The evening world., 1889-08-05
THE HORRORS OF OPIUM.
Voluntary Imprisonment of n Man and wife
as n Refuge from the Drug.


[San Francisco Special to Portland OreooNian.l
Two unfoltunates who have been brought
into public notice by their efforts to save
themselves from the deadly morphine habit
are known on the House of Correction regis
ter as Dillon Preston and Maud Morgan, re-
spectively. although this is not q correct en-
try, as they are really Mr.. and Mrs. Preston
Meyer.
About five years ago Mrs. Meyer, or Maud
Morgan. as she is officially" known, was
the happy and contented daughter of a min
lister, who oficiated as the pastor of a church
in R~oseburg, Ore. She was one of n family of
eight daughters, and at the age of fifteen fell
in love with Meyer, who was the proprietor
of q saloon in Portland.
The parents of the young lady although OPP
posed to the union, finally decided to allow
Meyers to marry their daughter. Shortly
after their marriage the Young couple moved
to East Portland. where the husband opened
q saloon known as the st. James.
1t was while living i'll East Portland that
the two. who are now voluntary serving SEN
fences i'll the House of Correction in order to
break themselves of the morphine habit, be-
came victims of the deadly drug.
A reporter visited the House of Correction
yesterday for the purpose of interviewing the
two tends" who had cast themselves into
prison. Mrs. Meyer, with the exception of n
rather nervous manner, did not give any evil
uenCe VI uCE lOuk-COulluueu indulgence III
morphine. She is q good-looking girl, Of
medium height, and has large blue eyes and
auburn air.
In relating her experience with the NOR
mitted here because l did not want to die the
death of a morphine fond, and ] knew that l
would surely do SO If l had my own way. l
contracted the habit in Portland, Ore. where
l was first given morphine as O medicine by a
physician. It was continually prescribed for
me until l lost all control OF myself, and
when i no longer received it as a medicine l
injected it. l do not show the effects of 1t as
much as most fiends probably. but that is be-
cause | used to get up early in the morning
and take considerable exercise. My husband
tried to break me of the habit, but could not"
The victim, who is about twenty years of
age, appeared to be suffering, and stated that
she was unable to sleep at night and that
- cold chills were chasing each other up and
down her back"
Her husband, Preston Meyer, presented a
much more cheerful appearance than his
wife, but it was plain to see that he was q
tiend. He talked through his teeth and
almost shivered while he was talking. He
stated that he opened a saloon with another
party in East Portland
phinc fend, and SO was his wife. and, as l
afterwards learned. she used to give my wife
u shot very frequently. employed doc
tors to cure her, but she paid them we'll and
they fooled me by saying that she was getting
all right, when at the same time they were
filling her full of morphine. l finally
derpaired of curing my wife. aud being q
victim to neuralgia myself, finally tried u few
shots at the solicitation of my partner and
kept trying it until ] was completely at the
mercy of the drug. We finally moved to this
city, and q short time ago, seeing that my
wife and myself were rapidly going to the
dogs, / decided to put a stop to it. We
talked the thing over and concluded to come
out here for sixty days. and ! think we will
succeed in breaking ourselves of the habit,
but l tell you that it is awful" and the poor
! slow groaned.