Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-06-28
ONE opIUM-FlEND CURED.
hut 1t Took Term In Prison and End
loss Agony to I(o II.

loss Agony TO Ito II.
A confirmed opium smoker was .re-
Gently asked whether he ever knew IL
person who had been cured OF the
habit
"Only once" no replied. land then
II wasn't voluntary cure by any
means. He was man about thirty
five years old, who had boen slave TO
the habit for fifteen years. He was so
given up TO IL that his business went to
smash, and he used 10 resort to all
manner OF things In order TO got money
TO purchase she'll lie used to crave
eight shells or two dollars worth OF
opium day. and / have frequently
met him In u joint that was run by two
tough Cinnamon In Marion street, Of
fering to roll for smokers in order to
share their opium. Ono day he had
been without n smoke for about seven
hours, and ho became so desperate
that ho tried to rob the till in n grocery
store He was detected and arrested.
He got word down TO the joint telling
OF his misfortune, and begging for
Gods sake that somebody would send
him some opium. / bought some dry
opium pills, and got them in TO him
after deal OF trouble. The next day
/ called on him, and moro miserable
wretch | never saw. He was suffering
the tortures oi hell. lie was doubled
-sal 1t a. -,
up with cramps In ms stomach, ana
the inevitable pain between the snoui-
ders' which feels as though somebody
was driving spikes into your hesh, was
racking him. these tortures were
joined TO severe palns In all the JOINTS.
US though the limos were decaying ana
would soon drop OH lie had peen
without opium 30 long that nc was
fairly famlshing, and the small guam
tlty OF the drug had been aDie 10 sehd
was disposed OF IN snort order.
"There isn't taste oil II left" he
yelled to me. as l entered his cell in
the Tombs. Then he rolled his tongue
around as though searching for any
small particles that might be hidden
away in tooth. gave him the pills
had brought He seized them like a
starving man would seize a crust OF
bread. lie placed two OF them In his
mouth and rolled them around until
they had dissolved. and then
washed them down with u mouth
ful of water. In fcw minutes
he was lying on his cot as placid
and happy as healthy baby. l kept
him supplied with opium until he was
tried and sentenced. ] managed TO
slip few of them into his hand us he
was on his way to Sing-Sing. heard
no more OF him and forgot all about
him until one day, on Broadway, sew
eral years later, stalwart, rosy
checked fellow slapped me on the
shoulder and heartily shook me by the
hand. was nearly surprised into a
fit when he explained that he was the
opium iiend OF u few years ago. He
said that when he got TO Sing Sing tho
habit was on him very strong. The
pills had given him had crumbled to
dust in his pocket and had become so
mixed up with lot OF other stuff that
he could not use them. He was In a
raging tormont that night and cried
for the drug. The Keepers found him.
and the prison physician. who was
called, fortunately diagnosed the case
correctly. 1t wasn't much credit to
him, however. for every feature OF the |
mans face and every motion OF his
body almost proclaimed him an opium
hend. lie was removed TO the hospt- |
tal' and the physician was kind enough
to get Interested in the case. lie
braced him up with hypodermic inJec-
tons oil morphine every time the cray-
ing came on, and by u liberal use OF
this drug finally wore away the desire
for the other. Of course this treat
ment created the morphine habit but
this was more readily cured, and my
friend soon lost all desire for drugs OF
anv hind nnd Ia n prnsDprOuo hnpnv