The New York herald., 1921-02-13
ARREST MAY BARE
SECRETS OF DRUG
PEDDLMG SYSTEM
Man Held After Delivering
Package to Woman-COde
Telephone Messages.
HERON IS DISCOVERED
Seizure Followed Raid ON
Alleged Village Centre
of Distribution.
HEAVY BAIL Is SOUGHT
Records, Letters and Tele-
grams Turned Over to Fed
eral Authorities.
HEAVY BAIL IS SOUGHT

ton avenue, was arrested early yester-
day morning by detectives from DR.
Carleton Simon's anti-narcotic squad
He was seized at 115th street and
Lexington avenue just after he had
delivered a packet to a woman. Yes
terday afternoon DR.. Simon announced
that he is quite certain that the ar
rest will bring about the collapse OF
a drug smuggling. distributing and
peddling system which has been doing
an unprecedented business represent
Ing millions Of dollars.
Weston did not confess to vending
habit forming drugs. To the contrary
he denied all association with drug
users or purveyors. According to DR.
Simon, he did admit that fifteen years
ago he was sent to prison for burglary
Late Friday afternoon the detectives
descended upon a house in Washington
street near Tenth. in Greenwich Village
DR.. Simon said his men had reported the
place as a distribution centre for opium
heroir, morphine and cocaine. Street ped
lers are supposed to have obtained their
wares there and a rather extensive mail
order business was done II letters seized
are to be taken seriously. What guam
tity or assortment of drugs was found
there was not made public, but after the
raid-made rapidly and without much
confusion-the detectives distributed
themselves within and around the house
and awaited developments.
In the course Of a few hours eight
women appeared. They were searched.
questioned and then permitted to go.
The desired evidence was not plentiful.
but the detectives reported that there
was ample room for much suspicion.
Joseph Hackett, one Of the sleuths, was
on duty outside th@ house. He ques-
toned one of the women and was so
enthused that he decided to follow her.
She led him to 10th street and Lextng-
ton avenue. There she entered a drug
store and hastened to a telephone booth.
Hackett stepped into an adjoining booth.
applied his ear to the thin partition and
listened.
Mysterfous Phone Number.
He says that he heard her ask for a
telephone number that at once caused
him to be sure he was on hot trail.
II was a number that he and his col
leagues had come across at least a
dozen times during the last month. he
said. DIR. Simon says that Hackett
managed to pick up few OF the code
words" the woman used in her teie-
phone conversation. Hackett then called
the number and assured himself that ne
would be able to purchase dope from
the man on the other end OF the wire
n he presented himself at 115th street
and Lexington avenue at midnight.
He hustled down to Police Headquar-
fers told his chief about. II, and. rein
forced by an automobile load OF detec-
tiyes. arrived at the rendezvous at the
sinister hour. Nothing Of a desired
nature happened, SO the detectives de-
nloyed themselves in doorways. behind
shielding stoops and the like, where
they remained for two hours.
DIR. Simon says that at o'clock pre-
cjsely Weston appeared on the corner.
and after a brief period a woman ar
rived. The detectives report that the
woman gave Weston money and re-
ceived the packet In exchange. Then the
detectives swoopei down upon Weston.
The woman apparently escaped. Protest
ing that he was an innocent electrician
on his way home from day OF hard
work Weston led the detectives to his
domicile, where, Simon says, they found
three cartons and three bottles Of heroin.
that the drug was no found in his apart
rnent and that he was the victim Of false
arrest and the like.
"Six men saw him make that sale"
said Simon to the reporters, yet he de-
MES being party to drug deal. He's a
cool one ' He did admit after I put him
TO an hour of inquisitlon that once he
served a term in Jail for burglary-ff-
teen years ago. But ] confronted him
with our hard earned evidence. His tele-
phone number has come to my attention
often during the last few days. I assure
YOU he was hard to break down. be-
lieve him to be a most important cap
turc."
The doctor said he turned the letters
ana telegrams and code books found in
the Greenwich village place over TO the
Federal authorities and that four men
arrested in the place VIII be arraigned
as soon as IL Is thought propitious. Per-
sons whose names were signed TO let
ters and telegrams are being sought.
The majority Of them live In New York.
hut there were letters from Pittsburg.
Bethlehem. Pa. and other cities.
Heavy Baii IL Sought.
Weston Is TO he arraigned as soon as
possible. the doctor says. and heavy bail
Weston TO get away as others have.
These others, he explained. seemed to
be able to get any amount OF surety and.
after posting II. simply drop out OF sight
or return TO trafficking dope.
Patrolman william s. Mahoney had
reasons for putting a few questions 10
Ben Zurin yesterday morning when he
discovered the latter standing in front
OF 2i Eleventh. street. zurin Is the
driver OF n laundry wagon and lives at
92 Attorney street. The police say that
he has served two terms in Elmira for
picking pockets and In July. 1880. war
shot four times I'm the abdomen In the
course of fight in Second avenue.
Mahoney says he asked zurin what
was In the package he carried beneath
his coat Mahoney replied that he wa $
driving n load OF wet wash through the
Fast Sido. and noticed two men throw
the package into the street. lie picked
II UP and determined to examine it at
home. lie said he was then honieward
bound. Mahoney had zurin stop for ex-
animation at the police station and. the
police say. found that the package con-
tained powder. that was sent 10 the
chemist for identification. In Z,irin's
hfp pocket they found revolver. In