The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-28
RUINED BY COCAINE
SAD FATE OF A MAN AND HIS
Wife.

Blighting Effects of the Drug Vivid
ly Illustrated in the Case of Twt
Young People.
The blighting powers of cocaine
says The News and Courier, wert
wildly demonstrated when Loui!
Malone and his wife, Rosa. a youna
white couple, were arrested an
hailed before Magistrate Onslaught
nessy's Court on a warrant perferr'
ed against them by Mr.. Elias S. Win.
gate. charging them with malicious
mischief in cutting up and otherwise
demolishing an old schooner belong.
ing to him, lying at Potter's wharf,
in which he allowed them to liv"
through compassion excited by thei:
destitute and desperate condition.
Both persons appeared before the
magistrate in an almost starving
condition, clothing in rags, neither
Of them weighing over rs pounds
and frankly attributed their condl:-
ion to the use Of the devastating
drug. Their wretched and skeleton
like appearance excited so much pity
in the breast of the prosecutor dur.
ing the course of the trial that h.
suddenly resolved to dismiss the
charges against the two and prayel
the Court to turn the prisoners loose.
Malone has since been arrested 'Iy
the police on a charge of vagrancy
and sentenced to a fine of IS Dr. t.
ten days in the County Jail.
Before becoming addicted to the
use Of cocaine Malone, who was born
in this city, Is said to have been a
frst-class carpenter, but the evil In
fluence Of the drug Don Slapped his
vital powers, and this Is the more
pitiful because Of the fact that he
married. and through his influence
his young wife also became addicted
to It's use: About a year ago the
couple came here to live, but wet
from bad to worse, and it eventually
came about that the two had no place
to call home.
After wandering about for severn:
months they at length picked out the
old dismantled schooner Maggie"
moored at Potter's wharf, as a place
of residence. The owner, Mr.. Elias
8. Wingate, hearing the deplorabie
story, was loath to eject them from
the sorry shelter as long as they
behaved themselves. but the two
soon made themselves Objectionable
by tearing and cutting off the wood
work of the vessel to use as fuel
with which to keep warm on cold
nights. Mr.. Wingate personally triel
to induce them to leave, but had to
resort to the law, as the Malone"
positively refused to leave ~peaceably.
Constable William r. Way states
that the condition of the two cocaine
aends in their home" was almost
un~believeably bad. They slept in a
place barely eighteen inches high in
the hold, because the other parts OF
the vessel were too uncomfortable
cold for them in their drugged con
dition. The officer had hard work to
find out this sleeping room, but was
finally attracted by the groans and
means Of the woman, VIII chad just
previously taken a stiff dose Of the
poison and was under its influence
The deck Of the schooner was de-
scribed as being literally covered
by the little white pill boxes which
had once contained the cocaine.
Offers of help we're made to the
Malones by Magistrate O'shaughnes-
sy and several other people present
at the trial, with a view Of relieving
their destitute condition, but these
kind offers were bruskly brushed
aside by the man, who stated tina;
they were too far gone already in
their indulgence of cocaine to care
for assistance. When Louis was ar
rested by the police on a charge OF
vagrancy Friday afternoon he gave
the officers a terrible fight for the
possession of the cocaine syringe and
the drug.
Salvation Army officers found ont
the condition Of the couple. and
we're especially excited to pity
through Rosa's ragged and wretched
appearance. The woman was taken
to the Salvation Army home and
there cared for before 1t was decided
to send her to her home in Birm-
ingham, Ala, but Rosa stayed there
only a few short weeks and then
again followed the fortunes OF her
husband. In an uncommonly short
space Of time she was again in the
same deplorable condition in which
she was found by the Salvation Army
officers. The skin of both unfortu-
mates has turned a deep yello"
through the excessive use of the
drug.