The Washington times., 1923-02-11

This individual may 30 D
SCOUT" In the employ Of me
real peddlers. or may be 0 bona
tide peddler. The scout" or
peddler, % the case may Be, a..
reefs the addict to q place where
the drugs are secreted; this may
be through = roundabout process.
After arriving there, the addict
IL ordered to remain In q room:
in q few seconds he win Be inter-
viewed by another person, who
collects the money. In the mean
time another member Of the gang
or clique win procure the drugs.
WAY OF PERIL.
Thus 1t win be seen that 10 o.
cure direct evidence for Q convic-
ton Is extremely difficult. ANY
suspicious actions on the part OF
the purchaser viii frequently
lead to serious consequences.
Drug peddlers and agents do
not hesitate TO dispose summarily
Of anyone who attempts to inter
fere with their traffic. Many al
legged mysterious murders and dis
appearances have been traced to
the activities Of drug cliques.
!. "Squealers" are never tolerated,
and short work is made Of any
one suspected Of giving evidence
to the police.
City detectives and members Of
the various Government agencies
frequently succeed In making di-
rect purchasers from peddlers.
Marked money usually leads to
arrest and conviction. but the
clever peddIer win not take these
chances and usually employs an
intermediary to carry on his bus
mess. or to assist him. So well
organized Is the traffic that a
, record is kept by those engged
in it Of all addicts In q commun-
ity, their occupations. income and
other facts OF importance.
It is the business OF the drug
syndicate to see that the traffic
Is kept alive and flourishing. In
Europe, particularly In the Mont
marie, Of Paris, and in Antwerp,
the houses Of designation form a
part Of the drug traffic system.
Cocaine solutions and hypodermic
syringes ready for use are always
on hand in the dives.
USED IN NAVY.
At one time during the opera
ton Of this system in the United
States, the same practices were in
use in the navy. This business
was prolific.
The peddler will frequently sell
at reduced rates or trust an adj
dict in small quantities Of the
drug, If he is without funds and
just out Of an institution. This
is a part Of the scheme to renew
the old craving.
Peddlers meet patients on their
release from hospitals and offer
them drugs. Fresh from treat
ment for their addiction. will
power is weak, and in this man
ner the vicious circle is again set
in motion. The mail. both don1es.
tic and foreign, affords an easy
and convenient method for mar.
keting of illicit drugs. Shipments
of narcotic drugs through the
post are common.
The physician who traffics in
narcotic drugs, as well as the
peddler, resorts at times to the
mails in order to reach patrons.
Those dealing in drugs are some
times advertised among addicts,
and a letter couched in some
special prearranged code or writ
ing is sufficient to get the service
desired.
SPECIAL CODE.
Sometimes race-track language
is used in this system, the letter
to the drug peddler stating that
so much is placed" on Mary and
SO much on Coco, meaning CO.
caine.
The drugs are placed in pack
ages and mailed in street letter
boxes, often by parties innocent
Of the true contents, and the ad-
dress is never penned. It is al
ways typed or printed, and iden-
of these people is ex-
tremely difficult.
1t is known that q very wealthy
physician in the capital Of
large Southern State carries on a
highly lucrative business in mar
cotic drugs chiefly through thu
mails. He has representatives
agents in several other p r,
but the authorities have 90 fag
been unable to get suff' rf evil
1ence for a conviction
A second articls IL. EaE Is. q.
Dickinson viii assssas tsss@t sgesaa.