The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-13
To SMASH
DRUG TRAFFIC
IN PRISONS
Addict in Philadelphia Pen
Makes Amazing Disclosure
of Dope Trade.
BY PAUL ri. EGOLE.
COSMOPOLITAN News Service.

PHILADELPHIA. August ID
Smashing dope rings in county
prison and State penitentiary is the
task now occupying the attention
Of this city's officials.
The penitentiary, by a drastic
change in rule, the transfer of con.
victs who sold dope and the 1sola-
ton of addicts, now has clean Dill
of health, but conditions in the
grim pile of imitation Egyptian ar
chitecture known as Moyamenslng
prison are only being revealed.
Previous grand jury invest1ga'
tons of Moyamensing prison have
been perfunctory, the reason being
that, according to former convict,
everything was especially brought
up to standard in anticipation Of
the visit of the investigators.
Today in the Philadelphia magls-
trates' courts tales Of wild SNOW
parties in the cells, of a highly
organized system of 'master-mind
dope peddlers and their runners.
all wearing the prison garb, are
being unfolded by their victims,
who cover in fear of possible retail
alton awaiting them when they are
taken back to their quarters.
Death OF. Addict.
The death of Nathan Kessler, a
convicted highwayman, in his cell
from an overdose of narcotic drugs
concentrated attention on how such
conditions could arise within the
walls Of a supposedly well-disci-
plined penal institution.
The first report of the affair, is
sued by the prison authorities, was
briefly to the effect that Kessler
had died from drugs Struggled to
him by q woman on visiting day.
Coroner William r. Knight, how
ever, who supervised the examina-
ton of Kessler's body, decided that
death warranted searching investi-
CATION, and accordingly two detec-
tives, experts from the municipal
narcotic squad, were detailed to
gather evidence.
Their efforts resulted in a revela-
ton of a highly organized system"
of the dope runners, and the ar
rest of suspects under conditions
leaving little doubt as to their CON-
plicity in the wholesale conspiracy
with which they abe charged.
Prison Guard Arrested.
Charles F. Morgan, a prison
guard, who resigned the day Kess-
Ter died, was held in $4,000 bail.
Shortly afterward DR.. Herbert /.
Burke, veterinarian, was placed un-
der arrest by Frank Dunn, chief Of
the narcotic squad detectives,
char ed with being the middle
man" between the sinister drug
fA iNn-
hind the prison walls.
Burke had enough narcotics in
his office to last ten years." was
the comment of Major Samuel ..
Wynee, chief of county detectives.
In the meantime coroner's detec-
tives, working inside the prison.
had noticed the actions Of group
of convicts occupying a cell adj
joining Kesslers. At the psyche
logical moment the detectives en-
tered the cell and arrested the
men. one of whom was found to be
under the influence of drugs.
In the pocket of another a pack
age Of white powder was found and
turned over to city chemists for
analysis Upon being revived, Wal
ter A. Clark, the addict, who served
three years in Atlanta for robbing
the mails. made confession, which
he later substantiated at a hearing
when Morgan and the other con-
Victs were arraigned.
'DOpe" Dollar a Shot.
Dope for a dollar a shot," was
the trade slogan of the drug ring
in the prison, Clark told the magis
trate. Drug orgies were often held
in his cell, he continued. The
stuff was brought to the cell, he
prison hospital.
Clark directly charged Morgan
! with being the means by which
and distributed. Bonnie Bernstein
q former cellmate, he said, super
vised disposal of the drugs inside
the cell. while Hugh Fisher, an
other convict, sold the drugs at re
tail. Fisher, Contardi, the "trusty,
Bernstein and Morgan have been
held in $4,000 bail.
Detectives recently received an
open letter from Charles j. Kraile
a paroled prisoner, who stated that
during his confinement it would
have been easy to obtain $4,000
worth of dope in the prison on
short notice.
THE head runner on the second
floor tier) has made a fortune
since February" Kralle wrote.
Convicted drug peddlers were the
guiding minds of the traffic inside
the prison. he continued, many Of
them, in the capacity Of TRUSTEES, p"
finding it easy to do so. Guards.
Kralle charges, had become impli-
Gated to such an extent that some
Of the leading convict drug ring
members defied their supposed Jail.