New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-03
JUDGES Join WAR
ON COCAINE TRADE
Continued from first page.

ritOry running from Itln Slreet south
to Chinatown. This monopoly extends
only to the street sales, and has moth
ing to do with the big traffic in the
drug by the small drug stores.
Among the street sellers of cocaine
in that section, the mention or the
name Of 1.-The boss" who goes under
the name of "Nic" and is an Italian,
with a prosperous saloon in Chrystie
street, is a recommendation enough 30
gain purchase.
In the course of a two-hour tour from
18th street and Third avenue, going
south, last night, an investigator Tor
The Tribune bought two decks OF
cocaine on the street, two in doorways
from sellers who carefully hid their
stock in the Railways and one In a
drug store, the last by proxy.
Just east Of Third avenue, on the
north side of 18th street, street SELL
er" produced deck" from his over
coat pocket as soon as the name of
MIC was mentioned. He wanted %
cents for it, and when the money had
been passed over he was asked whether
there was any danger Of police inter-
ference.
Not down here" he replied; every
things fixed right here"
North of 14th street, on the east side
of the avenue, midway in the block, a
man, who was evidently coke mer-
chant" was standing in a hall door
way.
Got any white STUFF" he was asked
"Huh-sure. Wanna deck?'
Police Easy to Fool.
A question of the possibility of police
interference brought suspicious
glance from him but, being reassure.
he explained that even where a seller
was Careless enough TO carry 1t on
him" it could be got rid Of right under
a cops eyes"
Friend of mine workin' south of
here, down in Mics district" he ex-
planned, got pinched. Had no business
goin' down there, anyway. l told him
before he went that there was no use
buttin' in. He carried his in his cap.
and when he was nailed OF course
there was some kids crowdin' aroun,
and while the bull has, him by
one arm he makes a pass at the kids.
Tells 'em to beat il an grabs his cap
off careless like to shoe 'em away, an
of course what little he's got left in his
cap goes scatterin' in the gutter and
the cop none the wiser.
Search him at the station, of course,
and no white stun on him. Had to
turn him loose"
Dope Sellers Feel Secure.
In Second avenue. near 9th street,
to approach on hearing the name Of
the boss, and by way Of lending a little
variety to the proceedings he was
IT.. .portuned to sell a deck" for
twenty cents. instead of the customary
quarter.
80 fairs I'm concerned. I'd JUS as
soon let a coke have 1t for dime" he
said, but l couldn't do II; / gotta turn
in the cush, see, an even If it was n
friend of mine / couldn't do nothin'
less 1 stoo- 1t myself"
Another hallway salesman was doing
business last night on the Bowery, just
south OF Grand street. This man, also
one Of mics" little army, was keeping
his stock inside the hall doorway.
The sign OF the "cokie"-a handker-
chief In use-brought him to the point
of making a sale the moment that the
proposition was preached, and even
without mention Of mic" lie dived
into the hallway and reappeared in a
second with the little deck" and as
he pocketed the quarter explained in
answer to query as to why he didn't
keep the stuff" on his person:
"Oh, everything's all right here It
amt that. but there's couple OF cops
been standin' across the street there
for the last twenty minutes, so / just
thought I'd put my stuff back in the
hall"
For all the attention the policemen
paid to the sale II would apparently
have been perfectly safe for the street
seller" to have kept his stock in his
pocket.
In drug store a little north OF 14th
street. on Third avenue IT was neces-
sary, as in the Tenderloin section, to
send in a messenger known TO the drug
man. BY this means, however. and
there was no difficulty In picking a
messenger, because, as is the custom
among drug stores at which cocaine or
heroin can be bought, there was a
cookie" nearby 10 take the commission.
His tip, or payment, was augmented
by the usual method of helping himself
to a half of the cocoaine purchased. and
the purchase in the drug store didn't
take him more than the time necessary
for the drug store clerk to produce the
decks
According to cookies" Of the 18th
street section, the afternoon buyers
who are largely women. have the pleas
ant habit Of sending children as mes
sengers either to street seller" with
fairly permanent stand" or to the
drug stores which are known to han