The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-31
DRUGGIST ARRESTED
ON FELONY CHARGE
w. u. Mathis Accused of Sell
ing Cocaine and Morphine
Contrary to Law.
IS UNDER $1,000 BOND
Denies Guilt Through Attor-
ney; Drug-User Makes
Confession.
IS UNDER $1,000 BOND

w. T. Mathis, senior member OF tie
drug firm OF W. u. Mathis d Company
B9i South Main street, was arrested ScS'
terday afternoon on n felony charse' IL
being alleged that he has sold coca'ne
and morphine in violation of the statues
= nf Utah Tho arrest of Mr.. Mains ~ INC
result OF campaign by the local police
tho state medical board and the STATE
board of pharmacy To put a stop 10 lhe
Illegal selling of such poisonous drugs
The defendant appeared before ILL nJa
afternoon. and on furnishing bali p2na rN
in the sum Of $1,000 was released ine
date for n preliminary hearing vas no,
decided upon, Mr.. Mathis has rctalned
Attorney Wedgwood said last night
speaking for the defendant. that Mr.,
Mathis WAS entirely Innocent or tnc
crime charged and that he had sold INC
drug which resulted IN the arrest only
on a doctors prescription which nc Dc
licYed To be bona fi6e.
Officers Work Hard,
Tho case against Mr.. Mathis was
worked up and the arrest made pS
Patrolman Wire. who has been engaged
one month. Last Saturday night Henry
Slater, a confirmed drug uscr, was ar
rested by Patrolman Wire momen,
after Slater came out of the Mathis drug
a small round box labeled "cocaine and
morphine containing small quantity
Of white f1occucnt powder, similar In ap-
pearance to cocaine. This drug has been
submitted To Herman Harms, city chem
ist for analysis
1t is alleged that Slater confessed to
having obtained the drug from the
Mathis drug store by means OF IA bogus
doctors prescription TO which he forged
the name of DR. Olson. 1t is further al
legod that Slater confessed that Mr.
Mathis had taught him In what manner
10 make out doctors prescription.
AT : o'clock yesterday afternoon Pa
5rolInan Wire swore 10 complaint al
the county attorneys office charging
Mr.. Mathis with violating the drug stat
ute Immediately following the issuance
Of the complaint Mr., Mathis was arrest
cd and was taken before Mr. Harper,
when ne was released on bonos
Pharmacy Board Active.
\ mcmber Of the state board of phsr~
macy said last night that in regard TO
tho prosecution OF these cases the phar-
macy board had been active In attempt
Ing TO run down violaiorS OF The statute
and THAT they had employed every means
possible TO that end. consulting the pc
lice when necessary. He said that the
police had given the board every aid. but
that they had found IL very difficult to
secure convictions under the statute. He
said that at different times the board
had employed detectives who had work led
upon cases for many weeks without Sc
curling the REQUIRED evidence. and that
3n all, the board had spent over $1,000 in
its attempts 10 run down tho principals
who are responsible for The unlawful
traffic In Salt Lake.
The state medical board has worked
along the same lines and has been con-
fronied with the same difficulties in OBJ
tanning convictions. IL IS alleged that =
number OF physicians In Salt Lake sell
prescriptions TO drug users for - cents
each, and That when they are called be-
iilf. hos ln1 h1 bn
10 whom they sold the prescription re-
aufred the drug for the welbeing Of
as health.
Penalty Is Severe.
Not more than "a month ago the state
board OF pharmacy offered a reward OF
300 for evidence leading 20 the convic-
uon Of any druggist in salt Lake City
ers who cannot show a physicians pre-
scription. The penalty for tho illegal
sale of cocaine is from $1,000 TO So 900
finc or five years Imprisonment. or both.
withstanding that the great major
ity of the drug users In Salt Lake obtain
drugs by illegal methods and that tho
Sreat majority OF drug users confront
The most abJect poverty and will sink 10
any le"cl 10 obtain money with which 10
purchase drugs. no one has come 10 The
pharmac board for the reward
member OF the board said last night
That drug user came 10 him a few days
ago and said that although he needed the
500 ne would moi testify against The
mon who furnished him with the dru-.
Inc drug victim realized mat should he
TESTIFY In such q case Il will be iunrossf-
ble In future FOR him TO buy the drugs
TO which he is addicted In this city.
s.. NJ Barlow chief of police. said last
night that lie has been working Tor
months 10 collect evidence against viola :
Tors of the law which will lead TO con-
yictions, but that the evidence is most
difficult To- obtain.