The New York herald., 1922-03-18
ACTRESSES LISTED
With SOCIETY FOLK
IN OPIUM DEN RAID
One Star Seized in LuXuri-
GUS Oriental Room in
Central Park West.
A MIDNIGHT RESORT
Many Persons Visit Place
Hazy With Incense and
Drugs at That Hour.
MYSTERY IN POLICE TIP
DR.. SimOn's Narcotic Squad
Keeps Tabs on Taxicab
Callers for Nights.
MYSTERY IN POLICE TIP

One of the most luxurious opium
dens ever found in New York was en-
tered by squad of detectives of the
narcotic division last midnight, and
two men and woman, the latter a
prominent actress, according to DIR.
Carleton Simons, Special Deputy Po-
lice Commissioner, were seized and
taken to Police Headquarters.
Tie actress and one of the men
were freed after being questioned for
two hours by DR.. Simon, but the Sec
ond man was locked up on a charge
of possessing opium. He was booked
at the West Thirtieth street police
station as Samuel Goldberg, 40 years
Old
Goldberg and the others were found in
room in an apartment on the ground
floor of the house at 225 Central Park
West, DR.. Simon said.
Two weeks ago a note was received
at Police Headquarters that sent de-
tectives from both the narcotic and spe-
cial service divisions. under Inspector
Samuel Bolton, to watch the Central
Park West apartment-one of the finest
in the city. The note said it was the
gathering place of men and women who
were addicted to opium and that they
might be seen going there for their drug
always around midnight.
Police vigils Rewarded.
Every night since then the mysterious
room was under close watch. DR..
Simon's men reported daily that the tip
seemed to be good that taxicaps drove
up to the house or to points near the
house in squads and that for as long
as an hour some nights men and women
were filing in and out of the ground
floor door.
Last night DR.. Simon and Detectives
Cotter and O'Brien went to the apart
ment house and waited for midnight.
They were induced to hurry their work
when the man and woman entered the
place. they said.
Cotter went to the door. according to
DR.. Simon, and after ringing the bell
knocked on the panel. voice from the
room asked who's there?"
'Heinie," said Cotter, and the door
was opened promptly.
Cotter jammed his foot into the OPEN
ing and forced the man inside to give
way. He and O'Brien. followed by DR..
Simon, entered the place.
DR.. Simon later said he was almost
overpowered by a mixture of opium
fumes and expensive perfume. In
haze OF smoke, he said. he saw the
woman and the man. Goldberg. panic
stricken, was making for door leading
into another part of the suite. but he
| was seized.
Pungent Opium Smoke Gagged.
| DR. Simon and his men searched tho
| place and say 1t was a museum of ORR
ontral carpets. hangings and divans. He
said there were opium smoking layouts
on tabourets convenient to couches. Gold
berg. to prevent his secret from being
known. the doctor said. had protected
himself from discovery through the
escape of fumes by hanging great
sponges dampened with water In various
parts of the rooms near the ceiling and
that he had protected the door by COW
ering IL with layers of bedsheets soaked
in water. The moist cloth and sponges,
he said, absorbed the pungent opium
smoke and made IL practically impos-
sible for II to get into the Railways.
The search OF the place produced also,
according to DR.. Simon. leather COW
cred book In which were written the
names and addresses and telephone
numbers of many men and women. The
Commissioner explained that he rec
ognized many of the names as those of
men and women we'll known In this city.
Some Of the women are actresses and
others are prominent In social circles"
he said.
The leather book was taken TO Police
Headquarters, and IL was said that
those whose names were found in It will
be asked before long to explain their
business connections with Goldberg
Other finds turned up by the search
of the room included three handsomely
lnlaid opium pipes, two spirit lamps
large can and 100 toys" OF what was said
to be opium. Dr. Simon said each toy
contained enough paste for about ten
pills.
No excitement attended the raid The
detectives went into the place and made
the arrests without trouble. 1t was ex-
planned that Goldberg lives there with
his parents. an aged couple. but that
the old folk knew nothing about his mid
night operations The detectives said
no one but Goldberg and his customers
ever got into the room