Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-02-27
BOSTON DRUGGIST
PAYS $1,000 FINE
Benjamin f. Swami Pleads
Guilty to Charge of Assisting
in Conspiracy to Violate Anti
Narcotic Law-Last Chapter
in Opium Smuggling Case

Benjamin +. Swami paid a fine Of $1,000
In United States court Tuesday fore
noon. following his plea of guilty to a
charge OF assisting in n conspiracy to
violate the anti-narcotic law. Swami.
after paying his fine took the next train
TO Boston, where he Is vice president of
Gilman Brothers, wholesale druggists.
With the disposal Of the case the rather
sensational event of Carmicelli's arrest
and conviction. as well as that of
Deutschman's, Is brought to close. The
government people now feel that with
Swanns conviction the most important
opium smugglers in New England have
been taken care of.
Several months ago the agents of the
government learned that Carmicelli was
at the head Of Of one of the biggest
smuggling games which were on foot.
While apparently working on a small
salary in Montreal he was living at the
Windsor Hotel and spending about as
much in day as he was supposed to
earn In a week. One clue led to another
and one Of the results was that
Carmceli's apartments on Massachusetts
avenue in Boston were raided and the
government people found there about
$4,000 worth of morphine and other
derivatives of opium.
The agents of the government learned
that the bottles of opium were obtained
at the house of the Mallinckrodt Chemical
Works of st. Louis. BY means OF tracing
the serial number they also learned that
Mr.. Swami was the means of handling
the goods In his position as whole
sale druggist he had a perfect right to
purchase opium of the St. Louis concern
for expectation into Canada. The govern
| ment agents learned soon just what
Swami spen. in St. Louis, and IL remains
the theory that the other members of the
Gilman Brothers concern did not know
that so much opium was being pur-
chased by Swami,
In following up the case. the govern
| ment officials found that Swami was
shipping what he purchased in the way
of opium to Montreal. His shipments
| were consigned to the American Drug
company in Montreal and that concern
was of Carmicellis invention. A sur.
| prisingly large amount of opium was used
| by this concern.
Swami got into trouble by shipping the
stuff into Canada, knowing that It was
! to be struggled back into the United
| States That is the reason for his con.
viction His plea of guilty to the charge
| prevented some very interesting teStl
mony from being brought out, but one
| thing was shown up to the satisfaction
I Of the prosecution, outside of the court
room. and that was that Swami made g
profit Of about one dollar per ounce ovel
| that legitimately charged.
Just how much opium went to Canada
to be returned to the United States by
the ll-Deutschman route is MOI
known. but the fact that in Carmiceli'.
room were bottles Of opium large enough
to hold $4,000 worth meant a very con-
siderable stock in trade.
| To write the entire history of the mem
bers Of the Carmicell rings arrest ant
conviction would be to write a book
Carmcelli came near being arrested lont
before he was, but got away because hi.
automobile went faster than any which
men. He was finally arrested while APP
parently safe in New York city. Deu sch
man was arrested by the inspectors be
| tween Burlington and St. Adams as h,
was riding down on the train after Sc
curing his supply of opium of Carmicell
! at a hotel in st. Adams He used tn,
railroads while Carmiceli, with few
thousands of dollars worth of opium
wendell his way to New York city. Their
ring in the United States than that who's,
last chapter was brought to a close Tues
day with the pleading guilty of Swami
vice-president of one of Boston's mos
reputable houses.