The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-17
COCAINE TRAFFIC
. WHIPPED BY Law
Dealers Afraid to Garry on Busi-
ness When Conviction Means
Long Term.
BUT SOME STILL SELLING 1T
Profit 10 Whole
salcrs Under the Old
Conditions.

| Five years in the pcnitcntiary is {
I long time. one year is long enough
and that explains Why the traffic il
mess 1t once WAS and why those who
peddlc ;hc dangerous drug. are quietci
Vim their methods and more cautious
as 10 how they ply their trade.
Cocaine is still being sold in Rich
iuond as witness the rolicc Court and
the llustiilss Court records and the
, names Which are on lille in the peni-
trntiary. But there is far less of Tho
drug being DISPENSED now than ever
bcfo and il is on account Of the
new iaw which makes il Il penal Of
tense even 10 have The drug in ones
pusss ss,cn Tile minimum penalty is
one year in tile penitcnttary: the max
imliin five Years. Formerly cocaine
iivcndurs were punished only by I, fine
and Jail sentences.
zig Profits Cor Dcnlcrs.
There is proiit in the busincss--n
profit TO the wholesalers Of from 100
Ia 500 per cent. The ordinary traf-
Ticker. who gets his ''Sniifs' from the
whoics;llc man. makes Il small amount
on each package he sells, "Snins' sell
from - to 80 cents each according
TO tile amount OF adulteration. One
''snim'' is enough for the ordinary
tend, Who, immediately after. taking
il rs one docs snuff. is immcdiatcly
on''ihe road To The seventh heaven Tic
effect of the drug. say the police. is
terrible. 1t drives the ticnd to deeds
Of desperation. which in his sober
mind, he would no, dream OF. Two
years ago one negro ran amuck after
tillinS himself With the poisonous
connection, and he wound up In the
City Hospital after he had shot eight
people. lie was shot down by Il po-
liccromcer and died afterwards from
the effects OF the wound
The wholesalers arc never caught.
II is only the small traflcker who falls
into the hands or the police. Ills is
the dangerous part OF the business.
He gets supply or packages from the
man Al the top. and goes out 70 sell.
II lie is arrested. he never divulges
the source of his supply. Even the
promise % immunity will not cause
him 10 give the police the tip But
the man at the top supplies the funds
necessary 10 cmi.ss LAWYER Each
lnt the small end-has a peculiar sort of
loyalty for the other, and one never
gives away the other t
II Quit In Fear Of Law.
It was a seventeenth Street negro
who first introduced the trade into
richmond lie was tried recently on
a charge of having cocaine In his pos
session and was acquitted. Iio ad :
mitted. however. that lie hal been In
the habit OF coke seing. az said that
IL was he who first vended cocaine In
this city lie gave up the business
after the passage OF tho new law, and
SO he says, has never sold an ounce
since
II is sold now only in spots" 1t is
believed by the police that The ms
mess is gradually DYING out Tho risk
Is TOO much. Tho finding Of only on,
sniff IN q mans possession is enough
TO send MIN over the "hill" So where
tratfickers were once arrested every
week almost every night they arc
No" caught only once in long period.
ana ~ Is seldom That the police fail
to convict II
Tho use Of cocaine by negroes in
INC south Increased 10 an alarming ~
tent a few Years ago and tho atten-
ton of the Virginia Legislature Vas
brought very forciply 10 the need of
n more stringent law. WITH The nas-
sage of the new statute tho business
decreased almost as rapidly as II had
grown. and II is believed now Ia 10
practically wiped ont But &c prof,,
is larger. and that Is why il is sill
ionally being sold
Mr. Chopin IMPROVING
->eh ChaDin son OF c. C. Chapin. vino
UTE Wms operated on for appendicitis at the