The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-10-23
RUINED BY COCAINE
SAD FATE OF A MAN AND HIS
Wife.

Blghting Effects Of the Drug Vivid
ly Illustrated in the Case OF Two
Young People.
The blighting powers of cocaine,
says The News and Courier, We're
vlvidly demonstrated when Louis
Malone and his wife, Rosa, q young
white couple, were arrested and
hailed before Magistrate O'Shaugh-
nessy's Court on warrant perferr-
ed against them by MT. 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 live
through compassion excited by Their
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 condi:-
! 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 prayeI
| the Court to turn the prisoners loose.
Malone has since been arrested ,y
] the police on a charge Of yagrancy
! and sentenced to a fine Of SIS or to
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 soon sapped mis-
vital powers, and this is the more
pitiful because of the fact that ne
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 1t eventually
came about that the two had no place
to call home.
After wandering about for severa,
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
S. Wingate, hearing the deplorabie
story, was loath to eject them from
the sorry shelter as long as they
behaved themselves, but the twa
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 trie1
to induce them to leave, but had to
resort to the law, as the Malonee
positively refused to leave peaceabIy
Constable William r. Way states
that the condition of the two cocaine
fends in their "home" was almost
unbelieveably bad. They slept in a
place barely eighteen inches high in
the hold, because the other parts OF
the vessel were too uncomfortably
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 ohad just
previously taken a stiff dose Of the
poison and was under its influence
The deLk 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 were made, to the
Malones by Magistrate O'Shaughnes-
sy and several, other people present
at the trial, with 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 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
were 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 it 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 deep yellow
through the excessive use Of the
drug.