The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-03
School Children Paid Small
Amounts "Ty the Needle.
A MAN AND 3 WOMEN ARRESTED
Police Captured The Home MADE Needle
With Which The injections Were Given.
Easy 10 GET the Drug.

New York, Nov. s.-Three women and
a man arrested in a raid last night were
accused OF keeping a morphine den, into
while young boys and girls were lured.
next door TO a public school, In West
Fortieth street.
Detectives Kennedy and Pendergast
made a raid last night on No. 237 West
Fortioth street and accused
their four prisoners OF keep
ing an opium den there. The wo-
men gave their names as Bella Wilson,
twenty-three years old; Nora Garrigan,
forty-two. and Della Adams. twenty-one
years old, OF the address given, which
William Williams, thrity-two years old.
said was also his.
Mrs. Hattie Ross. an agent OF the
Prison Reform Society, made the COM
plants which caused the arrests.
When the patrol wagon drew up at the
West Thirty-seventh street police station.
three frail. emacisted figures were helped
from it, and tottered into the police sta
ton. Pale, with CLASSY eyes, they clung
to the railing for support.
Acting Captain Cooney, who was at the
desk. was horrihed at their appearance.
Captain, these are a lot of opium
fiends." reported one OF the detectives.
I'm no fendr' growled the man who
had been brought in with the women.
mo. you are even worse" said the
Captain. "You made these poor crea-
lures your victims. What ! am going
to do is for your good" he continued.
turning 10 The women, "and / sincerely
trust IL is not too late for you TO redeem
yourselves"
Nora Garrigan sobbed. 81 wish / had
never seen the stuff as she almost fell
into a chair. The others seemed indif-
ferent.
According 10 Mrs. Ross and the detec-
tives, the women earn enough 10 buy the
drug by Turing young boys and girls 10
their rooms, charging them 10 or 10 cents
Ito trv the needle"
Instead Of a regular hypodermic needle
they use a home made instrument, COM
prised of a nipple and a. piece of cork,
through which runs an ordinary brass
pin. The solution was poured into me
nipple, the skin punctured and the injec-
ton made. The brass pin made worse
marks than would the regular needle, but
1T was cheaper.
When the detectives entered the little
room in the fiat house they found the
four occupants stretched on a broken
down bed. and one was injecting the
others with the drug The room was al
most bare OF furniture and reeked with
foul odors The women had to be carried
down stairs.
1T is easy enough FOR them TO buy the
drug" said Mrs. Ross. She took from a
handbag a two ounce bottle of morphine
and a package containing seventy-fve
grains of cocaine. Roth bore the name
of druggist in the vicinity. II bought
these tonight she said. without any
prescription whatever, and there are
many drug stores near here where the
same thing can be done"
Captain Cooney was indignant when
he heard OF this infraction OF the law,
and ordered the detectives to get war
rant for the arrest OF the druggist The
blocks of Thirty-ninth and Fortieth
streets, between Seventh and Eighth ave-
2snues. according to Mrs. Ross contain
some OF the most fearful conditions of
life to be found In the city.
The house i'm which the women were
arrested is next door 10 a public school