The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-08
CoIored People Are the Principal
Users of the Drug, and They Will
DO Anything to Get Ii.
PECULIAR MANIA OF A WOMAN
SHE FORMED AN APPETITE FOR
soAP-sToNE SLATE PENCILS.
The Habit Grew Until She Could Not
Get Along without Them-TaIk
with a Druggist.


This surprising statement was made yes
terday by one Of the prominent druggists
OF the city, whose pharmacy is situated
IN a district where all classes OF people in
termingle. AS he spoke he called his
visitors attention to the retreating form
OF little colored woman who was carrying
away with her tiny pill box which she
had just had filled with a white powder
at the cost OF twenty cents.
THE habit is in vogue principally among
colored people," continued the man behind
the counter, but there are scores Of white
persons who are also slaves to the cocaine.
II has really come to a point where some
thing should be done to prevent the spread
NJ the terrible habit. We do not like to
sell the stuff, but are, of course, obliged to
keep 1t i'm stock and are unable to dis
criminate as to who shall be permitted TO
purchase it and who shall not. Every
pharmacy must carry a supply Of all sorts
OF drugs and If those people who are con-
firmed cocaine fiends find that they cannot
get what they want here they simply go
elsewhere. Most Of the people addicted to
the use OF the drug sniff IL into their nos
trils as they would take snuff, although
there are some who are so far advanced in
their absolute slavery to the stuff that they
inject 1t hypodermically into their arms
or legs.
- white man came into this establish
ment not long ago and bought fifteen
cents worth OF cocaine. receiving about
twenty grains Of the drug, diluted, of
course. He said that he could not wait
until he returned to his room in a cheap
lodging house nearby before injecting some
OF the stuff into his arm and asked per-
mission to retire behind the tall prescrip-
ton counter in the rear of the store while
he performed this customary operation.
refused to comply with his request at first,
but he begged me so earnestly TO grant him
the favor that hadn't the heart to deny
him. He prepared the drug in its liquid
form himself and then, drawing little
hypodermic syringe from his pocket, took
off his coat, rolled up one OF his shirt
sleeves and made the injection.
COVERED WITH SCARS.
'I was amazed to see that his arm was
covered from the wrist to the shoulder
with scars made by the hypodermic needle.
/ questioned him about his use of the drug
and he told me his story. 1t was one of
the most pitiful stories I've ever heard and
i hear good many tales Of shattered
careers. too. He was a Kentuckian and
had enjoyed quite a good law practice in
a small town near Lexington During a
serious illness his physician had made use
of cocaine in deadening the pain during an
operation, and had, thoughtlessly enough,
forgotten TO take away with him a box
filed with the drug. The sick man shifted
some of 1t into his nostrils. just TO discover
what effect It would have upon him when
taken that way and finding that using the
drug in this manner made life seem roster
to him, he retained the box, which was
filled with ii. and allowed the doctor to
think that 1t had been lost somewhere. L
have nobody to blame but myself the un-
fortunate fellow told me. The drug soon
got terrible hold upon me and I have
been unable to break myself of the habit
OF using It. 1t has ruined my life. I al
ways take 1t hypodermically nowadays
the effect comes quicker 1t was only three
weeks later that heard of the mans death
OFT at the City Hospital-not from cocaine.
out from an overdose OF morphine. in which
he had also learned to indulge.
Most cocaine fends are also addicted to
the morphine habit They take to the lat
ter drug In order to get sleep. for cocaine
keeps one wide awake. That's the worst
feature OF the drug-it makes the novice
think that 1t is doing him good, bracing
him UP. and giving him renewed strength
to go about his work, whereas 1t is in real
ity sapping his strength away little by lit
tie. Take two laboring men digging a
trench and IL one OF them has been using
cocaine he will do twice as much work as
his fellow-workman for the time being, but
the man who never touches the stuff will
be earning his living by the sweat
OF his brow long after the cocaine fiend Is
q complete broken man.
DRUG KNOWN AS "SNICK."
I'm most of the drug stores of Indianapo-
lis which are patronized by negroes cocaine
is known as 'snick.' 1t was given this name
by a colored man named Turner, who is
nowadays called 'Snick' Turner. People
often come in here and ask for a dimes
worth OF snick, never dreaming but that
this is the correct name lor the drug Tur-
ner is now in the workhouse--an institution
that Is called the Kelley cure among the
lower class OF negroes of the city, for the
cocaine fiend. being unable to secure any
of the drug while imprisoned there, usu-
ally comes out from behind the bars when
his sentence expires cured of the habit I'M
til he is fool enough to take IL up again
which. by the way. most of them do When
ssnick Turner gets full OF the drug he runs
amuck. He will be in the very best humor
imaginable and still be under the impress
sion that he ought to kill somebody. He
usually makes for some saloon, frequented
by negroes. intent upon cleaning out the
place. and, as a result, always winds up in
the workhouse.
There was colored woman known as
Little Hattie who used 10 be the worst OF
oil Indianapolis cocaine hends. She would
do almost anything TO gain possession OF a
pill box full OF the drug. She always car
ried her pill box with her and was continu-
ally smiling the powder into her nostrils.
Several times she came 10 me without a
cent OF money, but with numerous other
things to offer in exchange for Is cents
worth OF 'snick. Upon one occasion she ap-
peared In the store here In a most woe-be-
gone condition. She had been without CO.
caine for twenty-four hours and she was in
tears She drew from the pocket OF her cali
co dress an old scent piece, 2-cent post
age stamp and two whisky TASKS. each
worth cents. and begged me TO accept
these things in exchange for the usual Is
cents worth have had cocaine customers
among the lower class OF negroes who
have even brought old alarm clocks. pairs
Of zcfsSors- books and any other thing thew