Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-08-05
SLAVES. OF THE PIPE
a GLIMPSE OF ONE OF THE SECRET
OPIUM DENs OF TouLoh.
The Eastern Madness and Its Victims
In the French Naxy-varyfns Eff
fccts of the First. Second aad Third
Pipes OF the Drug.

tccs OF the First, Second and Third
Pipes OF the Drug.
"You are going to Toulonr' raid nm
nttachc OF one of the ministries to me
come months ago. "Then you will see
The curse OF the French navy, the east
srn madness. which our colleagues at
the colonial office ana at the ministry
OF marine are trying hard to suppress"
"'fhe eastern madnessY" l asked
"What Is tiiatr"
opium smoking" said my friend In.
conlcnily. ask some Of the Toulon
newspaper men to take you round"
1t was one OF the first things asked
about when got down to Toulon. and
the following IL IN account Of what
saw:
We were In cafe nenr the harbor
a thll and very handsome woman sat
ut the table opposite to us and nodded
lazily 10 my companion. This did NOT
surprise me at all. because oil TOulon,
from the prefet maritime to the scuv.
engers IN tive streets, knew him and
called him by his name. There was
lazy wenrluess or, II you like. n weary
laziness In the wOmnn's eyes which
was curiously noticeable.
Are you going to smoke piper"
she said.
He looked at me inquirlnHly.
ION. bring your friend with you. He
doesn't belong to the government, does
hep"
And so we nll three got UP and went
out do not know exactly where we
went. for the bnck streets Of roulon
are II very Alsntla for intrlcncy. We
unlocked H. door with key which mn.
dame carried In her pocket. We climb.
ed three flights OF dirk stairs and
knocked Mt another door.
1t was opened Mt last, after about a
quarter OF an hour. by IL young woman
In II klmonO and curl papers She look.
ell even sleepier tllan our companion
nnd did not trouble to invite us In.
She merely left the door open, lounged
on In front, ana we followed.
Imagine II room In which all yol, cuu
see ut first Is the dirty yellow Of some
coconnut mating OH the floor, II few
cushions covered In bright colors and
several pnirs OF feet. 1t Is n little puz.
Zllng Mt first, but yOu realize after 10
moment TINT the only lamp Is OH the
floor and that II has heavy shade, SO
that tho light does not light up the
room.
| became used to the scmidnrkness
soon ana SAW that l wns In small
square room, In which there were six
or eight people, three women, inciud.
Ing our companion, and several men,
l noticed TINT the trousers which the
men wore were those OF navy officers
looked at my friend, the journalist
inQuiringly.
"Ol, yes" he said. "and they don't
care Once an opium smoker always
an opium smoker"
We had spoken In IL whisper, but one
OF the men, good looking fellow, who
must hive been smart officer not
long before, raised himself on one eli.
bow and glowered Mt u.s. Curse your
he said. "Be quiet. Curse you'll" And
lie dropped back on to tho mt again.
"rhe second sleep after the frat
pipe" said my friend.
How do you know?"
Because they are always irritable
then" he said. after the second pine
1t takes II. good deal to disturb them,
and after the third. unless they are
very seasoned smokers, you could let
on crackers next to them before they
awoke OF themselves, and they would
think that 1t was wind tapping the
snils"
Another OF the men sat up. must
explain that there was no furniture
whatever In the ROOM There was co.
coanut mating on the floor, there were
q few pillows. and that was all. But
the lighted lump was in the corner, and
In the middle. among the feet was n
thing which looked Il little like Turk.
ish hubble-bubble pipe, n lamp Of glass,
In which think spirit was burned,
making n small flame.
Next to 1t, a little white pot with q
dark brown paste in 1t that looked like
yarnlsh, and on small rack, like II pen
rack. several knitting needles. When
tile mum sat up the woman In the kimo.
no and curl papers crawled over to
him. took one OF the knitting needles,
put her finger and thumb into the
paste and cooked ball OF 1t on the
point of knitting needle over the
flame OF the lamp.
And noticed then, as the smell be,
came more acute, that the whole room
had treacly sickness about it. That,
of course, was the;opium. Next to the
man. where suppose he had dropped
1t, was long cherry wood stem with a
bulb OF amber at one end and tiny
cup at the other. / think the cup had a
pin In 1t, but am not sure. The wo.
man put the little ball OF opium, which