The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-23
A POISON DRINRRR.
So Saturated With Sin That He Can
Eat Nicotine.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.

Gab NlCObluSs
From the San Francisco Chronicle
Up in the penitentiarY at Folsom is a
prisoner known to his fellow convicts as
1.-THE man with the copper-lined stomach
He is William Troy, who was sent to the
prison about three years ago to serve term
Of seven years for burglary, committed in
San Francisco. If the stories told about
him are true, and they are vouched for by
Warden Aull, Deputy Warden Hughes and
DR.. Eagle, the man has richly earned his
unique sobriqust. His stomach is capable
OF receiving and retaining without apparent
injury to his health some of the most violent
poisons known to science. Nicotine, one of
the most virulent of poisons, Troy consumes
in large quantities every day.
When he entered the prison his system
was shattered through the habit of opium
smoking, TO which vice he became adj
dioted in this CITY. Such a wreck, men,
tally and physically, had Troy become that
he was unable TO work, and the initial
month of his Imprisonment was spent in
the hospital. OF course he could get no
opium, and his sufferings were acute The
treatment he received in the hospital 80 far
weaned him from the habit that finally the
doctor sent him to the quarries, where be
was put at work cutting granite. With
the lapse of time the desire to smoke opium
returned to Troy, and being unable to pro-
cure the drug. the Thought of a novel and
disgusting substitute suggested itself.
Every three months each convict receives
new clay pipe, and they are allowed to do
what they please with those used during the
preceding quarter of year. The quality
Of the tobacco doled out oy the state is not
of the best, and the result is that after a
pipe has been in constant use for period of
three months the clay is saturated through
and through with nicotine. 1t is Troy's
custom to collect these old pipes from their
owners, extract the nicotine and drink 1t as
an ordinary man drinks beer.
He first puts the pipes into a mortar and
pounds them until they are reduced to a
fine powder. To this he adds water and
boils the mess until all the nicotine is thor
oughly soaked from the clay. When this
has been accomplished the brew is allowed
to stand until the clay has gone to the bot
tom, while the mic otine remains on the sur
face. Troy skins the nicotine from the
water and his substitute for opium is ready
to be consumed. He drinks it with appar-
emit relish and complains no more because
opium Is not given to him. This he has
been doing ever since he left the hospital,
and the officers of the prison say he has inn
proved in health.
When the doctor learned of Troys nico
tine drinking habit he examined the con-
vict, and concluded that the disgusting
brew was not doing any harm-a condition
which is accounted for by the fact that his
system is SO thoroughly saturated with
opium that one poison serves to counterfeit
the effect of the other Moreover, the
doctor concluded that if Troy continues to
use the nicotine, be will become weaned
altogether from the opium habit, aud will,
in course of time, be able Co abandon both
practices.
Nicotine is not the only poison to the
fatal effects of which the stomach Of Troy
is impervious In an experimental way he
has swallowed enough arsenic, strychniue
and verdigris TO kill half dozen men.
Nothing seems TO harm him. The other
convicts say if cobra bit him the reptile
would die. while Troy would not lose mo-
meut's sleep.