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THE MILITARY BUST
Name: Alee Mohammed - Location: - Detroit, Mi - Date: - October 24, 1935
What the Narc’s were claiming
MICHIGAN - Detroit On October 24, 1935, acting upon information that several marihuana peddlers were selling marihuana cigarettes to soldiers at Selfridge Field, Michigan, Narcotic Agents at Detroit, accompanied by an Army Corporal observed one Ose Abraham,NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS:alias Abraham Hallil, as he wasin the act of selling 3 marihuana cigarettes to a patron of the Whippet Cafe. Abraham then sold 2 marihuana cigarettes to the bartender of the cafe and 6 marihuana cigarettes to the Agent. He was then arrested. The Agents and the Army Corporal then proceeded to another section of the City and arrested Edward Rodriguez after purchasing 6 marihuana cigarettes from him, Abraham was held for prosecution. Rodriguez pleaded guilty and will be sentenced. --- ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN MARIHUANA - aka Gore File
MICHIGAN - Detroit On October 25, 1935 , the same Narcotic Agents, accompanied by an enlisted man from Selfridge Field, went to the Harris Grill in Detroit and there purchased 3 marihuana cigarettes, from Alee Mohammed, alias Lee Mo, and William Handerson. The defendants were held for prosecution. --- ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN MARIHUANA - aka Gore File
DETROIT FREE PRESS
[s]- Dec. 14, 1935 p - “Two Sell Dope to Army Fliers”
[Case#MI12_AleeMohammed]
MUSEUM COMMENTS
As the reader may have already noted, these are actually two different cases. BOTH of which (probably due to geography and time frame) being lumped together by Anslinger. One involving Alee Mohammed and the other involving Ose Abraham and Edward Rodriguez.
And although consisting of simple arrests, no blood anywhere and thus not very gore-ie. It’s importance lies (as can be seen by the communications below) in its tie in with the military. Their story (as was documented by Anslinger himself0 actually began at the end of 1935, or well after the arrests when Anslinger himself probably noticed the following newspaper article.
Note, all pictures shown have been doctored for quicker download time ]
The Detroit Free Press1935-12-14
TWO SELL DOPE TO ARMY FLIERS
Both Found guilty of Peddling Marijuana
Two men were convicted in Recorder’s court Friday of selling marijuana cigarets to Selfridge Field aviators. They were arrested as the result of an investigation undertaken when Army authourities complained that men stationed at the field were buying the doped cigarets regularly in Detroit and that several men had become victims of the marijuana habit.
The two men convicted of narcotic law violation before Judge John P. Scallen are Ollie Mohamed, alias Lee Mo, 38 years old, of 614 E. congress St., sentenced to serve six to 14 years in Jackson Prison, and William Henderson, 33, of 95 W. Canfield Ave., one to four years in the House of Correction.
Inspector Edward Kunath and Federal agents saw Mohamed and Henderson make several sales in the vicinity of Randolph St. and E. Lafayette Ave.
Two Selfridge Field fliers in uniform, working with the police, bought some of the cigrets from Mohamed and Henderson in a restaurant in the presence of Government agents on Oct. 25. The two were arrested in a grill room on Randolph St. later the same day.
To which, we should add, in addition to a copy of the newspaper cliping the following was also typed in:
Which, as Medical Marihuana was not yet against Federal Law, was their excuse for conducting the investigation.
Which set off an investigation (by Anslinger) to find out exactly what had happened over there. Which in turn caused the following feedback letter from Anslinger's local area office.
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TREASURY DEPARTMENT
BUREAU OF NARCOTICS
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
OFFICE OF DISTRICT SUPERVISOR
DISTRICT No. 8
STATES OF OHIO AND MICHIGAN
December 20, 1935
STRICTLY PERSONAL
Subject: Investigation re sale of marijuana to Army fliers.
Mr. H.J. Anslinger,
Commissioner of Narcotics,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir:
This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 18th inst., bearing the above caption, relative to an investigation conducted by this office resulting in the apprehension and subsequent conviction of one Ali Mohammed, alias Lee Mo, who was made the subject of a letter report from this office under date of October 29, 1935, you requesting a complete report in quadruplicate regarding this matter.
In reply, you are informed that at 2 P. M., October 15t 1935, a telephone call was received in this office from Major Fred C. Nelson, one of the commanding officers at the Army Aviation Field, designated as, Selfridge Field, Mr. Clemens, Michigan. Major Nelson stated that he was reliably informed that narcotic drugs were being sold to his enlisted men at that post and requested assistance from this office. Agents O'Malley and Gray were immediately dispatched to Selfridge Field where they contacted Major Nelson and were infomed by him that his information was to the effect that a woman from Detroit made frequent visits to the Flying Field and there sold narcotic drugs to the soldiers.
