The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-21
MA TON WIDE RAID MADE
 FOR POSTAL VIOLATIONS
LOCAL DRUGGISTS
 PUT UNDER ARREST
Austin and Jacobs Explain Technical Nature of the
 Alleged Violations

E. K. Austin, head of the Collier Drug company, and Eugene Jacobs, head of the Eugene Jacobs pharmacy, were arrested in Birmingham yesterday by federal dep uty marshals charging violation of sec ton 2l1 of the penal code. They were put under bond of $sOo each, which was made immediately.
 Both pr. Austin and pr. Jacobs believe that the charge is purely technical. When asked for a statement regarding the mat ter last night, pr. Austin said.
 'The arrest, l believe, is purely tech nical and in our case came about as the result of a so-called decoy letter written to our firm some time ago by the secret service department. In this letter inquiry vas made about a kind of rubber syringe which is sold in practically every drug store in the country. Our reply to this letter simply stated that we kept them for sale, but of course we claimed no special properties for them. If. there was a violation of the law we feel that 1t was purely of a technical nature"
 Dr. Eugene Jacobs when asked for a statement, said: About two months ago our firm received what we later found to have been a decoy letter signed by some
 
 inquifing the price of q rubber syringe which Is sold in every drug store. We replied to the letter and simply quoted the price.
 "Soon afterward we received another letter from the same person. inclosing q money order for the amount quoted ane asking us to send the article by mail This we did not do, but forwarded it by express. If there was a violation of the law it must have been purely of a technical nature. When the arrest was made we consulted our counsel at once and we feel that if there was a viola tion of the law in this case it means that every drug store in American will simply have to stop handling any kind of rubber toilet goods"
  of the postofflce authorities to put an end to the criminal practice in drugs and surgical instruments upon which there is the laws ban.
 Incident in Fort Worth
 In Fort Worth, Tex, a doctor upon whom an inspector called after receiv- ing a letter from him. refused to dis cuss the subject until his letter was produced. The envelope bore the re- ceipt stamp of the postoffice depart ment. which the inspector covered with his thumb as he exhibited the letter. He then drew the letter from the en- yelopc handed it to the doctor and concluded his arrangements. thus com pleting the necessary chain of evidence One doctor in Dallas. Tex, frankly in- formed the inspector, who sought his services, that if caught by the au- thorities, it would cost him 5000 to get away, and that, as his caller was as deep in the mud as he was in the nire. 1t would cost him a similar sum.
 Amusing incidents were numerous in the interviews which inspectors were required to have withthe accused per- sons. Representing himself as one who desired to engage his services, an in spector interviewed a suspected physi elan in Texas city.
 The doctor could not be induced to com init himself. Then the caller in apparent despair, began to weep copiously. The doctor patted him on the back and said soothngly:
 Now, my boy, that's all right My let ter to you is clear enough. You know, We have to be very careful to guard against these postal people who are con stantly bounding us
 He then gave the weeping visitor all the evidence he needed to compelte his case.
 In another case the inspectors worked for months upon a case before they ob- tained evidence upon which a conviction would be possible Numerous incrminat- ing letters were received from, the sus- pected person, but all of them were | mailed, not from city, but on through railway trains. In this case the jurlsdic- | ton of the inspectors had to be deter mined positively and that could not be done through letters mailed on trains Finally. two letters were mailed from | the city in which the accused resided