The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-08
n DRUG CLERK REVEALS
HIS TERRIBLE SECRETS
Tells of DISPENSING C0cnite, Morphine and Opium and
the AafuI Effects of Them Which He Has witnessed
HIS Unensiable Kioapledge Of Murders, Sui.
cides and Wrecked HoanzS.

Wierd are the experiences Of drug
clerk in great city. Strange, almost
beyond belief, are the events WHICH
force themselves into his everyday life.
who has found the burdens Of life too
great to bear. It is to him the woman
hurries who has found the troubles Of
earthly existence finally intolerable. And
to the level head, to the cool action of
many man behind the counter Of the
apothecary may be credited the saw
ing of more lives than the ordinary in
vidual would imagine.
Poisons and murder, opiates and sui,
eide are closely associated. Pr1meVaI
man dealt death to his enemies and to
hiuself thru poisons, and more modern
man only shows advancement along this
line by frequently substituting for the
strong poison and it's accompanying
agoniess the painless sleeping potion. of
Of scientific knowledge of opiate drugs
has been born that miserable class Of
humanity, best briefly described by the
slang phrase, "dope fends -; men and
women who for the temporary exhilara-
ton or brief period of delightful re-
pose, daily play with death, nearly al
ways coming to an unnatural and all
too sudden end. @;
"Onehalf the world doesn't know
how the other half lives.'' And so it
is that the following sensational dis.
closures Of Minneapolis drug clerk
true in every detail, will be startling
in the extreme to that much larger
"hnlf' which in small part realizes tc
what depths that poison-cra class
the "dope fends,' can descend.
That the truth may be known, an6
in the hope that it's telling may ope1
the eyes Of some who have but started
far to turn back, the Minneapolis drug
clerk in question makes the following
recital:
Knows Terrible Secrets. .
t:For twenty-four years I have beer
a drug clerk in Minneapolis, and dur
ing much Of that time on night duty.
know OF sixteen suicides of women VIII,
ended their careers by taking morphine
At least one UNPUBLISHED murder do
know about, for which l innocently solt
20 cents worth Of morphine. Thru tn
combined use Of cocaine and morphin
have L seen men Of standing and wealt]
fall to the level of common thieves an,
| bcggars, all thru slavery to the 'dope.
have known beautiful, lovable womel
thru the same means to come eventual,
to lives of shame and degradation.
-" My most sensational experience
perhaps, was that of the still-unpun
ished murder. 1t was some ten year
ago. I was we'll acquainted with tn
woman in the case. Her husband wa
a merchant. She came in the drug
store one afternoon for 10 cents wort
Of morphine. eve don't sell it in sue
small quantities these days.) A littl
later in came her little girl with mes
sage that "mama had lost the morphin
and wanted 10 cents worth more.'
husband went, to sleep and did no
i awaken. There was no investigation O
his sudden death. He was buried an
the world at large forgot him-all blu
myself.
: 81 had to pass the house daily wher
the tragedy occurred. One day a shol
time after, the woman called to me 8
/ was passing and said she had a bul
die she wanted to give me. I took
paper parcel from her and walked o.
Opening it, found inside big 70
Of bills $500. Hurrying back, calle
/, her and said / could not possibly tax
the money. She refused to receive i
and l threw the roll over the fence int
her yard ~ .- *..s. ~
"she had received $4,000 insurane
on her husbands life. Since then 81
has fallen into destitute circumstance
She has a family Of adult children no
living, two. daughters married and
son with whom I have been very int
mate. Of course, they never suspe'
their mother. guilty of any wrong, nj
under any, circumstances would I no
ever divulge the name of the guilt
woman. She is respected and loved b
| her children, and to punish her no
would be to infict a greater blow {
the children. No one shall ever kno
the further details of my secret.
''ESome seven months ago a youn
man, evidently student, bought
cents worth Of strychnine tablet
Calmly walking to the soda fountai
he ordered lemon phosphate, al
drank down every tablet. I hauled h
falling form into the back office, Gale
the city hospital ambulance and hi
him treated in time to save his life.
short time ago that same young m;
came in and tried the same thing.
recognized him when he ordered t
strychnine, collared him, and after a
ministering a goodly supply Of kicl
threw him out the door.