Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-21
WHOLESALE ARRESTS
FOR MISUSE OF MAILS.

States marshals in 72 leading citie'
of the country began. today. practical
~ simultaneous raids for the arrest
of 17S persons charged with using the
mails to promote criminal medical
practices or sale of drugs and instru-
ments used for Illegal purposes. The
number of arrests to be made in the
respective cities follows:
New York 2, Buffalo 3, Pittsburg {,
Indianapolis 5, Chicago 8, st. Paul >,
Fort Worth 4, st. Louis 3. Omaha 4,
Oklahoma City 8, Portland Ore, o.
Denver 5, Seattle s. Spokane s. San
Francisco I, Oakland Cal, s, Los An
geles 8, San Jose 3. Mobile 3, Mariet-
Ia Ohio. 3. Dallas g. se-
Two each in Albany. Washington,
Memphis. Birmingham, Cleveland.
ste,ibenville, Ohio; Duluth. Winona,
Mimi: San Antonio. Houston, New
Orleans. Kansas City, Topeka, Ala
media. Cal
One each in Atlanta, Cincinnati. To-
ledo, Minneapolis. Galveston. Salt Lake
City. Ithaca and Elmira. N. Y; East
Orange, n. j.; Lancaster and Pine
Bank, Pa: Cumberland, Md: Charles
ton and Columbia, S. c.; Jacksonville.
Fla; Columbus, Springfield, Mount
Vernon, Dayton and Convey, Ohio;
Fort Wayne and Terre Haute, Ind.
Peoria ILL.,. Kalamazoo and Iron
River, Mich; Holden. Mo-; Muskogee.
Okla; Wichita, Kan; Council Bluffs,
Ia; Bellingham, Crescent and Taco
ma. Wash; Sacramento. Petaluma
Ifraopa ord Cia1daie4 Ca1
The arrests are made for misuse of
the mails. each case being based on
the use of the mails to solicit business
or dispose of wares.
This concerted official action COW
cred the United States from the At
lantie to the Pacific. and from the
Lakes to the Gulf Many of the per-
sons to be arrested are prominent.
commercially and socially. in their
communities. Some are leading ply
sicians; others are rich and infiuen-
tial business men; yet others are men
who live by their wits and are COM
paratively little known without their
own small coterie of associates and
one is Chinaman, who is alleged to
have practiced his calling upon wom-
en- of his own race and upon those OF
the lower strata of society.
All of the arrests are TO be made for
alleged violation of Section oil Of the
penal code of the United States. which
bars from the mails any vile or OBJ
scene matter. whether sealed or un-
sealed; any advertisements, letters on
circulars proposing or suggesting GRIM
inal practices; or any packet contain
,v,x uath cto sdr thine i'm
tended to be used for immoral or un-
lawful purposes.
Chief Inspector Robert S. Sharp of
the post office department and many
OF his force of $3.50 inspectors, have
been working upon the cases for many
months. The development of the plans
which eliminated, today, in the most
extensive raid in the history of any
department of the government.
Approximately 80 of the persons ar
rested already have been indicted by
United States grand juries in various
parts of the country and the cases OF
the others will be presented to the
grand juries now sitting as rapidly as
feasible.
Strict enforcement of municipal and
stete laws in the east is said by the
postal authorities to account for the
comparatively few arrests in the large
cities in that part of the country
While it is declared that violations o.
the law are frequent in such cities a.
Boston. New York. Philadelphia anC
Baltimore the accused persons. it is
asserted, have been pursued closely By
the state and federal officials. Post Of.
fee inspectors say that hotbed OF
this sort of criminality is in the Pa.
cifc coast states. There they had lit.
tie dla!culty in obtaining a mass oil
evidence against accused Terscns. IL
san francisco. II is claimed, a fictiuou.
name WAS used by several well-knowr
physicians, who employed a woman te
DO the necessary advertising and cler-
zeal work. Scores of complaints hay.
been received by the department from
respectable women, complaining of
the receipt OF this class OF matter.
Approximately 20 per cent. of thos
arrested, today. are so-ealled "pil
doctors men who advertise thei
practice BY correspondence or other
wise-and send to their patients, eithe
by mail or b. express, various com
pounds In the form of pills or pow
fN-t"- SAAN&ff eRAttiS 81 VI tiAtSf Win
pounds by the government authoritie
is said TO have disclosed that some Q
them are wholly jnnocuous. while 9th
ers ore dang rous poisons. Under an
other section of the penal code, tn
sending of poisons through the mail
Is expressly forbidden
One OF the men accused is said I
have been the secretary II the Boar
OF Health in the city OF his residenc,
lie responded, IL is stated. TO deco
letter sent to him by the Inspector
on the stationery of the Board c
Health. He has been indicted, accord
ing 10 the reports received by the pos
office inspectors.
Particular care was taken By the IN
spectors in collecting the eyideno
against business concerns-drug house
and remedy companies. The men actua
Jy responsible for the Illicit eorrespor
6cnce were ordered arrested. aud IN III
class of cases II Is said many Indie
nents already have been returned.
As showing the difficulties eucountere
the following case is cited by those wi
have conducted the inquiry;
Interviews Of the inspectors with mar
1T these practitioners indicated eleai3
That they knew they were violating u