The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-16
DRUGGISTS AND
DOCTORS SEIZED
IN RAIDS BY U. S.
Federal Agents Question
Addicts as They Quit Stores
With Narcotics.
CROWDS BLOCK TRAFFIC
Seven, Including Three Physi-
clans, Taken Near Lexing-
ton Ave. and Hath st.

The Federal Government began last
night @ new crusade to stop illegal
traffic in narcotics by rhding New
York drug stores, arresting pharma-
cists and physicians and also selling
addicts who seemed to give evidence
OF violation of the law.
The raids were managed as smoothly
MS possible, but drew so many spccta-
tors that street cars were blocked.
Buyers of hcroin. cocaine and NOR
phine were watched from sidewalks
by Federal agents and accosted after
they left the stores. They were then
searched and their purchases were
confiscated. When sufficient evidence
was obtained the detectives entered the
stores, closed the doors and II the cir
cumstances warranted It nabbed the
proprietors Meanwhile other Govern
ment men visited doctors offices and
made other arrests.
The first batch of prisoners were
Aaron ]. Goldberg, proprietor of a
drug store at 1s42 Lexington avenue;
DR.. NJ. A. Levy, 1877 Lenox avenue;
DR.. Jacob Kornblum. 1s40 Lexington
avenue; DR.. Jacob Katts, III East
18th street, and Charles Fielder. drug
addict, 324 Fifteenth avenue. Newark.
who had In his pockets prescriptions
made out In three different names and
who said It was so hard to buy the
stuff in Newark that he had to come
to the big town.
stern Taken at Home.
All these men were arrested before
| half past 10 o'clock, in the neighborhood
| Of Lexington avenue and ll4th street.
Shortly before II o'clock Federal Agent
]. A. Boone arrested DR.. Arthur ii.
Stern In his home at 1927 East Eighty
second street. Fielder, the detectives
said, was found In Dr. Levys office and
besides the prescriptions he had in his
pocket they found fifteen grains OF CO.
caine and heroin secreted in the seams
of his underwear The last arrest OF the
night was made soon after midnight
when the Government detectives raided
4
Phillips In sac Eighth avenue, near
| Fifty-third street. Phillips was not there,
but the detectives arrested Charles H.
| Liss OF l2s West Seventy-eighth street
| a pharmacist and clerk. and began an
| inventory Of the drug supplies laid in
| by Phillips BY ] o'clock this morning
they had discovered 900 grains OF NOR
phine, heroin and cocaine.
! All were taken to the East l04th
| street police station charged with viola
! ton OF the Harrison anti-drug act, which
requires 4 physician and druggist 10
supply only enough OF Il habit forming
drug to meet the Immediate needs of a
patient one hundred grains of hcroin
were seized In Goldberg's store. While
the raiders were there the druggist $
wife came In with her slx-year old
| daughter. She made a Wild scene and
cried. why didn't they tell us It was
wrong TO do this?"
| A dozen or more internal revenue in
spectors started uptown In automobiles
from the Custom House at about .
o'clock. Their programme had been ar
ranged by Daniel L. Porter. supervising
agent Among those heading divisions
Of the party were Ralph A. Oyler, who
engineered war time raids in many cities.
especially Philadelphia: II. b. Dobbs
and w. w. Allen. They were Joined up
town by two police detectives.
| The automobiles stopped at 112th
street and Lexington avenue. The
| agents got out and deployed without at
tracing attention. Several were posted
! near Goldbergs pharmacy, which is a
dingy little place without soda or cigar
stand. Men and women. whites and
negroes. were streaming in and out OF
the store. Whenever one emerged who
looked to the Governments experts like
an addict he or she was followed for a
block or two and then spoken to quietly
Most OF those who had the little
! wooden or tin boxes or walls OF dope
gave them up readily, but In some cases
search was necessary Out of perhaps
hundred persons thus approached
twenty were taken back to the Internal
Revenue automobiles for further ques.
tioning The neighborhood Is always
populous The news of what was VI
spread rapidly and tenement window:
blossomed full OF faces
Filled 400 Prescriptions Daily.
The streets began TO fill. II was tim,
for the raiders TO enter the drug store
which they did before the alarm got
insidA. OF the five customers wthir
when the door was locked three wer.
women who proved they were interested
In tooth brushes. not narcotics. They
were sent home.
Then the flying squad dron questioned
two young men. One had n prescription
for heroin. He said he had been takin,
the drug for a year and added that h,
had a wife and baby, He was released
and the other young man with him.
Goldberg and a clerk were filling pre-
scriptions In the back room. The clerl