Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-31
AWAITS ACTION OF GRAND JURY
DISTRICT GIRL HELD AT BALTI-
MORE ON SERIOUS CHARGE.
Said to Have Engaged in Sale of
Morphine Tablets in Collision
With Others.

Miss Mabel Owens. stenographer in the
office of c. A. Snow, patent attorney, who
was arrested in Baltimore Monday night
and charged with having engaged in the
sale OF morphine tablets, was held for
court at a preliminary hearing before
Justice Grammar yesterday. Being unable
10 give security in the sum of $1,000, the
young woman was committed to await the
action of the grand jury. William G,
Lauer druggist. at 1901 Edmonson ave-
nue., Baltimore, and William Davis, his
colored porter. were also held for court
Lauer gave bond in the sum of 81 600 for
his appearance.
Miss Owens, who is about twenty-eight
years of age, admitted she had purchased
morphine in Baltimore several times. ex-
planning that she had used the tablets and
saying she had also given some of them
TO friends. She presented pitiable sight
before the magistrate. sobbing and beg
ging that she be released.
Il did not buy the morphine with the
intention of selling it, she declared. u
suffer great pain and use the drug to re-
1ieve 1t. If / am not permitted to go
will lose my position in Washington
The colored porter declared he did not
know anything about the contents of the
package that he delivered to Miss Owens
j. w. VanZant, member of the local po-
lice department, who is detailed in charge
of the work Of enforcing the pharmacy
laws, said this morning that he had heard
of young woman making visits to Balti-
more and engaging in the business of
handling morphine tablets, but not until
last evening, after her arrest in Balti-
more, had he learned of her identity. He
had been told. he said, that the woman
went to Baltimore on the electric road
and had arrangements to ascertain some
thing about her identity.
Suspected Of Doing Large Business.
He was surprised TO learn that she had
as many as TAO quarter-grain tablets in her
possession. the stock being larger than per-
sons engaged in the traffic usually carry.
although he was under the impression
that she had been doing business on a
large scale here.
she must have dealt with the better
class of victims of the dope habit" said
Inspector Vanzant to a Star reporter this
morning, .'as very few of the lower class
of such victims use morphine. They use
chiefly cocaine or coke as they call it.
Those of the better class of victims of
dope usually get the habit after morphine
has been prescribed by physician while
those of the lower class use cocaine be-
than those produced by liquor that may
be bought for the same money!
Inspector Vanzant said he was rather
glad that the arrest had been made in
Baltimore. declaring it is not an easy mat
ter to get convictions in this city in
such cases. The Maryland law. he said.
makes 1t easier to get convictions He
says the Virginia law relating to the
traffic in dope Is an ideal one and he
hopes this city will have such a law some
DAY. In that state. he said. the law pro-
vides a penalty for having such articles
as cocaine. morphine and other dope In
possession. the penalty being from one
to five years.