The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-03-30
COCAINE TURNED
HIM FROM JEKYLL
into BASE HYDE
Former Minister Ends Recital of
Terrible Experiences as
a Drug Fiend.
ONLY POSSIBLE CURE
CONFINEMENT IN ASYLUM
Says Nature Furnishes Those
Who Set Back Her Work by
Taking Dangerous Stimulant.

IdkIug dangerous OtiIlluidilt'
THE EVENING STAR today pub
fishes the final instalment of the con-
fessions of a cocaine fiend. The former
Essex County minister, whose trench
ant pen has revealed the terrible suffer
ings which come to a victim of the
deadly drug habit, concludes the re-
citaI of his experience with cocaine.
Sheriff Sommer. to whom the ex-
minister made his confession, declared
today that the experience of the former
dominic was similar to that of hun
dreds of other unfortunates in this
city and throughout the State.
Part VIII. here follows:
PART VIII.
"Hallncinations now became daily
experiences with me. and the world OF
the unreal the one in which | dwelt.
The question Is often asked me as to
the ability of a man visited by halluci-
nations to reason them away. If ever
any one tried to do this be assured that
1 am the one. There is not a device
of logic or a marshaling of cogent rea-
soning that 1 did not bring to bear upon
Ilt DIdllLOiit6 lildl Af't ii0s = -"
upon them the powerful batteries of
convincing proof of their unreality as
! would, still they persisted in spite of
me. After a time it comes to pass h a
the logical processes are prone 10 be
exercised rather in the direction OF
confirming the existence of the hallu-
cinations than in that of dispelling
them.
II am not an expert in insanity, and
simply know what occurred In my case.
My college studies of logic had made
me familiar with the principle of con-
comitant variations and, in my Wild
est excitement and terror, | often re-
tanned enough self-command to put the
principle into operation in the subject
matter of my own insane fancies.
"The way in which 1 did this / now
regard as highly curious. Be 1t UNI
derstood that as soon as the last YES
tige of cocaine died out of my system,
/ returned to the firm ground of sanity
again. AT least. the active hallucina-
tions passed away, and, outside of an
abnormal constituencies to observation,
/ was perfectly rational. Accordingly,
I have gone forth into the park at
evening entirely free from cocaine, but
with a bottle of strong solution in my
pocket. With great Elaboration n
distinctness, l would say to myself: L
am now going to make a complete logi-
cal test of the reality of these phan-
toms.
"'At present, without the cocaine, 1
sec and hear none of them. If, when
! take the cocaine. they visit me. 1
will infer that they are purely n
entirely a product of the cocaine's ac-
49,, o,1 commemorative hayn No nhinp-
tive reality. AS a change of environ
ment produces a change in the consti-
tuition OF an animal, so a change in
my blood made by injecting cocaine
into it's currents will produce a change
in my thoughts. but there will be no
change in the external world round me
in the slightest degree.
Drugs Instant Action.
80 | would reason before taking the
cocaine. Is it not pitiful to see the
t~error-haunted mind thus trying to
exercise the fiends by clinging desper-
ntely to the devices of completest
sanity? Is there a sadder spectacle than
10 behold one struggling against coming
arrangement by grasping despairingly
at the planks thrown to him by for
mer education? If it is heart-rending
to witness a man battling against phys
ical death in an angry sea, is 1t
to observe him fighting n struggling
for the life of his mind already baffied
and buried by the pillows of derange-
ment? Under the cover of the dark
ness pressed the sharp syringe into
my flesh.
Christianity all my weakness and trem-
uIOusness disappeared with as quick a
transformation as that which Mansfield
makes when he turns from Hyde to
JckyII. A few moments of the sweets
of calm dream. and then the shapes of
Insanity begn to shroud my vision
Waves of nameless apprehension
began to steal over me--a g sense
of unrest and black terror. One by one
faces began to turn toward me. An
andescribable feeling OF waiting and eX-
pectancy crept over me. Something
dreadful was Just about to happen, /
knew not exactly what. That crowd of
people, which was every grow
ing more intent upon my concerns, was
about to approach me with some ter
rible or h%umihating proposition. They
were gathering strength, calling to one
another. shouting far Down the street
for their friends to come, ~gesticulating
and reckoning. Mysterious runnings
TO and fro took place, and sudden APP
pearances of men who seemed to ar
rive in GREATNESS haste.
by a direct psychic perception I
was aware that all the side streets
which were invisible TO me We're lined
with people who had hurriedly rushed
from their houses and were coming
toward me. l saw the doors slam and
the windows being raised, and heard
the voices calling What is it2' Wagons
turned the corners with the drivers
leaning far out from the seats and
searching in all directions to ind the
reason for the stir n confusion.
Clerks and employers ran to the win
dows of the stores and looked around
in bewilderment to ascertain the
of the excitement. Groups of men be-
gan to form, questioning one another
with ~eagerness. What is he?' Which
one?' What's the matter with him.
Still / tried to compose myself and TO
know that it was only fancy. But
every minute the expectancy grew
more intense, and the sense of impend-
ing calamity became more and more q
fixed and a~ll-pervading impression.
PowerIess to Resist.