The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-12-17
THE ABLE GRAND JURY HANDLES
THAT AND OTHER MATTERS
OF IMPORTANCE.
THE GREAT EVIL RAPIDLY SPREADING
County Physician Graves Reports to the
Grand Jury on INSTRUMENTATION
That the Felony Law Be Amend
ed, and Other Matters.

The grand jury last afternoon returned
seven additional felony indictments and
fifteen for misdemeanor offenses, and
then adjourned sine die.
They made report to Judge Brooks,
in which they say:
with few exceptions our county has
had no crimes of high degree. We have
investigated many of smaller degree and
| regret to say that we find very many, and
an increase, particularly in the farming
district, in stealing cotton from the fields.
We have made punishment in each case
where it was made clear as to crime and
party.
''If permissible, we would make the
following suggestions:
"First-We would recommend that the
law in reference to felony be changed
from $50 to 500, with the exception of
stealing cotton after being gathered, in
which case we would recommend that, it
be made felony for any quantity.
"Second-We attach hereto a recon-
gard to the use of cocaine, to which we
especially call your honors attention,
and would earnestly recommend that
it or some other law be passed to prevent
the use of this baleful drug.
1--WE are aware of the fact that these
recommendations are not properly mat
ter for your court, but we make them in
the hope that through you and other
judges the matter will be presented to
our. Legislature"
The report of DR.. Graves is as follows,
and it is worthy of serious attention. He
says:
Il wish to report to your honorable body
the alarming extent to which cocaine,
morphine and other narcotics are being
| used in this city, not only among the
lower classes, but in instances among the
better class of society. These drugs not
only make slaves of individuals, render
| ing them totally unfit to support them
selves and those dependant upon them,
but tend to debase and make criminals
of those addicted to their use. This is
| especially observable in the lower stratum
of society, where the victim of the habit,
not having money TO purchase, will re-
| sort to any means, however immoral or
| criminal, to obtain their favo1ite drug.
Prostitution, robbery, and even murder,
will be committed to crafty their abnor-
NAL appetites. Nor is this the only evil
| resulting from the indiscriminate sale of
these perilous drugs. Fully three-fourths
of the suicides that have occurred in my
practice as city and county physician dur
| ing the past eleven years, have been
| caused from morphine alone. As there
is no law at present regulating the sale
| of these drugs in Texas, l deemed it ad-
| visable to call your attention to the above
facts, that you might, if you thought prop
| er, take some action looking to the pas
sage of such law by the next Legislature.
The president CT the Texas State Phar-
maceutical association informs me that
this association has had the question I'M
der advisement and have drafted law
which they think will check the evil and
at the same time not work a hardship
upon those who desire to procure the
drugs for legitimate purposes"
A copy of the law accompa MES the re-
port. 1t provides that cocaine, morphine,
or any salt of either cocaine, morphine,
opium, or any preparation of opium, con-
| tanning 10 per cent or more of the crude
drug, shall not be sold or given away to
any minor or person known to be habit
ual user of the drug, except upon the pre-
scription of practicing physician. The
punishment is fixed Mt fine of not less
than sos nor more than 500 for each
offense.