The Jennings daily record., 1902-06-24


tive cigars and little Mexican cigar
cites wrapped in corn huSkS We're
brought in with the coffee the talk
turned to nal coticS. and in more or
less interesting narrative ran all the
way from periQue tobacco to cocaine.
Nearly everybody spoke on the sub.
ject at more or less length, except
Siayden, who listened attentiveIy. but
said nothing. That is his way when
he is sure of a story. Finally, when
the subject was about talked out he
said:
Did any of You ever hear of Malaju-
ana?' But without waiting for an
answer he continued: We'll l was q
malajuana tiend once. It's the biggest
drug evil of them ali. The stuff comes
from the dried leaves and bark of Il
kind of native hemp that grows wild
all over southern Mexico. Its victims
usually smoke it mixed with tobacco
in 4 cigarette.
soon after our road began to boom
a certain town and l got mixed up in
a law suit involving the title TO some
Durango lots. Just before the case
was to be tried 1 was arrested on
in jail, incommunicado. The second
day of my enforced isolation exhaust
ed my own supply of cigarettes, and
smoking being about my only recourse
! was glad to avail myself of the
small unprepoSSesStng package of Gig
arettes that came along with my daily
supply of food and water. / noticed
something peculiar about the first one
that l lighted. The taste and odor We're
both new to me. but my reflections
upon these qualities We're of the brief
est duration.
Most of YOU know how it feels 10
turn into Il big. downy. comfortable
bed when you are dog tired. and drift
off with clear conscience into deep,
Hntroubled restfuI sleep Well he
fore finished half that cigarette that's
the way l felt. with the sensation mul.
tiplied about ten times. l felt as though
1 was being gently lifted from the
clinng when l began to smoke. and
waited about the air l felt as if
something soft and delightfully."- sooth-
ing touched me all over; the sound of
distant music was in my ears; charm
ing vistaS peopled with eXquisiteIy
graceful forms opened to my eyes. and
in the midst of the comfort and rest.
fulness and beauty of it all l went
beautifully to sleep,
1t must have been the afternoon of
the following day. when l walked. for
there. in its usual place. was my daily
allowance of food. Il full jug of water
and-another package of cigarettes
was refreshed and hungry. and l ate
all the food that had been brought me
1t was the first time ! had been able
to relish the coarse fare. OF course. |
lit Il cigarette as soon as I finished
my meal. l experienced only the usu
al mildly narcotic effect of tobacco, the
only thing about my smoke that was
at all out of the ordinary being a pun
gent, aromatic fra GRANGE totally un.
like anything l had ever before expert,
enced. which l found most pleasing. 1t
was not until l lighted my third Gig
arctic that there was a repetition of
anything like my previous experience
Upon the appearance of its first symp-
toms | stopped smoking. l was con.
vinced that the cigarettes We're
drugged. and l determined 10 smoke no
more of them.
Some hours afterward l began to he
oppressed with nausea and other dis
tressing sensations. Later my head
seemed ready to split: every bone and
muscle in my body Hchcd: my flesh
felt dead, as if it was dropping off my
bones. my thrOat was parched. l knew
that another cigarette would bring me
relief, but / felt certain it would be
purchased ut the price of greater Suf.
fering later on. For hours | lay on
the hard prison floor and tried to bear
my choice of tortures, but with the
passing of each minute the pan@S mul.
tiplied. At length | could bear them
no longer. In sheer desperation l lit
cigarette, resolved to smoke until
my suffering become bearable.
With almost the first inhalation |
was conscious OF Il dual personality.
All my sense impressions We're double.
Gradually one of these personalities
seemed to be lifted out of my body,
which contained the suffering agonieS
and to be poised above it. Ii was aw,
ful. In vet greater desperation 1 in
hailed the potent smoke rapidly anl
violently. Soon the pain ceased. Ny
body slept, while the part OF me that
was conscious toated out OF the prison,