The record-union., 1892-12-13
A NOTHER'S woe.
Agonizing Scene at the Police Station
Yesterday.
Tho Shocking Condition in Which
Mother Found Her Son-A Lie
Wrecked by Morphine.

Chief Rodgers yesterday ordered the
patrol wagon To the Pacific Hotel, where
miserable specimen of humanity was
loaded into it and taken to the City Jail.
1t is simple charity not TO mention the
name of the young man, as he IS son OF
estimable people in neighboring town,
but is one Of the lowest of a class COM
monty known as ''bypo dends." His
case was one of such a deplorable
character, however, that even expert
enced police officers declared that it was
the worst that ever came under their
observation.
He was given a cell, and the Jailer
thought that his guest was disposed of for
the night, when a well-dressed and
elderly lady appeared with telegram in
her hand and exclaimed:
'Oh, sir! is my son here? Is it possible
he is here in the City Jail? Let me see
himv'
AS soon as the Jailer was given the
name he knew who the lady's son was,
and hesltated about letting the mother
see him, but she insisted, and the miser-
able wreck was taken into the Captains
Office and the presence OF his mother.
The meeting between them was scene
not soon to be forgotten by the one or
Two witnesses, and was indiscribabiy
affecting.
"What-oh, what is this?" exclaimed
the heart-broken mother. 1T it possible
this human wreck can be a son of miner"
and the poor woman almost swoOned in
the intensity of her grief.
Tottering back, the miserable, hollow
eyed skeleton, clad in rags, tried to speak,
but only succeeded by whispers and
gestures to assure her it was her son.
The agony of the mother was as indie
scrlbable as the picture of degradation
presented by the gaunt wreck, the son,
and 1t Is needless to reproduce her agon-
lzing utterances.
He begged her to take him once more
to his home. just once more, to die.
l am dying this time-there is no fake
about this ~ gasped the skeleton.
Shortly afterWard Chief Rodgers came
an and told the mother little of her sons
sad history, which was scarcely startling
III his presence. He had been arrested
for vagrancy some days ago, and out of
pity was sent to the County Hospital
where he had been cared for as far as he
could be helped, but the first chance he
got he succeeded in dragging himself
lack to his old haunts in quest of the
deadly drug, morphine, that had wrecked
his constitution.
Where did you sleep last night? ?"
asked Chief Rodgers.
Il didn't sleep anywhere he gasped
between coughs and groans. 81 walked
the streets. l saw man leave his room
at the hotel, and | went in and took his
bed. have pneumonia now-thats what
ails me now," wheezed the poor fellow
''Let my mother take me home this time
i will not trouble her long ~ and his
feeble voice broke in sobs, while his
CLASSY eyes glistened with the unmistak-
able glare OF 'tiend."
His legs and arms were covered with
sores, caused by the use OF the hypo-
dermic syringe, his coat sleeves were
torn across at the elbows, and his long,
thin arms, sunken breast and shrunken
limbs made pitiful sight-a heart break
ing one to the gentle and refined mother.
He continued his piteous appeals to her
to be taken home until he was taken back
to his cell for the night, and she was hur-
ried away.
1t was learned that friend of the
fiend's had telegraphed the mother that
her son was in "a critical condition." and
she had come by the first train, expecting
10 find him i'll, but little prepared for the
sight which confronted her.
Last spring her son had left home in
good health, and was, the poor woman
said, as good looking as any young man
one would meet on the streets, but few
months indulgence in a drug that ought
to be banished from all civilized COM
munities left him in his present condi-
tion.
His own mother wished him dead, and
realizes that the only place for him on
earth Is prison dungeon.