Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-20
VICTIM OF COCAINE
COLoRED MAN GOES WHOOPING
THROUGH THE STREETS.
Police Comment on Promiscuous Sale
of the Drug-Favor Strin-
gent Law.

About o'clock one morning last week
colored man amused himself by running
through the streets of Northeast Washing
ton crying ''Murder" a the top of his
voice. The top" was very high, the
colored mans lung power had been fully
developed, and the annoyance he caused
was something out of the ordinary. People
rushed to their windows and craned their
necks expecting to get sight of a man who
not far from deaths door, but they
saw an apparently intoxicated man instead
He would a short distance stop long
enough to make an outCry, and then eXer-
else his lungs again. There was something
about the tone of the voice to cause the
belief that the owner had been assaulted
and suffering pain His last effort to
attract attention was made near the corner
of 9th and 3 streets. Some nervous wOm-
en- rushed TO their windows, but others
were too badly frightened to go upon an
investigating tour. Suddenly the footsteps
ceased and the voice of the man was no
longer heard.
II wonder if he's dropped dead?" many
asked.
Only few persons knew what became of
him, and they were the ones who lived near
where he stopped Despite the mans APP
parently serious plight he realized that
there were breakers ahead when he saw
policeman moving toward him and sought
refuge in vestibule. He remained there
tered and pulled him out, and off to the
police station he was carried.
rs he hurt?" was the inquiry of an in
terested spectator.
Hes not hurt" the policeman respond
ed, but he is full of cocaine"
Easily Procured.
The response Of the bluecoat carried with
1t much more than some of his hearers
could comprehend at first. Cocaine, or
coke" as its habitual users call It, may be
purchased it is declared, at many drug
stores by Migrants and people without any
idea of responsibility for the mere asking
and a nickel 1t is claimed the police are
the only officials who lave made an active
crusade against its promiscuous sale TO ir-
responsible persons. Detective Proctor, who
has charge of prosecutions of violators Of
the pharmacy law. has paid considerable
attention to the matter and It Is believed
has effected some good. There Is practi-
cally no law in the District governing the
sale OF cocaine, but the police will make an
effort to get one enacted at the coming
session Of Congress.
1T IS hard to realize the amount of harm
that is done by the general sale Of cocaine, -
remarked a Georgetown policeman to a
Star reporter. Users of the villainous
stuff in our section call 1T coke, and the
harm it has already done is something ter
rible. People who use It soon lose all trace
of responsibility and usually become so de-
graded that they will steal or do anything
that is In the category of crime. There is
no way to determine the amount of harm
that has been done by the drug. and l am
told the druggists who engage in II TO any
extent make immense profits Some drug
giStS make more from the sales of cocaine
than they do from prescriptions, as they
make specially of ii, and those who use
ii know just where they can make the pur-
chases without being called upon to make
explanations.