The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-11-21
DRUG FIENDS' CLUB.
ALL MEmssRsARE coNslRMEo SLAVES
or DEADLY NARCOTICS.

Tell How They Fell.
The brush of painter of the wildly
realistic school would find first class
material for a picture of horror were he
able TO be in attendance at a gathering
of the Hypo club of Chicago.
No charter or license has ever been
issued to the club, no clubhouse is own
ed or rented by the organization, no in
itiation fee or dues are charged the
members. The appearance of a squad of
police often causes the club to make
sudden change in its quarters. All that
is needful for any one to become a men,
Der in good standing is to be a slave of
some drug and be so addicted to its use
as to have lost all respect and all regard
for honor, friends, family and for every
thing that is decent.
A short time ago the writer was ask
ed by friend if he had ever seen the
Hypo club. At first he did not under
stand the term, and on inquiring found
it consisted of a number of unfortunates
addicted to the use of cocaine, NOR
phine opium and other drugs. who
were in extreme poverty, but still man
aged to procure the stuff that had been
their ruin and went to the same place
to use it.
At this time they gathered in an old
frame back building on Plymouth place,
about half block south of Van Buren,
stree t. A fire had destroyed the front of
the place, and the ground was used to
storo number of wagons when not in
use. Over these the writer, with a couple
of friends, clambered one Sunday after
noon to pay visit to the club. The old
frame building, two stories high, pre-
sented desolate appearance.
The outside was charred and black
from the flames that had destroyed the
balance of the structure, while gaping
apertures, devoid of glass or sash, show
ed where once the windows had BEEN
A glance into the lower floor showed it
to be untenanted by any one. The sound
of voices from above showed occupants
to be on the upper floor.
The visitors started up the ladderlike
stairway and as their heads appeared in
the room above they We're greeted by
cries of Cops, cops; they're after us
again % and great shutting of feet as
a break was made for the holes that had
once been windows. A few words suf-
feed to reassure them and gave the new
corners a chance to glance around.
The room was almost duplicate of
the one below-dirt ON all sides, floor
full Of holes and roof the same. The
only sign of furniture was some planks
nailed to the walls and few boxes ly-
ing around to be used for seats. The oc-
cupants of the room were the real sight.
Nearly 80 men and women were gath
cred there. AS they regained courage
and gathered around the newcomers the
barred arms of many and the glittering
little instruments held by nearly all
showed how the name Hypo club had
originated.
There were men and women, young
and old, some busy mixing the drug they
were about to use, others in the act of
taking hypodermic injection in barred
arm or leg and some inserting the needle
in their breasts or hips. Others, having
taken their dose, were sitting or lying
around waiting for the drug to show its
first effects.
Women were as unconcerned using
the stuff as though each one had been
in perfect privacy. AS the drug took
effect the different dispositions of the
users appeared. Some became dull and
stupid and only wanted to be allowed
to drop off into heavy slumber from
which they might not awaken for hours.
Others would almost instantly become
gay and talkative.
1t was noticeable that almost all these
unfortunates showed by their faces and
the language they used that the days
were not long gone when they had been
used to better surroundings. 1t was
hard to persuade any of them to talk re-
garding their past lives.
One of the men, after some persua-
sion, told how he had fallen. He was
not 30 years of age and was member
of wealthy family living in Boston.
He attended Harvard college and grad
mated with high honors. In order to be
successful in college he had started to
use small doses of morphine and cocaine
to stimulate him when he felt in dan
ger of giving way from the strain Of
hard study and always thought he
could cease at any time. It--was not I'M
til after he left college, married and
was beginning to be known as one of
the most promising young lawyers i'll
New England that he found he liked
drugs too we'll and tried to stop their
use.
1t was too late. Effort after effort
was made, and all sorts of cures were
tried, but nothing was successful, Each
time he relapsed it was only to be worse
than before. Then his trouble became
known TO every one. Friends and ac-
quaintances dropped him, and at last
his wife had to ask for legal separa-
to-, and, with the little child she had
boz e him, returned, broken hearted
VIC nan, to her parents.
On enc of the benches in the room lay
woman sleeping off a recent morphine
gag" Despite the dissipation and
hardships she had undergone there were
traces Of former beauty to be seen in