New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-23
Federal Agents Seize Dope
Locked In Tenderloln
Trust Co.'S Vault.
BLACKWELL'S ISLAND
KEEPER ALSO IN NET
Civ Officials Find TOmbS Was
a Feeder for Prison
Traffic.

llNereG NeaNy Olo"S ytSbtlHaJ "b"'''SN
the drug traffic.
The Department Of Correction an
nounced the discovery and smashing oil
a ring engaged in carrying narcotics
20 the prisoners in the Tombs and on
BlackwcIrs Island. Edward NJ. Stan
ton. assistant United States Attorney
also told OF the discovery and opening
Of a safe deposit vault filed with sew
eral hundred dollars worth Of drugs
The vault belonged TO a woman, who
was arrested as the most extensive
vender OF drugs in the Tenderloin.
The announcement Of the smashing
Of the Blackwel's Island drug ring
came with the arrest of Keeper Martin
Curry, Of the penitentiary, on a charge
Of carrying morphine, cocaine, heroir
and other contraband supplies to the
hundreds Of prisoners under his care
Drug Traffic Melted $4,000.
For this service he had fixed sched-
ule Of charges, and it is estimated that
in the last year he has made more
than $4,000 in the traffic.
The discovery OF this traffic came
from the finding, several weeks ago, Of
large supply Of cocaine on Edward
Dardn, who confessed that he got II
from William Josephs, a pickpocket,
committed 10 the island November %,
1914. Josephs in turn confessed that
he, Curry and others were working to-
eether
lie said that when he came 70 the
penitentiary he was assigned TO the
spindle shop. under Curry. Curry ar
ranged to get him. he swears in his
affidavit, the position OF captain OF
TRUSTEES, having access 20 twelve hun
bred prisoners. Josephs then acted as
the go-between for the prisoners and
Curry.
Curry completed the line Of COM
munication with the outside world,
since he was free to go as he pleased.
He was rot vender Of drugs. but sim.
ply a carrier of them from designated
sources of supply without the prison.
Prisoners would write letters 10 friends
outside instructing them 10 have what
they wanted ready. Then they would
tell Josephs, who would inform Curry
where TO call for these supplies.
Carrier Paid by Trip.
Here was the schedule of prices for
this service: A single trip by Curry to
Manhattan or The Bronx for bringing
drugs from designated address, S25;
special rate for continuous messenger
service covering period Of six months,
SIT trip; minimum rate for the same
service, covering a period OF not less
than a year, SIS trip.
The Tombs as a feeder Of prisoners
TO the penitentiary was also made, by
the system, a feeder of customers for
Curry and his associates. Three months
ago a keeper working on BlackwelPs
Island under Curry asked Commissioner
Davis 10 be transferred TO the Tombs,
giving as his reason that he wanted 20
be nearer his home. since several mem
bers of his family were sick.
The request was granted, and this
keeper was assigned to the Tombs. I'm
der instructions from Curry he went
to work investigating quietly among the
drug users there TO ascertain who would
be able to pay the price for the services
of Curry and who could be depended
upon not TO squeal once they were in
the know"
Trail Led from Tombs.
As fast as these Tombs prisoners
we're convicted and sent TO the island,
their names were secretly forwarded 70
Curry. who gave them to Josephs. who
then opened up negotiations with them
for use of the Curry Special Inside De-
livery Service"
Afidavits revealing this system and
corroborating the facts on which
Curry's arrest was based are now in
the hands of the Department of Cor
rection. The investigation was con-
Quoted by Lieutenant Scherb, Of the
Headquarters drug squad, with his
aids, Mason, Bach, Dattelbaum and
Graham.
Other keepers have been found to
be implicated in the system and will
he arrested The Tombs keeper who
tipped Curry of as 10 those whom it
would be safe to do business with be-
came panicstricken and offered his res
ignation yesterday. but it was not nc
cepte1 and his arrest is expected soon.
Curry was held in $500 bail for ex-
animation on Tuesday.
The woman with the safe deposit
vault full Of cocaine arrested by the
Federal authorities was Mrs. Sophie
Price. of 3lS West Thirty-sixth Street.
She has been arrested five times for
drug vending. She was discharged as
cured last December from Bellevue,
where she was committed.
Investigators have watched her re-
Gently back at her old tricks in the
Tenderloin. They noticed that she
made frequent trips TO the Hudson
Trust Company, at Thirty-ninth Street
and Broadway They also followed her
20 her rooms. and yesterday they found
her safe deposit key
In the vault they found a dozen two
and three ounce bottles filed with
cocaine, valued at $500. A further
search Of her rooms brought TO light
some empty bottles, two opium pipes
and two new opium pipe bowls.