The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-27
MRS. THORPE'S ESCAPE
Nearly strangIed by a Frenzied Nor
phine Esiend.

Bess Lane, who is a morphine f1end,
made things very exciting for Police
Matron Mrs. Thorpe a few days ago.
The city fathers, after numerous trials
with this girl, have been trying to break
her of the habit by administering small
doses Of her favorite drug. They had
allowed Mrs Thorpe to purchase a bot
tie OF II in order TO quiet the girls raw
1ngs and after the first dose she began
to clamor for more, which was denied.
Mrs. Thorpe left the girl in the cell.
leaving the door open on account of the
heat Suddenly the woman dashed into
the matron's office. With one hand sne
grasped Mrs. Thorpe and with the other
the morphine bottle. But alas, the bottle
was empty, Mrs. Thorpe having put the
medicine up in small doses and put 1t
away in a box The Infatuated girl was
Wild as maniac and would have been
only too glad to have made away with
the woman who was keeping her from
the drug she was enslaved to- With
that superhuman strength sometimes
born to people when in great danger,
little Mrs. Thorpe gIipped the furious
woman by the wrists and managed TO
force her backwards to the cell room
and lock her in. There she was Kept
under lock and key for a day until she
came to herself.
This Bess Lane has been one of the
trials the police have had to contend
with for years and years Every time
she was in prison the city physician
has had to prescribe the drug to save
her from the agonies of delirium
tremens As she is in the city jail
more than she is out. the burden OF
supplying her with the expensive drug
had become somewhat of drain upon
the city Golfers for she has insisted
on having over SO worth a week. Her
craving for the morphine was so great
that she would beg the officers to let
her have it rather than her meals
At last she became so fond OF her
free drug store that she could hardly
be driven away even after serving one
of Judge Urmy's heaviest sentences.
The police force were at their wits
something had to be done.
"The next time you come here,
Bessie" said the chief, you Will not
get morphine; you may depend on
that
IN leave town, chief" said the re-
pentant one.
But only a week passed and she was
back from Lawrence and in Jail AT
once came the old familiar plea for
morphine But ''no" said the chief
mo" emphatically said the mayor,
and mo" was the verdict of the city
physician. But all to no avail. That
night the terrors in the womans ward
hastily changed the decision of the
mayor and city doctor, who happened
to be at the station at the time lney
relented and allowed the erring one a
small dose for the sake of peace.
The next morning Mrs. Thorpe was
told to purchase a bottle of Bessie S
favorite and make it last a week in
stead of a day and a half But evil
IDENTIFY this arrangement did not prove
satisfactory to the naughty Bessie,
and she attempted to rearrange
things in the manner described.
Since coming out of her tantrum,
she has behaved beautifully and is
meekly getting along on the limited
supply of 0 cents worth of morphine
week. She is beginning to eat and
is rejoicing in the hope that she is
going to get rid of her awful habit.