The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-19


aicted-Teiis His History and How He
Came to be a Habitue of the Fatal Drug
He Will Remain In jail for Thirty
Days at the Shortest-was Arrested for
Disturbing the Peace Will Submit
willingly to Treatment.
Yesterday evening Charles Dodridge.
better known as Morphine Charley
was taken to the county jail. He was ar
rested for disturbing the peace, and while
In jail an attempt Will be made to rid
him Of the area 5ful habit which has
seemingly attached itself to him insepa-
rabIy- His case is indeed a pitiab.e one,
as ne has striven SO vsliently to rid him.
self Of the habit, but feels unable 10 do
60 when left 10 his own way of doing Il.
He toid his whole story tc an Eagle
reporter yesterday and withheld nothing.
His story was told a short time after ne
had taken some Of the pleasant though
deadly drug, but his talk was not char
acterized by any Eighty manner o.
speech whatever, but he spoke as one
with a clear mind uptrammeled by any
Of tire aftermath from any OF the many
vices. He spoke Of the drug as of de
man in animal form, from whose clutches
ne could not rid himself When asked
about how he came to be victim to il,
ne said:
About eight years ago, while in hos
pitaI in Chicago, down with infiamatory
rheumatism, among several other pa
tents, man they called doctor gave
PIE the first hypodermic injection of NOR
phine and that was the moment the ap-
petite started. The man may have been
q doctor, but If he was he knew nothing
about the damnable poison he was using
so recklessly."
Did you know any thing of what he
was uslng?"
Certainly did but thought he knew
his business, and as / was among the
charity patients / did not like 10 say any
thing. l found out later that the same
doctor was a man whose practice was
among the fast SET and consequently
be knew very little of anything in either
medicine or surgery which would be avail
able in any of the diseases Of the human
family not attained by vicious practices"
You have been using il then ever
since?"
Yes, sir; have been a slave to it
from that time until today, and l have
tried every means within my power to
rid myself Of it and l cannot do it alone.
/ haven't the power. l have gone too
far now. but 1 will try again. . viii tell
you now that i | ever hear of that doc
tor being killed in any way / will re-
joice and who could blame me. | am not
the only one. There We're fourteen other
patients besides myself who were treat
ed the same as I vas and those of them
who are alive are slaves TO the deadly
poison which is eating their lives away.
Oh, young man, don't ever touch it. I
know what it is and 1 don't want to see
or hear of anyone falling into the habit"
What would be the result If You stop
ped short OFF,
IF should stop ii would die; 1 could
not live a day without it,
Have you ever tried gradually lessen
ing the dose?'
yes, 1 have tried everything. but
can only go so far. l am using less now
than have for two years. can get it
less viii have the same effect as not using
any"
You use morphine, do you?"
Yes, that an cocaine mixed / have
used everything. ! have tried morphine
and quinine, cocaine and quinne and
many other mixtures, but the quinne will
not take the place of the others. Quinine
is not drug like the others, but l tried
1t in an attempt TO lessen the dose.
want to say right here that no living per-
son can say that 1 ever gave them any
dope on the other hand. / have cured
several Of the habit who were not 50 far
advanced as myself. There is a gun
{ took ii from a man in this town and
treated him for two weeks and l don't
think he ever has used it since. / think
[ must be rotten through and through.
was eating blackberry pie a short time
ago and got a seed between my teeth
and it broke off both teeth before l got
II out; they snapped like she'll"
TIE hypodermic syringe he uses. like
the others, has a needle which is thrust
into the flesh and the drug injected
through this. He stated that he thinks
be had fifty or seventy-tive needles now
IN his body which he has broken off in
MS flesh while so nervous he could not |
hold still enough TO help it.
How much a day does il cost you?" !
was asked.
From 60 cents to s15O; according to
the weat her'
How do you manage to get the /
''Oh. work for It at anything 1 can
get 10 do. and when 1 haven't the money |
ask someone for it and l get 1t nearly |
very time"
Police Clerk Beckwith stated that he |
anne into the Office one night and asked /
or so cents, promising to return il in a I
lay or two. He gave II to him and much /
o his surprise returned with it in a day |
n two afterward. The man seems to be |
cry honest in everything. He explained |
he sensation when the effect of the drug |
lad passed off and he had no more The /
'ain, he said, was in the region of the |
tomach, and was beyond belief or mag
nation in its intensity. feeling as though
ne stomach had caked into a mass as
ard as stone. At one time he had resoiv
d to simply quit using the drug. and
he pain came upon him in the alley south
( Douglas avenue near Tokepa avenue.
lis jaws worked spasmodcally and
ONE one placed stick between his teeth
. keep him from biting his tongue. The
lick was insufficient and some an
houghted person placed a fiat iron be-
ween them before a physician arrived
nd consequently his front teeth were
ably broken upon il, which he proved
y showing the reporter his teeth.
He was arrested for being drunk and /
iSturbins the peace. and was sentenced
, the county jail for thirty days and a
mall flne. He stood up in the court
DOM and trembied violently but reso-
ltely laid hold upon a hot steam pipe
, overcome his nervousness caused by
sck OF the usual dose Of the drug. He
id not seem 10 care about the pipe be-
lg hot and did not release his grasp at
nee. Ii was a pitiable sight indeed.
ONE of the drug was procured and he
as soon comparatively calm after using