Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28
Bhlngton, Smashed the Big Dope Ring

A DASH1NG black-eyed woman animated BY
the fire of Latin blood, was the next to
come under Defines eye. AS New York supply
agent for q retail ring which had its base on an
old farm about four miles outside of Norfolk,
Va, her trade turnover ran In the neighborhood
Of $4,000 q month.
She lived in great comfort but not Iavishlv
IN an attractive residential section in Brooklyn
She avoided detection for several years chiefly
because she was so far above suspicion on gen.
eral appearances She refused to have phone
In her house All transactions were direct
But all her precautions did not prevent her
selling, az length, to "F'ed"-a small-time
peddler she met through Agent Define!
When trapped the woman,s warm, deep-set
black eyes blazed with unwonted fire. Clench-
ing the INST Of her right hand franticalIy in the
gesture Of one strangling snake she put FORTH
upon all governments an oath which might
nave been new to Gloucester skipper Thus
relieved, she accompanied the agents without
demonstration. More than So 500 worth of mar
cotics had been purchased from her by one
agent They were all in the great safe in the
Federal Building
From the woman's home, the distribution
channel was through her brother in-law and
an employe of the Virginia farm From Nor
Iolk the smal-lot trade tenacled out to all parts
OF the Old South, as far as Jacksonville Fla.
A second woman, not identified directly with
either OF the three rings thus far uncovered
out also acquainted with Swinford, was the
next to fall into the Federal dragnet. She was
agent for group which specialized in supplv-
ing drugs to inmates of the Federal Peniten-
tiary at Leavenworth, Kans
Federal Agent Flynn who was assigned to the
LeaVenWorth angle brought back to Washing
ton one OF the most amazing exhibits of snug
Cling paraphernalia ever collected.
A box OF candy yielded a perfect chocolate
dip containing almost three ounces of NOR
phlne bar of well known brand of
wrapped soap, which was inspected only by
cnance' mad been hewn out packed with heroin
ana SO artfully sealed that even the trade mark
and lettering on the soap itself did not at once
reveal how the trick had been performed
Simlarly, a followed penholder gave up a
precious cargo Of morphine A cigarette lighter
mad been packed with heroin. A smoking
pipe hao peen freed OF its patented plumbing
and packed tight with Snow
When the nature of the woman's snnnlv
business was disclosed in New York. through
Agent Define, Flynn hurried from washington
70 Leavenworth to check the mails In less
tnan 10 days the trap was set to spring ON
the fourth distributing ring.
From Swinford the trail led back tn WASH
mgton once more, through the channel of an
otner woman, who, unknown to the hotel
suspect, was distributing for Swinford in the
capital, In violation of one of the cardinal
rules OF the racket. Swinford had stepped into
announcer mans territory. The Importance of
tns discovery was not appreciated until a
government agent obtained from the woman a
small purchase which analysed to the same
formula as that which had produced the lots
purchased from others in the ring.
now Tor the first time the Federal agents
could be certain they were heading int =
gigantic Importing ring which was doing !
land once wholesale business in New York.
RUT still the Government men were miles
away from their objective, the importers
Their case against the wholesalers and dis
uioutors already was in perfect shape. They
mad evidence, names, places. They knew tAe
COMtinHed on T.pentr- first Pane