New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-02
BOYLAN DRUG LAW
NETS Is FIRST DAY
Police Make Chinatown
Raid Shortly After
Midnight.
WORKHOUSE INMATES
COOK AND SELL OPIUM
Office Boys Give Out New
Blanks to All Who Ask at
Health D artment.


The first day of operation under the
Boylan drug law resulted in the arrest
of a number Of people charged with
having narcotics in their possession
simultaneously a fourishing business
in cooking and selling opium was dis
covered among workhouse prisoners on
Blackwcll's Island, and two wagon
drivers were taken into custody while
smuggling out of the penitentisry let
tors bearing on the drug traffic.
The duplicate order books, which
play so important a part in the execu-
ton Of the law, arrived at the Depart
ment of Health yesterday afternoon,
and their distribution was begun i'm
mediately. Physicians may prescribe
drugs only on these tanks.
If the manner OF distribution of the
books followed by the Department OF
Health yesterday is continued, however,
it will be no more difficult to obtain
drugs in the future than it has been IN
the past. A Tribune reporter visited
the sixth floor of the Health Depart
ment building yesterday afternoon and
found the distribution of the books to
be in the hands of two Office boys.
The reporter was asked by one OF
these boys, How many do you WANT
To obtain the books it is only neces-
sary to write the name of drug firm
or a physician on the record kept by
the department, followed by the initials
of the person receiving the books. Each
person is given as many books as he
says he needs. While illicit dealers
would lay themselves open to a forgery
charge by procuring the books by mis-
representation, it is doubtful if this
risk would deter them.
Flourshing Trade in Cell so.
The second discovery of an opium
outfit in one of the city's prisons with
in the past few days was made yester-
day. when five prisoners in cell 90 OF
the Blackwell's Island workhouse were
found to be cooking opium and selling
it TO their fellow prisoners at 20 cents
a Squirt" Monday night Tombs pris-
oner was discovered smoking opium
Cell 90 had been under suspicion for
several days, and early yesterday
morning Warden Fox and q number of
detectives from the drug squad went
to the cell and suddenly switched on
the lights. The five men were cooking
opium on the floor, using tin can in
which fire was built, and heating the
drug in a spoon.
The arrest of two drivers for carry
ing letters from the island peniten-
tiary sheds threw some light on the
method by which arrangements are
made for drug smuggling. One of the
4aty Iii. To- hn
partment of Charities.
William J. Butler. a driver for the
Fitz Henry Electrical Contracting
Company. had twenty-four letters in
his possession when apprehended by
the prison officials as he was about TO
leave the penitentiary. They had been
given him by one of the convicts, and
all were letters from prisoners to their
friends. Some of them. according to
Warden Hays, contain information that
will be of great value TO the police.
Drug Smuggling Easy.
Butler was ararigned before Magis-
trate Campbell in Yorkville court on
charge Of communicating with pris-
oners without authority and held in
bail OF $500. The offence is a misde-
meanor, punishable with a maximum
penalty of one year in Jail and fine
of $500.
John Finn, driver for the Department
Of Charities. was arrested few hours
later with twenty letters in his pos
session and will be arraigned this
morning. One of these letters warned
a friend not to proceed with a plan
TO smuggle some dope" into the
prison, because of the new drug law.
Commissioner Davis asserted that
there is little mystery as to the man
ner in which drugs find their way into
the prisons, as the friends Of the visi-
tors have but to hand them through the
wire netting. Plans have been drawn,
she said for the adoption of the Con-
tinental prison system, which provides
for two sets of netting six feet apart.
Five Cinnamon were the first to fall
foul of the Boylan law when the drug
squad invaded Chinatown. soon after
midnight yesterday morning. They
were found with opium in their pos
session. A number of opium layouts
were found 10 have been dropped out
of windows by other smokers when the
tip was given that arrests were TO be
made.
Five men and a woman were ar
raigned in the Harlem court yester-
day as a result Of raid on house
at ia East 105th 81. Thomas Bran
cato. John Durantc, Cesar Ruffiela and
Marie Reilly were held in bail of
81 900 for violating the drug law, and
John Gazzola and James Petrucci were
held without bail on a charge of alb
Quoting Florence Lascell, seventeen
years old. who was found in the house.
john Josephus, OF 1l5 East l05th ST.,
and Annie Fair, of 324 East 10Th St,
were also taken into custody for hay
ing drugs in their possession.