On October 16, Agent O’Malley and I proceeded to Selfridge Field where Major Nelson was again contacted and a contacted and a conference was had between him and some of the other officers and ourselves and it was decided that the advisable thing to do would be to assign Agents O’Malley and Gray to the case and put them in uniform. This procedure was carried out and Corporal Prout was assigned by Major Nelson to work with these agents.
Private Edward Tabbot, an enlisted man, was also suspected of bringing narcotic drugs to the reservation and distributing them to the soldiers. Proper contact was made with Private Tabbot by the above agents without he in any way suspecting that they were governments officers. On the contrary, he was under the impression that these agents were “wrong” and they had no trouble in gaining his confidence. The above agents together with Private Tabbot then came to Detroit and visited the whippet Café on Lafayette Avenue, where they met alli Mohamed, who was commonly known as Lee Mo. A purchase of several marihuana cigarettes was made from Mohammed Private Tabbot in the presence of the narcotic officers and the four of them then talked about heroin. Mohamed informed them that he had no heroin at that time but that he would arrange to get some for them. This occurred on October 21, 1935.
Various other places in the City of Detroit were then visited by the narcotic officers and Private Tabbot where purchases of marihuana cigarettes were made. These purchases are covered in letter reports from this office designated under the names of the defendants and are as follows, they all having been convicted:
Wm. Henderson; sentenced 1 to 4 years, December 11, 1935, in the Detroit House of Correction.On October 25, Narcotic Officers O'Malley and Gray, accompanying Private Tabbot, proceeded to the Harris Grill in Detroit, at 6:30 P.M., and there they again met Ali Mohammed and purchased four marihuana cigarettes from him. He was again questioned regarding his ability to furnish heroin but he stated he had none and as it appeared that he was in no position to acquire any, he was placed under arrest. December 11, 1935, he was convicted and given 1 to 4 years in Michigan State Penitentiary at Jackson, Michigan. A newspaper clipping forwarded the Bureau a few days ago,, stated that Mohammed was sentenced to serve 6 to 14 years, but in reality he received a sentence of 1 to 4 years.
Edward Rodriguez; sentenced 2 to 4 years, December 2, 1935, in the Michigan State Penitentiary, Jacson, Mich.
Ose Abrahem; sentenced 1 to 4 years, December 19, 1935, in the Detroit House of Corrections.
Two other cases are now pending against Frank white and Harry Sinnett.
All the foregoing sentences were imposed by Judge John P. Scallen in the State Courts at Detroit. In your letter you referred erroneously to the conviction of John P. Scallen who it develops was the sentencing judge, rather than a defendant.
The woman, mentioned before, who was suspected of bringing narcotics to Selfridge Field was found to have nothing to do with these drugs and to be running a house of ill-fame in Detroit and the purposes of her visits to the Flying Field were to solicit business. Several efforts were made to develop a narcotic case against her but as stated before, it was found that she was not dealing in these drugs. She and her daughter, who is with her in the business mentioned, are assisting our officers in attempting to develop a narcotic case which will prove of much value if' successfully developed.
As a result of the foregoing, investigations by this office, Major Nelson called before him seventeen enlisted men of the personnel at Selfridge Field, who were known to be smoking marihuana cigarettes and reprimanded them severely.
I might add for your further information that this office has received numerous complaints over a long period to the effect that attempts were made to distribute narcotic drugs among the aviators at Selfridge Field and also call to your attention a case developed by this office against Charles R.;Jackson and Charles W. Stanley, Mich-2067. In this case, these two enlisted men, who were privates at Selfridge Field, sold a quantity of narcotic drugs to our officers in a hotel at Mt. Clemens, April, 1935, for the sum of 50.00. They were arrested and later were convicted in a Federal Court in Detroit and were given sentences of seven months each in the Federal Detention Farm at Milan, Michigan, where it is believed they are still confined. It developed. during the investigation that these two men stole the narcotic drugs from a chest in the hospital ward at Selfridge Field.
Major Nelson, who was much pleased at the outcome of these investigations, personally conveyed his thanks to this office and its representatives for their efforts in stamping out this menace.
I am attaching hereto a photograph, taken of Narcotic Agents Gray and O’Malley in the uniforms donned by them during their investigations.
If there is anything further you desire in connection with these matters, please so advise and the same will be forthcoming.
Respectfully,
(signed) Ralph H. Ayler
A situation which, as can be seen from the following memo below, Anslinger quickly jumped on as a way of seeking favor with other governmental agencies.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT
BUREAU OF NARCOTICS
Office of the Commissioner
To: Asst. Secy. Gibbons
Here is a startling report covering the sale of marihuana at an Army air field. A condition of this kind is fraught with intense danger.
The Foreign Policy Association has requested Mr. Fuller of the State Department and me to go to New York on Saturday to discuss the Marihuana situation with Prof. Chamberlain (whom the Secretary called to Washington some time ago on a narcotic problem) and Mr. May of the League of Nations. Hope this has your approval.
HJ Anslinger
Approved SBG
(1-N) Asst Secy.
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