The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-22
SAD HUMAN WRECKS.
Midnight Scenes in a Baltimore Street
Drug Store.
From the Baltimore Herald.

answer to reporter.
ave have about thirty 'Hend' custom
srs. he remarked. 81 don't believe one
of them is over 80 years old The habit
kills them off young guess. They gener-
slly begin to como in about 10 o'clock at
rigbt. and for an hour or two there is gu ite
. rush of them. Then the trade drops off
until about 4 in the morning From that
time on to they drift in pretty steadily.
There is very little morphine or cocaine sold
during the day."
Ina very short time tall man, with
Struggling mustache and goatee, came up to
the counter He wore a faded Prince AL
bert coat much too large for him, buttoned
clear up to his chin, soft hat drawn over
his ewes, and frayed trousers, SO short that
thew exposed the fact that he wore a boot
on one foot and shoe on the other. He
glanced suspiciously at the reporter and be-
gan examining some toilet soap on the show
case. keeping his eye on the stranger as he
did SO. When he thought he was not OBJ
served he whispered something to the clerk
and handed him a quarter. His attempt at
concealment was useless; single glance at
his sallow, drawn face and strange, sunken
ewes exposed the victim to the morphine
habit.
peculiar case that" said the clerk, when
the tall man had withdrawn. "He has
come In here every night for year and
bought a quarters worth of morphine. /
remember the first night he came around.
He was well dressed then, and filed out that
coat of his. He said then he wanted it for
his rheumatic mother, who was taking the
drug under DOCTORS direction. He keeps
I'D the fiction right along, and generally has
something to tell me about his mothsc's
health. | don't know who he is, and l
never saw person who has met him dur
ing the daytime. But he goes on lying and
getting shabbier every day. Like every
other fiend, he thinks no one can suspect his
secret"
WOMEN VICTIMS.
The clerk ceased his recital to wait on two
Young women-such as might be seen drink
ing and looking for victims around saloons
after dark. ....
The reporter was sent out Of sight, behind
q prescription case.
"Gimme so cents worth of coke, Petite,
an give Mamie the balance in DOPE" said
Que of the women, laying down a silver
dollar.
The clerk gave them the cocaine and NOR
phine.
Before they were well out of the store a
scrawny, miserable little young man of the
'iover'' type sneaked in. His chinchilla coat
was threadbare, and with his turtle-like head
AID neck and trembling chin, he looked dis
gushing enough.
Gimme 10 cents worth O. dope, young
feller," he said, as he staggered up to the
counter.
He watched the operation of weighing
very closely. elbow much did you
j;imne?" be asked, looking with ill-favor
On the snail quantity of the drug in the
itales.
-Four grains" replied the clerk, laconi-
city.
It six up to de udder corner, " he NUT
tered.
IL, why don't you go and get til"
isl:ui the man behind the counter, pausing
with the wrapping paper in his hand. ''You
don't have to take this. Do you want it, or
don't youP"
As the man still kept sullen silence, he
took the little tray in his hand preparatory
to throwing the four grains back into the
drawer, but the lover stopped him and paid
his 10 cents.
I'VE don't want the trade" said the drug
clerk when the morphine fiends had disap-
peared, but on account of our location
they come in here to get their dope. |
guess we charge them more than others do,
but it don't seem to stop them. It's mis-
cradle class Of trade. They get the drug
bv the dime or Is cents worth, and are al
ways finding fault with the quantity we give
them"
BEHIND HIS TINE.
Another member of the same fraternity
as the last fiend shambled in.
THAT fellows good two hours behind
his time" said the clerk. 'He usually gets
his goodnight dose about IL O'Clock. l
wonder what kept him. Couldn't get the
money, suppose, and at last he comes
around to stand me off. Well, he'll get left,
that's all.
The young man he spoke of showed
plainly the effects of his deprivation of the
drug. His wretchedness was extreme. He
was nervous and TT enbling, and he came
~ +" he counter with miserable, despair
ing air.
Gods sake crowd in all you can. It's all l
got"
He could hardly wait for the powder to be
ped up. But the clerk carefully kept
1t in mis- hand until the fiend had dropped
two dimes on the counter.
Let me have some waterl" he asked,
taking a hypodernic syringe from his
pocket.
Take your stuff out of here!" answered
the clerk sharply. You can't dose your
self in this shop"
The suffering wretch fairly rushed out
when he got the coveted drug.
The next applicant was woman. She
gould not have been more than 20 years
old, and not a great while ago must
have been more than ordinarily good look
ing.
4,ow her features were drawn into hard
lines. Her big black eyes were sunken and
lustreless, and her whole appearance was
expressive of despair and suffering. She
shook the rain from her draggled, dis9r
ranged dress and loose, uncovered hair, and
pleading look came into her face and
mingled with the beaten-down expression
already there.
She stood there for some moments with
out saying word.
"Wellp growled the clerk.
She raised her dark eyes to him and cow
cred as if struck with a whip.
Il want some cocaine" she said in low
tone.
How much do you wantp asked the
clerk impatiently.
haven't any money" she said, "but-"
Then you can't get any cocaine"
her.
AN oUTCAsT's PRAYER.
"Oh! please let me have Just little" she
moaned. 81 haven't had bit Of it for two
days, and Pm almost dead For Gods sake,
give me some, and I'll pay you as soon as
get the money. I'll pay you four times
va you'll only give me enough for one
oAe leaned far over the counter as she