New-York tribune., 1907-06-25
COCAINE FIENDS WORK.
Search for Sellers of Drug to Chill
dren Continues IN Nescark.

| Newark y j. June 24 (SpeciaD.--If the Legis-
| lcture of New Jersey regards the appeal OF the
| rlothers whose children have been attending the
! public schools in Camden and Morton streets. in
Newark the law regulating the sale OF cocaine will
be amended during the present session SO that the
penalty for its violation, winch Is now uhoushl 10
be altogether lenient may be fixed at the dis
| cretion of the judge. Anxiety mingled with indlg-
| nation continues TO grow in the hearts or THESE
| parents since the discovery a few days ago that
few of the pupils of these Fyo schools, some
Of them as vot,ng as ten wears, had become ad-
dicted 70 the use of cocaine. and the end is not
yet. The investigation is not over, and teachers
and principals in every one OF the schools are
combining their efforts with those OF the police
and Sheriff Frank i. Sonlmer TO get track OF every
youngster who has been led astray.
Perhaps never ~ the history or the pupc scI4Co
system in New Jersey has there been cause Tor
greater CONSERVATION among the principals and
teachers than the revelation that the children un-
der their charge We're fast becoming slaves 10
wasting habit.
The drug was introduced into the aforementioned
schools through the agency of a trio OF depraved
youths, acting 1t is believed in the interests OF a
more depraved set of older victims The arrest or
these three youths last week was the first intlma-
ton that the teachers of either school had had or
what going on, but with the truth known II
is said the teachers found ample means TO explain
differences in certain pupils who had SHOWN d
gradual falling off in their studies.
The plight Of these innocent children GheEe We're
more than a dozen, far as the police could
ascertain was the most recent discovery in the
crusade against the drug and It's friends which
grew out OF raid made upon q den OF men ana
boys in which eight We're arrested and found TO be
drug and confined in cells the prisoners. espe-
cany the younger ones, readily told the police
about the lucrative that three other youths.
those subsequently apprehended had been carrying
on among the school children at both schools.
With the assistance Of the school principals, the
police soon found pupils who had been lured 10 a
neighboring candy store, and there had their hrst
lesson the Of the poison. Two OF these chll-
dren with their parents went to court, and there
clean breast Of their practices. They told sn
amazing story IN which they stated that they had
been purchasing the poison since last March ana
that on one occasion they were taken TO New
York by one of the prisoners TO get an additional
supply Of cocaine
Confronted by their youthful victims. the three
prisoners lost their nerve and made no denial OF
the charges According 10 the information OBJ
tanned by the police the unscrupulous venders OF
the poison lay in wait each day for their young
patrons disposed of large quantities Of the
deadly stock for the pennies that were intended
for ice cream, pies and candies AS precaution
against being detected II Is said the youngsters
taken TO a nearby candy store. the reDdeZvous
of cocaine iends and there received their share or
the poison well as instructions in It's use
Sheriff Somrner. at whose behest the crusade was
begun is determined TO put stop 10 the use OF
the poison. Among those already arrested is
druggist, from whom, it alleged, victims or
the dope" found it easy matter to purchase the
drug in whatever quantities they desired In two
which have been disposed Of by the court tho
offenders have been sentenced TO three months
confinement in the penitentiary at Caldwell and TO
pay fine Of 500 in and 800 In the other.