Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-18
Alxarlorla 6az&tte
SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUSTUS.
A Victim Of MOrphia.

son Market Police Court for stealing surgical
instruments and morphine from physicians
Yesterday at the Tombs, DR.. Erasmus d.
Hudson, Of No. 227 East Twenty second street,
appeared before Justice Smith to complain
against the prisoner for stealing 40 ovcrcoat
and a small morocco case containing morphine
on July 10th. Justice Smith sent dowa for
! Tyler, but he was sick abod and could not an.
swer the summons. Inquiries disclosed tho
fact that he was suffering from the effects o!
large doses Of morphine. A World reporter
visited him in the sick room of the Tombs,
which is a cell ten by eighteen feet on the
ground floor. He was lying on barrow bed,
u most uncomfortable position, but was
asleep, breathing heavily. lie looked like
corpse, his skin being devoid Of all lifclikc
color, but when be opened bis eyes they were
| discovered to be brilliant and clear. lie awoks
at gentle touch with frightened start and a
cry of fear, and stared about him like q Wild
| man. By degrees he vas led into conversation,
and became quite animated in his talk, showing
few signs Of suffering.
"My right name, said he, us Henry j..
Sanford was born in the District of Colum-
bia, and am twenty hit years old. My mother
was a Tyler, Of Virginia, but my father was a
Northern mao. They gre both dead have
brothers and sisters, though they cast nc off
long ago on account Of my habit Of taking
morphine. At twenty [ graduated from the
College of Pharmacy u Chicago. | started out
as physician, but before long became addict.
ed to drinking whiskcy. / found that the habit
was Injurious to my business; besides, as in sll
cases, alter awhile the whisksy failed to give
me The satisfaction it did at first 1t was then
began to take morphine. That had a sp!en
did effect on me, made NE lively and ambi
tious. and gave nc an amount OF happiness l
cannot express to you. 1t transformed me
at once. | became strong and independent.
Nothing was too hard for me to undertake. |
speculated and made lots of money. Al the
efd Of two years my sutferlngs began. had to
he constantly under the influence Of the drug.
| had married and lost my wife, aod this made
it necessary fox me to iako stronger doses until
my mind became impaired. | vas put into a
lunatc asylum 10 Massachusetts,, and the doc
tons said that they had ne0er heard Of any ono
who took so much morphine. ] was allowed to
leave this institution partially cured. My dis
ease can never be totally cured again began
taking the drug, and soon Averaged forty i've
grains day. II only had about thirty grains
now it would mako me 81 lively could dance
all around the room. The doctor g YES me
twenty grains morning and night, but that's
ouly enourh to keep me alive. take it by III
lection. Long ago il failed to have any effect
on me when taken through the mouth.
Here he barred his LETT arm and showed the
reporter the effect OF these injections. They
were made by hypodermic syringe, and from
their frequency his arms. from the shoulders
down to the wrists were one surface OF soars
and the skin was of blush tint. Many Of
these puncturcs we're not healed, but Sanford
declared he was totally devoid OF feeling. One
might bore into his flesh with red hot iron,
he said, and he would not feel it, and as proofot
this he showed scars on his legs, some as large
az silver half dollar. 1t appears that adver'
sity in its fullest measure CAME upon him. lie
lost his hypodermic syringe and so procured
common syringe. This he could not insert into
the flesh without first cutting a hole. lie used
to take razor and cut cash 10 his thigh and
then with scissors bore a hole into the flesh,
into which he would insert the syringe and ln
iect the morphine. All the Heshy parts OF his
body which he could conveniently get at have
been cut and punctured over and over again.
"Duriug the last two years" said Sanford,
81 have taken over sixty grains Of morphine
day. | have often taken over drachm in one
day. Onc drachm of morphine is equal to more
than 500 grains Of opium.
what is your tee:iog now when supplied
with the drug %
1T is one of Independence. That is as near
as can express it. No care for past or future.
Without it my only desire is to kill myself.
lie looked about his cell and called tho re.
porter to witness that there was 20 means oil
killing himself within reach. IL can't even
strangle myself" remarked Sanford. "Oh, il
I wasn't 80 helpless I'D soon be out Of this holl
I'm n. I have 10 fear Of the next world.
There is nothing 10 this for me. For over two
years have been dead There is no blood 10
me. I can eat nothing. aud that which would
keep life in me I cannot get" and be fell over
on bis miserable cot and sighed 10 heart
broken way. Even when asleep | have no
rest. I am constantly dreaming of being
thrown 10 among a lot of dead and being com
PEELED to eat their flesh. know when wake
up, covered as | am with cold Precipitation, that
it is but dream, but the effect of it makes my
desire for morphine a torture. lie got up
again on his elbow and asked the reporter Tor
some tobacco. The reporter had nonc to give
him, and he fell back again like dead man;
He said tobacco was the only thing he could
makes him sick.
Being asked to explain his present predica-
mcnt Sanford said that when ho lost every
means of making money he sold everything he
had, from time TO time, TO procure morphine.
When everything was gone he prolt,d while
on credit with druggists and dealers with whom
he had acquaintance. When this meaos Of
getting The drug vas denied him he stole what
be could, and with the proceeds got what he
wanted.
"Knowing the ways Of doctors aud the value
of their instruments" said he, ~ devoted my.
self 10 this special way OF raising the wind. OF
course got caught. When | want moIrphlnG
| will do anything to procure it. would kill
my own fathcrin minute if could get enough
for one dose. When the desire comes on me
[ would not exchange the morphine for Heav-
en-. Give me dose, and then hang me ii you
like. don't care what they 60 with me after
have got the morphine.
Sanrord'a features are good, and he has edu-
cation. The keepers call him the 'opIum
fend.
WooDLAwN c1 AGEEcuhrUNAh S4y 30