Evening star., 1951-11-17
Narcotic Raiders
Arrest 50 Here
AS sWho|esaIers
Series of Foroys
By Police, U. S. Agents
Continues II Hours
By ChorIes G. Brooks

ANoi NOCAIo dSCICo dIlO ,blStIlCG
police combed out the drug un-
derworld here last night in a series
of raids which marked the largest
big time roundup of top men"
in the last 10 years.
The raids. planned for five
months. netted SO alleged whole
sale dope peddlers. The names of
Waxey Gordon. New York under
world figure, and of Murder, Inc,
were linked unofficially with the
drug racket here.
The forays were designed to
wipe out the sources of supply for
dozens of small street-corner ped
oilers of heroin and to stamp out
the flow of narcotics to Baltimore,
Norfolk and Richmond.
Aimed at Peddler's Market.
Police said the raids will do
away at least temporarily with a
large outlet for international
wholesale importers of illegal
dope at New York and make
iheroin even more scarce in WASH
lington, where a "peddlers mar
ket" already exists.
This was the first major raid
here since enactment of the Boggs
bill. which provides heavy penal
ties for dope peddlers convicted
of second offenses.
Twenty-one men from the De-
tective Bureau. eight Federal mar
cotics agents and 25 United States
marShals joined in the raids which
began at 2 pm. yesterday and
lasted IL hours.
: They swarmed out OF headquar-
tiers and spread over most of the
city. They were led by Inspector
Robert V. Murray, chief of detec-
tives; Boyd NJ Martin, chief mar
cotics agent for this area. and
the Police Department acting
major and superintendent, Robert
S. Bryant.
Marshals Serve Warrants.
Aiding them were 1t. H. H. Car
per, chief of the police narcotics
squad; Detective Sergt. William
Taylor, United States Marshal
Bruce Matthews. and his chief
deputy. Charles Ward. The mar
shals were along to serve Federal
warrants.
The last roundup of peddlers in
the District came last March
when Federal agents helped police
arrest u peddlers, classified as
Small-time individual operators.
Police pointed out that one Of
the major differences between last
March's raids and the recent
roundup was that all of those ar
rested last night are colored.
Police said one of the biggest
to land in the net was Lamar E.
Brown, 48, who already has a tax
lien for S161, ,999 in overdue Fed
eral income taxes and penalties
filed against him. Brown, whose
alias is Polly" lives in the 200
block of Kentucky avenue Sc.
Plush Home Raided.
Leading the list of dens raided
by the officers were buildings in
the 1700 block of Eighth street
NV, the 1900 block of West Vir-
ginia avenue NE, the HOO block
of Columbia road NV, the 1000
block of South Carolina avenue
Sc. and the 600 block of @ street
NV.
The two-story home on South
Carolina avenue was described by
Mr.. Martin as one of the most
plush residences he had ever seen
occupied by peddlers.
Inspector Murray said many Of
the peddlers picked up last night
often made trips to New York
by train to bring back the dope.
Yet. he added. there is no real
dope ring here.
Waxey Gordon Mentioned.
Although police refused to link
the narcotics wholesalers here
with specific individuals in New
York. it was limited that Waxey
Gordon, prohibition beer baron,
may have had something to do
with supplying the District.
When Gordon was arrested in
New York last August, a United
States attorney said he had been
trying to expand a 81 million-a-
year coast-to-coast illicit drug
business, and that he received
large quantities of dope in New
York from contacts on foreign
ships.
Experts who lectured at the po-
lice narcotics school last month
also blamed the remnants of Muir
der. Inc, and the Maf1a with sup
plying a great deal of the mar
cotics which have been brought
into tho Hictr;ot