Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-19
BROKER ARRESTED
ON COCAINE CHARGE
Physician Valves Examination
and Case Is Sent to Federal
Grand Jury.
MANY PRESCRIPTIONS FOUND
Claims to Have Right to Use Dis
cretion, and Says Law Has
Been Complied With.
MANY PRESCRIPTIONS FOUND

DR.. Boyce D. Brooker. IL West Grace
Street, was arrested yesterday after
noon by Detective Sergcants willy and
Rellam. United States Deputy Collector
Of Revenue ]. II. c. Grasty and United
States Marshal Saunders on a bench
warrant sworn out by Judge Edmund
Waddill. Jr.. of tho United States Dis
trict Court, charging him with pre-
scribing cocaine and morphine in viola
, ton OF the Harrison antinarcotic law.
DR.. Brooker was arrested in his office
and taken at once to the Federal Build
inE, where Judge waddtll opened n spe-
cial session OF the District Court to Sc
cure preliminary hearing of the case.
During the proceedings Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Hiram NJ. Smith informed
the court that the specific charge
against DR.. Brooker was but one OF
number. and that he had evidence in
his hands which might result in as
many as twelve additional charges be-
Ing brought against the physician DR..
Brooker was bailed in the sum of 81 900
By his wife and DR.. c. A. Bryce
DRUGGIST REFUSED TO FILL
PRESCRIPTION YESTERDAY
The police were informed last night
that even after his arrest DR.. Brookcr
continued TO prescribe the drug and
one druggist is known TO have refused
10 NIL a prescription written by Dr.
Brooker yesterday
In the hospital ward of the City Jail
and receiving attention from the hos
pital physicians is William williams.
twenty-five years old. a nervous and
yh, al y,
said to have been prescribed by DR.
Brooker at 81 a prescription The au-
thorities have ascertaincd, 1t is said
that DR.. Brooker has given the man
prescriptions calling for 24o grains OF
morphine. 900 grains Of cocaine and
200 heroin tablets since August 10
Williams is responsible for the intor-
nation OF DR.. Brokers Willingness to
give the pfsscript tiops reaching, the po-
lice, He stss q native or Norfolk. and
has been worrying there as piano
player in theaters and roof gardens.
He lost his position some time ago on
account OF his use OF drugs. Then he
went to Hopewell. and even there he
was unable to secure work. In dcspe-
ration, he called on Chief OF Police
Cotton and begged that official 10 assist
him in breaking away from the drugs
formation as TO the manner in which
he and others secured the drugs
DETECTIVE WITNESSES
ISSUING OF PRESCRIPTION
The official decided that Chief of
Police Ragland. of Petersburg, would
be able TO assist, and took the man to
that place. II was decided TO take the
matter up with the United States au-
thor!ties here at once. and so the trio
came to this city.
After lengthy consultation with
Assistant District Attorney Smith and
Deputy Collector Grasty. Detectives
Willy and Kellam were called in. and
plan Of action decided upon kellam
visited DR.. Brooker with Williams, and
was there when the man secured two
prescriptions for the drugs. With
this. in addition TO the evidence given
them by Williams and that found in
the Prescriptions collected from drug
stores, the officers appeared before
Judge Waddll and secured their war
rant. United States Marshal Saunders
was called in. and the four men went
to serve the warrant on the physician
Before the warrant had been served.
the officers had visited Tarrants drug
store. West BROAD Street. and on
tHS aCCOFCen tnem by the
Harrison act. gained access to the drug
prescriptions. 1t was found, accord
ing to the police, that this one store
had filed 500 prescriptions for habit
forming drugs signed by DR.. Brooker.
In some cases. 1t is said. one man had
succeeded in having as many as four
OF these prescriptions filled in a single
day.
That was the number of DR.. Brook
er's prescriptions filled by one drug
store. The authorities are now comb
ing the city, IT is said, searching for
further evidence.
CHIEF COTTON ARRESTS MAN
AND WOMAN IN HOPEWELL
Before Chief Cotton came to this
city he arrested a man and his wife in
Hopewell. on information secured from
Williams and locked them up on
charge Of dispensing the drugs in that
place. They are being held at Peters
burg for trial. large amount of the
drugs used in the shanty city have
been obtained from them, it is said.
However, the authorities have not sue
ceeded in learning their source OF sup
ply. although it has been rumored
large amounts have been secured from
Richmond
why certainly have been prescrib-
ing cocaine and morphine" DR.. Brooker
told the arresting officers "You could
have found that out long time ago
] have diploma from medical school
and am a licensed physician. can
prescribe the drugs whenever think it
necessary. l don't propose to let Uncle
Sam dictate to me as to how / shall
conduct my practice"
The officers did not argue, they took
the physician to the Federal Building
that he might arrange bail. Within a
few minutes after his arrival there
Attorney W. M. Justis. Jr, appeared in
his behalf, and so did DR.. Bryce.
WAVES EXAMINATION
AND GOES TO GRAND JURY
Arriving In the Federal Building,
Or. Brooker demanded that Detective
Kellam explain the charge to him.
Kellam sent him to Deputy Collector
C,raaty, who In turn nformed tho nh,,