Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-03-07
SMUGGLING CASE
BEGUN IN COURT
Pullman Porter Tells Story of
Corruption with Bringing Of
Narcotics into the United
States from Canada In Sleep.
ing Cars.

ing Cars.
| A story Of extensive corruption of
Pullman car porters by Jack Lawrence,
who Is being tried in United states court
In conjunction with Clarence Smith on "a
charge Of smuggling opium. and con-
spiracy to smuggle was told yesterday
by Haskell Butler, for 10 years q Pullman
car porter operating between Montreal
and New York. He proved by far the
most important witness of the day and
is himself under indictment on u charge
or smuggling opium At the close Of the
session yesterday Butler was placed on
the stand and told OF being brihed to
smuggle dope at s25 per can by Law
renee. lie further told of introducing
Smith to Lawrence. so that he also
might 60 into the business. Butler picked
up the opium smuggling idea from an
other porter who In turn had been en-
ployed by Lawrence.
The case. which took up the entire day
In court yesterday, IL the outgrowth Of q
seisure Of 1893 ounces Of heroin on the
night of August %, 1876 as Il was being
smuggled into this country from Canada.
The dope was valued then at about III
an ounce and would have been almost
Ipriceiess II It could have been landed in
New York. AS It was, the seizure was
considered one Of the most important in
years and 1t is the hope of the govern
ment by following up the trials Of those
connected with this case to break up a
great organization which has made for
tunes out OF the dope smuggling BUSH
ness.
District Attorney Billiard. in addressing
the jury, said that the government ex-
pected to show that on the night of
August 20, Clarence Smith. who was a
porter on train running between New
York and Montreal. left New York in
company with man known as Jack
Lawrence and one D. Lorenzo. They
were seen together in Montreal and on
! the return trip Smith and Lorenzo re-
turned to New York by the Rutland rail-
road. while Lawrence went on the Della
ware & Hudson, and that Lawrence and
Lorenzo met at the end of the trip in
New York. The government also expected
to show what became Of Smith when he
. fled from his train after reaching New
York. BY showing the enormous profits
realized and the manner OF their
, accumulation, he said, the government
would prove the relation of Smith and
Lawrence to a we'll organized and well
! duced by the prosecution would be largely
circumstantial, but Mr.. Billiard was con-
} fdent 1t would be convincing.
James Hick, a Pullman car conductor
. in charge Of the cars on the night Of the
r seizure. was the first witness. He had
J no difficulty in identifying Lawrence az
D man who had made frequent trips to
and from Montreal with him. He thought
r he went over the Rutland route about
3 twice a month. He remembered he went
? up with him on the day preceding the
' seizure. He also saw another man.
? Lorenzo. frequent traveller between
j New York and Montreal. who often made
trips with Lawrence. in conversation
! with Lawrence in Montreal. Hicks fur
Their told Of seeing Lorenzo and Law.
renee talking together at the 125th street
station in New York at the time of the
: arrival Of the trains from Montreal. He
was used with three porters on the train
> to make a strong case that Lawrence
' and Lorenzo were in together.
The heroin on the night Of the raid was
found by Deputy Collector Of Customs
Herbert Rice Of Alburg. and the Officer
told Of the arrest Of Robert Williams In
Burlington, following the finding Of the
l opium In his car. This evidence fright.
, ened Smith SO that he fled from the
. car in New York without even taking
8 his personal belongings. Williams was
indicted but has since died. Smith haG
3 a key which would unlock the liner
8 closet in which the heroin was found tied
in a bundle of sheets under three feet
. of solled linen.
From the time Smith arrived in New
York he evidently has been traced care
, fully by the government men. Butler
testified that he made one trip with
ri,,,ip tol uoIP
= He said that he was taken i'll at the
time he WAS to do more Of the work IL
, August He could not go, so he intro
. duced Lawrence to Smith as his substi
tute. He further testified that Lawrenc,
y came to his house while he was i'll ant
!, wanted to find Smith. whom he though
- had double crossed" him
Lawrence has no lawyer for the reason
~ that he claims he has no funds. TIL,
o court expressed himself as very doubtful
Of the truth of this statement. Law
y renee, when arrested In New York State
!, furnished $4,000 worth Of bonds withou
4 any trouble. and bonding concerns ar
not putting up that much security with
d out money or its equivalent. These bond
n have been surrendered by Lawrence. /
" also IL known that Lawrence has friend
n who have offered to pay a lawyer pro
= vided an acquittal could be guaranteed
n r. e. Brown. who was to have the case
has as a result thrown 1t over.
a Smith has for an attorney C. "
: Dougald. formerly assistant district attor
70 ney Of the New York district under IN
: present Governor Whitman.
+ The panel Of Jurors selected after tn
d usual challenges Is as follows: Lesli
n Pike of Isle La Motto. F. o. jackson n
? Swanton. Frank Il. Perkins of Burl,np
is ton George F. Hull of Montpelier, Clay
ton B. Boyce Of Montpelier, N. ]. Rob
erts OF Barre, M. F. Sullivan of 81
Adams. Lucius A. Bostwick of Burlinr
ton. a. L. Cheney Of Morrisville. c. s
Howard of Fairfax. w. S. Rublee of Eas
y, Berkshire End Frank H. Brown of 2,ur
- lington.
Victor I. Hurlburt OF Grand Isle wa
Df challenged by Mr.. Dougald because n
y. was an officer of the law and Harry I
90 White Of this city and O. A. Smith q
as Middlebury were excused
Of
III