Smyrna times., 1883-05-23
WHOLE NO. l,454.
The Opium Dens Of New York.

Since the arrest of Tom Lee. a Chi
nese deputy sheriff of New York. and
his dismissal for blackmailing. the
keepers of opium dens in Mott and
Pell streets, in that city. public atten-
ton has been awakened to the extent
of the vice of opium smoking and its
demoraliziRg consequences. Some
months ago DIR. Kane. of New York.
in a paper on the abuse Of opium. drew
dreadful picture of the prevalence Of
the vice. He showed, by the increas-
ing quantities of opium imported, and
by the sales of New York druggists to
individuals outside of the usual medical
prescriptions, that vast numbers Of
persons were becoming habituated 10
the daily use Of the drug, either as
opium eaters or smokers. or in the
form of laudaaum. He stated as fact
well known to him, that from the low
dens where the Chinese congregate the
evil of opium smoking had extended 10
places II streets in more fashionable
. quarters of the city, where opium
Joints had been opened, and where
men and women in search of a new
sensation, or habituated to opium.
mingled indiscriminately and smoked
the drug until they stupefed them
selves. The laws Of New York prohibit
the keeping of opium dens, as they pro-
hibit gambling houses. but it was only
on rare occasions that the police made
raids on gambling houses. and not un-
til the past week did they interfere
with opium deRs. Through the agita-
ton of the subject in the newspapers.
and the facts that have been brought
to light showing the base uses 10 which
some OF these denS have been put. and
how young girls have been induced bv
depraved persons TO frequent them to
their ruin. the police have now begun
to bestir themselves. Three separate
agencies are also at work. with the
determination. as a New York paper
expresses it. TO break up this opium
infamy." The principal deRs are in
Mott and Pell streets. recognized a.
: the Chinese quarter. According to
Inspector Byrnes. the opium-smoking
rooms up town. to which Dr. Kane re-
. ferred, and which flourished for a time
more as novelty than a passion. are
+ now closed. They are said to have
: been the resort of young men and of
women Of free manners, who saw a
t fascination in the practice OF opium
T smoking and the prOmiScuous inter
| mingling Of the sexes. At one time
. there were opium dens in four Of the
t uptown streets which were largely re-
e sorted to by fashionable visitors. but
also by many of the more degraded o.
5 either sex. Il may be doubted whether
4 it is quite true. as stated by the police
that such dens exist uptown no longer
r the more reasonable supposition being
Y that since public attention has beer
Y drawn to them their keepers have
u chosen more secluded quarters. anC
e that the entrance to them Of habitua
e smokers Is more surreptitiously made
/. The arrests last week were Of China
5 men and white women living in tn,
II Chinese quarter. They were all helC
$ for trial, the former for keeping opium
r dens, and the latter for opium-smOkiag
d OAe young girl found in an opium del
t was brought into court by an officer O
IS the Society for the Prevention Of Cruel
h ty TO Children. and was given over b
)e request to the custody of the society
e. The Catholic Young Mems Association
lie is making great exertions to suppres
v all the opium haunts in its parish. an,
e has collected. it is said. positive fact
r, concerning the ruin of many youn
es girls who had been enticed into then
$, That opium smoking is debasing an
of demoraliZing, destructive to the health
Of and dangerous to the purity of tn
" young women who are brought voluE
III tarily or otherwise under the influenc
is, of the drug. there can be no reasonabl
ch doubt. and those who have undertake
IT. to suppress these dens. and TO punis
a the keepers of them, deserve the CO
az dial thanks of the community in II
h. midst Of which such a growing an
as insidious evil has been allowed I
be spread until it has been found nece
nd sary to call upon the police to rigo
k ously enforce the law against this in
lst ported Chinese vice.