The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-12-17
THEOPIUM OCTOPUS
NEW YORK CITY HAS 10000 HOP
FTENDS. MOSTLY WHITES
AND NEGROES.
HAS STRANGlE-HOlD ON CITY

NIongolians No Longer Have Monop-
DIV of the Supplying Fumes. Gov
eminent Fails to Stem Startling
Growth of This Vice. Its IneVita-
ble Alliance With Crime.
NEW YORK CITY, Dec, IA, 1873
If is a startling fact that notwith-
standing the strenuous labors of the
customs authorities New York city
has become the largest consumer of
smoking opium in the world, 1t is
no less true that this vicious and de-
grading habit is steadily and solently
extending its malign influence, its
deadly tentacles Of corruption and
CONSEQUENT crime. There are over
so 600 opium smokers in New York
city entangIed in the clutches of this
terrible vice and made, by its intiu-
ence. susceptible to any suggestions
of crime or degradation. No longer
has the Monaghan a monopoly OF
the Supplying fumes. Thousands OF
white men and women are victims of
the habit and thousands of negroes
OF both sexes have become addicted
to it.
Recent Investigations have disclos-
ed an appalling condition of things
throughout the city, exceeding in IL
responsible viciousness anything
that is known of Chinatown. The
Monaghan smokes moderately but
his black and white imitators crave
the narcotic with unbounded and un-
comfortable desire. All over the city
the monster of opium lies silent and |
unnoticed day after day, gathering
new victims into his relentless grip. |
Opium dens of the old style-bunk |
houses-have disappeared and smok-
ers consume their pills in the pri-
vacy of their furnished rooms. The |
octopus mas mastered the deHiEens Of |
the -murderers, burg |
lars, thives and gamblers-and now
his Shiny deadly tentacles are
searching the more respectable re- /
gions. No longer is the evil confined
TO the tenderloin and the lower East |
Side. The Harlem and the Bronx
victims no less than their down town
neighbors find no difficulty in form
ing the habit or in obtaining sup
plies.
Opium Smoking and Crime.
Most of the men connected with
the Rosenthal murder were opium
smokers. 1t is asserted emphatically
that many of the recent crimes of
violence are a direct result of the
increasink drug habit and the opium
smoking crook is regarded as the
most dangerous criminal of all Grim
inals The gunman, the burglar, the
dangerous criminal of every descrip-
ton has learned to find in the fumes
of opium the courage that his degen-
Nie1tC SOul IOCo lLOl hION anu t14C Viz
regard for consequences of which he
would be incapable without the in
fuence Of the drug. "Fill up on
dope and the world is yours" is the
formula of the criminal, and law be-
comes meaningless, while police and |
Jail recede beyond the view of the
Opium-dimmed mind
Enormous Profit in Traffic.
The police keep aloof from troub-
les with opium as long as outward |
decency and order" appear undis-
turbed They have no knowledge
of the laws, Inadequate as they are,
to prevent the spread of vice and no
desire to enforce them if they knew
them The trade is enormously lu
crative. The notorious Ii Quong
lung, otherwise Charley Boston, re-
speeted friend of several chiefs of
police, sold an average of $4,000
worth Of smoking opium a month,