Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-06
TRAFFIC IN dope"
At FEDERAL PRISON
CHARGEDDY AGENTS


legged drug and narcotic traffic at the
Atlanta federal penitentiary, now
in progress at the request of Warden
j. E. Dyche. have revealed the fo..
lowing sensational facts, according
to federal authorities:
That there has been in operation
at the federal prison for some
months past a drug ring" with
DR.. H. E. Cairick, assistant prison
physician, who is now under arrest,
at its head, and including some of
the guards and other prison en-
ployes.
That this ring" has been supply
ing prisoners in the penitentiary
with drugs and all forms Of mar
cotics, which have been struggled
in by an elaborate system, in which
fixed" employees on the inside CO.
operated with professional dope ped.
dlers on the outside.
That drugs have been supplied to
dope" adicts, who have been con-
fined in the institution for the cure,
and have also been supplied to pris.
oners who had never had the habit
before, and that in this way many
men have been sent away from the
prison victims of the drug habit and
in much worse condition, both phys
ically and mentally, than they were
when they entered.
That the guards and other en-
ployes who have been implicated in
the. traffic have reaped enormous
profits, and are, in some cases, own
ms of expensive automobiles and
other Injuries not in keeping with
their legitimate income.
Enormous Profits
That an ounce of heroin or NOR
phine, which in the market outside
the Jail would bring about S14. is
sold on the inside for from $1,000 to
$4,000.
One of the several methods said
to have been used to smuggle dope
to inmates of the prison is describ-
ed as follows: . ''t
Guards or other employees, who re-
ceive salaries of about $3.50 a month,
carry out letters from the inmates
to their friends or relatives in which
they ask for money to buy drugs.
These letters, known in the prison
as SNEAK letters" contain name
and address in the city of Atlanta
to which money is to be sent.
When the reply containing the
money arrives at the sneak" ad-
dress, the prison employe receives
it. deducting a considerable amount
for his own trouble, Nurchases the
"dope' and carries it into the prison.
where a confederate, usually an in
mate known as a runner" divides
the drugs, giving the inmate half
and retaining half for himself.
The half retained by the runner"
is then sold to other inmates and
the money realized from the sale
Is turned over to the employe who
originally brought the stuff in.
To Push Probe
Federal authorities Monday stat
ed that they had no formal state"
ment to make at this time, but
promised further sensational de-
velopments which, they declared,
would reveal deplorable state of
corruption within the prison in re-
.spect to the dope traffic.
It is their avowed intention to
push the investigation until every
employee who has had any dealing
with the drug ring" is brought to
justice.
Warden Dyche has rendered ev-
cry aid to the local narcotic agents
and the special agents sent from
Washington to institute the investi-
cation.
1t Ia understood that the traffic
has been going on for several
months past, beginning before War
den Dyche took charge. On learn
ing of it in an indirect way, he inn
mediately instituted a personal in.
vestigation, it is stated, and, on
finding the true state of affairs, re.
quested the authorities at Washing
ton RI take the matter I'D