New York Busted For Pornography

(Washington Independent) On August 5, 1966, Austin Burton was arrested in New York City, where he lives, for “mailing obscene matter in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1463 (1964).”

Bail was set at a modest $200,000. (Contrast this with the $10,000 bond set on Clay Shaw accused by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison of taking part in a conspiracy to kill John F. Kennedy.)

What had been mailed, and apparently the bone of contention in this case, was a wedding present to Miss Johnson and Mr. Nugent. In it, among items, was a pamphlet. Printing on the front of the brochure (of which thousands have been mailed by the surgical supply house who produced it) announced the “availability of a prosthetic device known as the UNITED ARTIFICIAL PENIS.

“This device is an authentic reproduction of an ADULT HUMAN PENIS in full erection.” In a gracious hand, Burton had written cryptically across the front of the booklet, “Wishing you a full-moon on your honeymoon.”

The brochure is labeled as coming from the United Surgical Supply Co. of Los Angeles, California, apparently a legitimate source of medical needs.

The product described by the pamphlet is said to be “manufactured from high quality grease-resisting soft plastic material firm enough for its purpose. It is non-toxic, unbreakable, semi-rigid and flesh colored.”

“The dorsal vein,” the advertisement continues, “corpora, skin folds and other characteristics of the organ are reproduced in lifelike proportions. (Organ is circumcised.) It comes in three convenient sizes.”

The company also warns that the device “IS NOT A CONTRACEPTIVE.”

Burton told me on January 28 that Secret Service agent Michael Miskinnis told him that the inclusion of the brochure and his writing his best wishes on the cover were the real reasons for being detained.

Burton has said that he intends to subpoena Luci Johnson Nugent and her husband Pat Nugent if the case comes to trial.