The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-06
DRUG FIENDS' CLUB.
ALL MEMBE as ARE CONFIRMED SLAVES
OF DEADLY NARCOTICS.
The Hypo Club of Chicago Consists OF
Unfortunates Addicted to the Use OF
Various Drugs-Two OF the Members
Tell How They Fell.

Tell How They Fell.
The brush of painter of the wildly |
realistic school would find first class |
material for picture of horror were he |
able to be in attendance at gathering |
of the Hypo club of Chicago.
No charter or license has ever been |
ed or rented by the organization, no in
itiation fee or dues are charged the
members. The appearance Of squad OF
police often causes the club to make a
sudden change in its quarters. All that
is needful for any one to become mem-
Der i'll good standing is to be 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 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,
street. A fire had destroyed the front OF
the place, and the ground was used to
store number of wagons when not Ill
use. Over these the writer, with couple
of friends, clambered one Sunday after
noon to pay visit to the club. The old
frame building, two stories high, pre-
sented a 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 Oh the upper floor
The visitors started up the ladderlike
( stairway and as their heads appeared in
the room above they Were greeted by
cries of "Cops, cops; they after us
| again - and great shutting OF feet as
break was made for the holes that had
once been windows. A few words suf'
feed to reassure them and gave the new
Corners 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 so men and women were gath
cred there. AS they regained courage
and gathered around the newcomers the
barred arms of many and the glitterinl
little instruments held by nearly al
showed how the name Hypo club hat
originated.
There were men and women, youni
and old, some busy mixing the drug the,
were about to use, others in the act o
taking hypodermic injection in bare'
arm or leg and some inserting the needle
in their breasts or hips. Others, having
taken their dose, were sitting or lyin'
around waiting for the drug to show 1T
first effects.
Women were as unconcerned usln;
the stuff as though each one had beef
in perfect privacy. AS the drug tool
effect the different dispositions of tn
users appeared. Some became dull ant
stupid and only wanted to be allowe'
: to drop off into heavy slumber from
which they might not awaken for hours
Others would almost instantly becom
gay and talkative.
1t was noticeable that almost all thes
unfortunates showed by their faces an
the language they used that the day
were not long gone when they had bee
used to better surroundings. 1t wa
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 wa
not 30 years of age and was membe
l of wealthy family living in Boston
a He attended Harvard college and grat
uated with high honors. In order to
Z successful in college he had started
0 use small doses of morphine and cocain
: to stimulate him when he felt in dan
ger of giving way from the strain
= hard study and always thought
could cease at any time. 1t was not III
til after he left college, married an
was beginning to be known as one
!, the most promising young lawyers
. New England that he found he like
drugs too we'll and tried to stop the
. use.
d 1t was too late. Effort after effo
o was made, and all sorts of cures we
}, tried, but nothing was successful. Fac
Q time he relapsed it was only to be wor
p than before. Then his trouble BEGAN
q known to every one. Friends and u
IL quaintances dropped him, and at la
L his wife had to ask for legal separ
e ton, and, with the little child she hi
q borne him, returned, a broken heart'
{. woman, to her parents.
10 On one of the benches in the room !;
l. a woman sleeping off a recent morphil
n Gag" Despite the dissipation al
'e hardships she had undergone there we