the maximum sentence he viii only |
get six months in the county JILL. War
don Arthur Pratt SAYS this penalty is too |
mild. and he Is going Ia work hard 10
sccIrc tho passage of hill In the next
legislature making the offense a felony !
Fred Hrown was received at the state
prison on December IS. 1909 being sem
fenced Ia serve ono year for burglary
in the third degree. He was sent here
from Ncphi, Iuab county. During his
oncr and earned every credit possible.
Saturday morning he was discharged
from the prison. being given s10 and
suit Of the clothing given discharged con-
Vicis.
When the o'clock street car from tho
cit', reached the prison. Brown aliShtnd.
holding In his arms three bundles which
hr brought to rho warden's office. say
ing they were intended for Donlin Nc
CuilouEh and Davis. W. w Mcintosh,
clerk at the prison. WIS alone In the
office al tho time, and he placed the
three sacks containing fruit and the CO.
cosnnis on Deputy Warden Ures desls
in the meantime calling Mr.. Urc who
Tns outside.
Cl,Ar
Deputy Warden Urc and Brown-so far
as thcrc could be familiarity between an
cX-cony'ct and the prison official--ond
then Mr Crc began examining tho pack
ages. AS he lifted the frat ppper sack |
Mr.. Ire noticed some white powder on
tho ton of. the desk. aud his suspicious
were at once aroused.
Summons Sheriff
This sack IL loaded. Brown" he said
whats tllat?" quericd Brown asl
though surprised.
You just sil down minute until
tricphone for the sheriff. He'll tend TO
yo,l" replied Mr.. ure.
SURELY, yon,rc not going to- Jug me
:or that" exclaimed the cx-convict
Mr.. Urc then n'nde a careful exam
ination OF the contents OF the three
nc found two stuffed With yen slice and
the third was nearly full or morphine
Sheriff Sharp then arrived and Brown
after admitting he had filed the Cocoa.
them into the prison. MAS taken TO The
county jail.
To put the Yen shoe and morphine into
the cocoanuts. Brown had cut OUT tho
little eyes and drained out the milk Then
he filled the hollow with the drugs Tho
eyes ~ the cocoanutS were then replaced
and the job was complete. For the paper
sacks Brown made false bottoms and
partially filed the intervening spaces with
morphine. but in his haste 10 get to the
prison before closing time Inc did not
ICi hnG s1,.n
so the powdered drug leaked out when
desk
No drugs could be found in the han
anas and apples Brown brought. but the
fruit is being held for further cxaminn-
ton. y complaint, charging Brown with
q inisdemeanor: VIII be sworn to Mon
sible. '''
Warden Pratt said TO The Tribune Sun
day afternoon that the law should be
drugs or weapons TO convicts could be
given more than SIX months In the coun-
ty Jail.
Mt the. time OF the big break at the
prison" said Warden Pratt most OF
the conyicts implicated in the meeting
had been sInuggled In. The men we're
turned into wild beasts. and they ran
right into the guards who were shoot
ing them down. Had the drugs brought
Is no telling what might have happened
IF cocoanuts can be used TO srnuggIe
yen shee and morphine into the prison,
what is to prevent some desperate Grim
jnal from placing niLroglycerine or dy-
namite In 81 similar receptacle? What
better bomb would anarchist convict
want? The Legislature must be made to
realize the seriousness OF the crime and
shouId make 1t felony. punishable by
long term in prison."
Some Two years ago. Warden Pratt
stated. upwards of 500 worth OF drugs
wcre conilscatcd while at attempt was
being made 10 smugglc them In to the
prisoners. The warden Is much inccnsed
at the attempt of Brown,
Even had the powder not leaked from
the first sack OF fruit handled by Dep
uty Warden Ure. the chances OF the drug
reaching the convicts were very slim.
AS everything going within the prison
Is most thoroughly examined,
We take no chances" said Deputy
Warden IRE ''Wc take nothing FOR
granted"
Ja,d 81 |