The New York herald., 1921-08-03
FINDS 60 RICH FOLK
ON DRUG GRAFT LIST
Meyer Secret Inquiry Shows
Extensive Extorti0n by
New York Police.
4 POLICEMAN ARRESTED
Senator Asserts $50 Bribery
Case Shows Chance for I'm
limited Persecution.

limited persecution.
Charges of grating and extortion
by the police in the administration of
the new Fearon drug law viii be IN
vestigated by the Meyer legislative
committee as soon as its hearings are
started Senator Schuyler M. Meyer,
chairman of the committee, said yes
terday that preliminary inquiry into
numerous complaints gave proof that
the gates had been opened 70 un-
limited oppression"
The fact that the Meyer committee
was investigating this situation Sc
cretly became known yesterday fol-
lowing the arrest of Policeman Horace
Matheson by Detectives Thomas and
Cuniff Of the District Attorneys staff
charged with attempted extortion. The
arrest was made after Joseph Ciaccio
a drug addict had complained TO the
Meyer committee that he had neen
threatened unless he paid Mathesnn
$50 Ciaccio said he was to be ar
rested for having narcotic drugs in his
possession,
Senator Meyer sent Ciaccio to Joab
ii Banton, Acting District Attorney,
who assigned detectives TO follow the
Italian 10 Eighth avenue and Forty
eighth street. where ne said he had beer
told to meet the accused policeman. Thf
detectives said they saw Ciaccio hand
roll OF BILLS to Policeman Matheson and
that the bills, all marked and amounting
to $50, were found in the policeman.
pocket Matheson was locked up on
charge OF attempted extortion and vii
be arraisned In the West Side Cour'
this morning
Notice has been sent out BY the Polic'
Department Senator Meyer said, :,
more than sixty prominent and wealthy
men and women who are drug addict'
demanding that they cease the habit
The Senator said that he proposes Z
find out how the police got possession
OF that lis, of names.
Under the old whitney drug law
wiped out last spring by the Fearor
law. the names OF addicts registered
were the secret property OF the State.
and the State gave its pledge that the
names would not be divulged or usea
In any way. That was 10 encourage
addicts In their struggle to escape from
the power Of the drug.
Not only have the police made COM
mon use OF the list OF names, in viola
tion OF the States promise OF secrecy
h,,t the Senator said, there was sub
s,art,al reason for believing that other
ga moro sinister use had been made
OF t.
II is charged further that as a re-
s,,,t Of the cold turkey" treatment pc
inc adopted BY the Police and Health
danortments. under protection OF thf
Fearon law. drug addicts are oelns
driven into private sanitariums ~
The power lodged formerly with tht
Narcotic Drug Bureau is now Ves'to
IN nolice hands. Inquiry VIII pc hau'
Ia find out whether there II any uutn
IN the charge made 70 the committe'
,bat oppressive measures are pehr
adopted TO drive the addicts in,o pri'
vate sanitariums where they are iieecf'
or big sums I'm their desperate pnsn@
The new Law makes drug adulc''oi, /"
Wh arrnE DhN riNtN'tt
s,r,,,erIv ~ prescribe for the patients
r.pa ~, rc,y method adopted and known ~
~ "cold turkey" treatment cuts N.
add,ct off cold" from his supply and
subjects him to arrest as crliniha'
ana "a sentence in penal institution
THO Never committee in its investlga
49,, is moi concerned about the contlic'
among physicians regarding the merits
ana demerits OF this system OF treat
ment II is charged that under ths new
system the police have compete pow,
ia regulate the narcotic trade an'
thereby TO exact big sums from the VS.
tlms who are willing 70 pay ahytnins
ror IA. .tr drug. az well as from the Ill
-, .aiesmep who handle the secret
supply -.
- consider IL i the duty of the COM
rr,,tea ~ find out what Il going on y
the administration Or the new arus
law, senator Meyer said "One addict
has died. another u dying, policeman
IL under arrest Tor extortion and numer-
ous wealthy men and women have been
threatened TINT they must leave town
or comply with police terms.
THE new law may open the way -
unlimited graft and oppression. and the
situation is so bad y needs attention..
n Is driving the unfortunate victims OF
the drug to private sanltsrlums. We
are going to find out whether there ar
rings operating within rings 70 get the
money Of the wealthy eddicts."
In the daily clash Of statements and
letters between Senator Meyer and
David Hirshfield, Commissioner of Ac-
counts. the count stood three 10 one
in favor Of Hirshfield al sunset
In one statement Hirshfieid reviewed
the breaks and homes pulled by the
Never committee. pointing out what he
said had been its big errors Another
told Of the investigation the busy Com
missioner was going to make Of all bills
handled by members ot the Meyer cont
mittee and a third iust generally lam
basted" the committee. Meyer con-
tinued asking Hirshfield why he did not
investigate ccn,ain city affairs