The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-07-23
HE pRlnks NICOTINE.
A California Burglar Who Has Poison
Proof Organization.


Proof Orsani1atiop.
ia In the penitentiafy at Folsom is
sprisoher known to His fellow-con
,victs as the man with the copper
lined stomach" says the San Francis
co Chronicle. He Is William Troy.
who was sent to the prison about
three years ago to serve a term OF
seven years for burglary committed
In San Francisco II 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
sobriquet His stomach is capable Of
receiving and retaining without APP
parent injury to his health some OF
the most violent poisons known to
science. ! Nicotine one Of the most
virulent poisous Troy consumes in
large quantities every day.
When he entered the prison his sys-
tenn was shattered through the habit
OF opium smoking, to which vice he
became addicted in this city. Such q
wreck. mentally and physically. had
work. and the initial month OF his
Imprisonment was spent In the hospi-
tai. or course he could get no
opium, and his sufferings were acute.
The treatment he received in the
hospital so far weaned him from the
habit that finally the doctor sent him
to the quarries where he was put at
work cutting granite. With the lapse
OF time the desire to smoke opium
returned to Troy. and. being unable
to procure the drug. the thought of a
novel and disgusting substitute sug-
gested 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 q year. The quality OF
the tobacco doled out by the state is
not OF the best and the result is that
after 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 col
lect these old pipes from their owners.
extract the nicotine. and drink 1t as
an ordinary man drinks beer.
+ He first puts the pipes into NOR
tar and pounds them until they are
rendered to a fine powder To this
he adds water and boils the mess
until all the nicotine is thoroughly
soaked from the clay. When this is
accomplished the brew Is allowed to
stand until the clay has gone to the
bottom. while the nicotine remains on
the surface. Troy skins the nicotine
from the water and his substitute for
opium is ready to be consumed. He
drinks It with apparent relish and
complains no more because opium Is
not given. him. This he has been
doing ever since he left the hospital.
and the officers OF the prison say he
has improved in health.
Whom the doctor learned OF Troy's
nicotine drinking habit he examined
the convict and concluded that the
! disgusting brew was not doing any
harm. u condition which is accounted
for by the fact that his system is so
thoroughly saturated with opium that
one poison serves to counteract the
effect OF the other. Moreover. the
doctor concluded that II Troy con-
tinues TO use the nicotine he will be-
come weaned altogether from the
opium habit and will, in course OF
time be able to abandon both prac-
tees
Nicotine is not the only poison to
the fatal effects OF which the stomach
Of Troy is impervious. In an expert
mental way he has swallowed enough
arsenic strychnine and verdigris to
kill half a dozen men. Nothing
seems to harm him. The other con-
victs say IL cobra bit him the reptile
would die. while Troy would not lose
! u moment OF sleep.