The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-13
Trail Leads to Rendezvous in the Mountains of Spain.
Where Trap Closes on the Dope Gang and Its
Boche Chief Who Get Their Just Deserts

up the sick reports accordingly.
Since we had learned his method OF
distribution, we now attempted to dis
cover his source Of supply. A study
of his methods of handling the med
ical supplies finally convinced us that
he was securing It from the medical
supply depot at Gievres. We placed
a man there and found out that a GER
| tain sergeant was handling all this
mans acquisitions for drugs. We
also discovered that there was larger
number of acquisitions for medicines
coming FROM this hospital at the
stevedore camp than from any other
hospital in France. A study OF these
acquisitions showed that on. some of
them the sergeant had placed his ini-
tials, while on others he had signed
the Majors name. With this infor-
nation, we decided to take a chance
on securing a confession from the
sergeant at the medical depot, so we
arrested him.
| The silent Third Degree.
1t is b well known fact that tense
silence Is one OF the best ways to
break man. Accordingly, this man
. wac baOh6ht DCLOiC anu pihycu III
a chair where he could watch me
through looking-glass and without
speaking commenced to read the
various acquisitions and invoices. This
man watched first my face, then the
papers In my hands, and after an hcnr
Of this finally broke down and asked
me II wanted him to tell me the true
story. told him already knew it
| thu. ipo xx,y,a
We guessed, / told him what ne had
been doing. He admitted that I was
right and had told him Just what he
had been up to. and then he told us
the entire story:
He and the sergeant had been
chums together in the States, and
when they found they were in a posi-
ton to profit by stealing and selling
cocaine they could not resist the OPP
portunity to make some money. The
sergeant. did the selling, while this
man attended to the supplies, and
they>split even on the money. The
sergeant at the camp, however, found
that he could make more by purchas-
ing the drug from the smugglers, so
he double crossed his friend.
Their plan worked like a charm.
When the man in the depot received
an invoice for drugs from the SER
geant, II II was initialled. he would
fill 1t with cocaine and outfits and for
ward It as so much medicine; then,
when the sergeant at the hospital re-
ceived 1t, he in turn would enter It
on his books as medical supplies and
drop 1t by writing USED up in treat
ment." This would destroy any evil
dence of his crooked work, and IL the
inspector examined his books he
would find everything correct.
Seeking More Evidence.
II court-martial cases a confession
obtained from the accused is not con-
sidered as good evidence If not sub
Stimulated: SO. we arranged for this
man to return to his work with the
understanding that IL he would help
us catch the sergeant we would rec
ommend to the court that he be given
consideration for his work with us.
We then awaited the next requlsi-
ton for cocaine from the sergeant.
and when It was filled every bottle
, had q secret mark On It. Our man
at the other end was warned as to
|, WHAT was BOlnS OH anu ne "dtCHcu
the sergeant when he received the
shipment. The sergeant entered 1t
up as SO much medicine and then
commenced to sell it. AS this was
sufficient evidence we arrested him. as
we'll as the men who had purchased
the drug. All were searched. with the
result that we found a large amount
OF the drug.
With the sergeant under arrest we
, next brought the men arrested on the
, frontier to Bordeaux. and through
, their confessions we were successful
in finding the rest Of the gang and
, capturing them ALL After the raids
, we're over and the opportunity came
, for us to study the situation we
found that We had seized over $4,000
. worth OF cocaine.
When tried, all were found guilty
r and received sentences varying from
I two years to life for the ringleaders.