New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-23
Doctor and Nurse
Held in Drug Raid
On Sanatorium
$4,000 in Narcotics Found
in Safe and Bank De-
posit Vault

By far the most important raid thus
far in the campaign Of the police and
Federal authorities against the illegal
! sale Of narcotics was made yesterday
on a private sanatorium at ! West
J l24th Street. Two men and one woman
are under arrest, and more than $4,000
worth Of narcotics was seized.
The house, four story brownstone
dwelling fronting on Mount Morris
Park, has been known as the DR.. Daniel
J. Hoyt Sanatorium, for the treatment
of victims of the drug habit.
At half-past eight yesterday morning
Colonel l.. G. Mutt, of the United States
Federal service; Lieutenant Scherb and
several members Of the narcotic squad
from Police Headquarters, accompanied
by Assistant District Attorney Edwin
VI. Stanton, drove up to the house in au-
tomobiles. They were admitted by a
middle-aged man, who said he was DR..
Daniel Spence and was in charge of the
sanatorium. He was placed under ar
rest.
Woman Quickly Closes Safe
While the officers were in the front
parlor of the house. a woman came
downstairs and, taking in the situation
at a glance, went directly TO the rear
office, where large safe stood open.
Before she could be stopped she
slammed the door shut and turned the
lock.
Lieutenant Scherb arrested her, and
warned her that unless she opened the
safe promptly he would force it. She
said her name was Bertha Chamberlain,
and that she was head nurse IN the
sanatorium. She insisted that the safe
contained only private papers, but
finally produced the combination and
opened 1t.
/ A search disclosed a large quantity
/ of heroin and other narcotics, Federal
+ authorities say, and the pass Key to a
/ safety deposit box located in bank on
West i25th Street. Several of the
Federal officers went there at once,
and found narcotics to the value Of
/ thousands of dollars. stock certificates
/ in mining and steel companies that
/ nave face value Of 100000, num-
. per OF Liberty bonus anu d 'VHSiuSl
/ able amount of cash.
First Lieutenant's Commission
/ Under rigid questioning by the police
DR.. Spence said that Dr.. Hoyt was a
f first lieutenant in the medical section
| of the Officers Reserve Corps and that
/ he was at present stationed at Fort
Riley, Kansas. onspicuously displayed
I he Of bo vi usac a
] first lieutenant's commission made out
/ to Dr. Daniel J. Hoyt and signed by
/ William n. lngraham, Assistant Secre-
tary of War. II was dated July 10,
1917.
/ The top floor of the sanitarium had
been converted into a domitory, but
d although there were several small iron
/ beds in the various rooms, none showed
evidence Of having been occupied the
night before. Nor were any patients
found in any part Of the house when
the police arrived.
. However, within half an hour after
/ DR.. Spence and Miss Chamberlain had
been taken from the house, steady
stream Of callers began to arrive. All
through the day, many private automo-
biles, taXicabs. and carriages drove up
TO the house. Richard A. Yancey, jr.,
attached TO the United States Revenue
/ Department who said he had had the
sanitariEm under surveillance for al
most six months and who gathered the
t evidence which resulted in yesterdays
{ raid, had remained in the house with
/ several members Of the Police Depart
/ ment squad.
Names of Callers Taken
The name Of each caller was taken
I and in the case OF the men, their regis
i tration card was demanded. Eight we're
unable TO produce them but none was
I arrested. all being able TO convince
the officers that they had complied with
! the draft law.
Before the end Of the day nearly fifty
women, many Of them young. were on
! the police list Of visitors. One man
who said he was James Mullaly. %
years old. Of 81 East Nth Street.
was arrested when he appeared. He
was charged with being an escaped