Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-16
TO RESTRICT SALE
County Attorney Cornell Writes
Letter to Ottumwa Druggists.
TO PROSECUTE COCAINE DEALERS
Says one.Third of Crimes Committed
Are Traceab'e to Use of "coke"-
Action Is Recommended by Judge
Sloan.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
Fully one third of the crimes COM
mitted in this city are traceable eth
er directly or indireactly to the use of
cocaine" according to to the state
ment of County Attorney Seneca Cor
nell in letter which he has just
drawn up in compliance with the in
structions received from Judge Rob-
ert Sloan County Attorney Cornell
will send the detters to every druggist
in the city notifying them that the
law regarding the sale of Cooke is to
be rigidly enforced, and that any VIC
lation will meet with prosecution. His
letter Is as follows:
"Ottumwa, Iowa June 6, 1903
Dear Sir:
81 desire to call your attention partic-
ularly to the law regulating the sale of
cocaine. From the habitual use of this
drug by certain classes of the citizens
in this city, as developed in the TRIAL
of criminal cases since l have been in
Office. am constrained to believe that
the druggists do not fully understand
the meaning of the law relating there
to.
Chapter ITO of the Acts of the Goth
General Assembly is as follows:
No one by himself, clerk, employee,
or agent shall either directly or indi-
rectly sell or give away any cocaine or
preparation containing cocaine except
on the written prescription of a reg
istered physician for medical purposes
and no such prescription shall be re-
filled except upon the written order of
physician.
ANY one found guilty of violating
the provisions of Section l of this act
for the first .offense shall pay fine of
not less than twenty-five dollars and
not more than one hundred dollars and
cost Of prosecution. For second offense
and each subsequent offense, he
shall pay on conviction thereof. a fine
of not less than one hundred dollars
and not more than three hundred dol
lars, or imprisonment in the county jail
not to exceed three months Any
clerk. employe, or agent violating OF
aiding in the violation of section 1
shall be charged and convicted as a
principal.
peace officers shall see that the pro-
visions OF this act are faithfully exc.
cuted within their respective jurisdic-
tons and when they are informed, or
have reason to believe that this act has
been violated, and the proof thereof
can be had. they shall file information
| to that effect against the offending
party before a magistrate who there
upon, shall proceed according to law
/ The county attorney shall prosecute
violators of this act.
my experience in prosecuting per
sons charged with the commission OF
crimes in this county has led me to be-
I lieve that fully one-third of the crimes
committed in this city, are traceable
either directly or indirectly to the use
Eof cocaine. | therefore desire to i'm
press upon you the importance of YOU
complying strictly with the provisions
of this law. l have been instructed by
1 the court to make a special effort tt
stop the illegal sale of cocaine ant
| you are hereby notified that from thi!
/ time | will prosecute all persons sell
ing the same contrary to the law. wher
can obtain the necessary evidence
that such action is for the good of the
| community at large"