The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-01-21
Use DOPED needle.
INTENDED VICTIMS are DRUGGED
BY White SKRVERS.
GIRLS tell OF ATTACK
Latest Method Of Depraved Men is
Brought to Light in New York
One Suspect, After Mysterious In
lection Of Drug In Arm Of Woman
Sitting in Theatre, Held by Police.

lection Of Drug In Arm Of Woman
Sitting in Theatre, Held by Police.
The use OF the poisoned needle"
by white slavers in their nefarious
work OF procuring girls for the
brothels of the "red light" district Of
New York and other cities Is to be the
subject Of thorough Investigation
by city, state and federal authorities,
following the mysterious attack upon
a young married woman in a theater
TAT Newark, N. j., and similar stories
told by a number of other young wo-
men. While few sconers attribute
the. whole affair to woman hys-
teria", many police officials, vice cru
lsaders and heads Of institutions for
the protection Of girls declare that
positive proof has been obtained OF
novel method, suspected for months.
|. by which victims are being recruited
for a fate worse than death. Inject
Fling a powerful drug by the 5ab OF
needle, these "slavers", 1t is charged,
frender their victims unconscious, or
| at best semi-conscious, and then, by
posing as relative or friend, sue
Eceed in getting the girl away, osten-
fsibly "home" or to physician, but
| in reality to a den Of vice from which
there is no escape until it is too late.
Many intended victims succeed in es-
Gaping the clutches Of the poison
squad even after the deadly needle
| has bitten into their flesh, but there
is no telling how many Of the scores
who disappear from New York city
and. it's surrounding towns every
month have fallen prey to the ingen-
ious method now practiced by the
procurers. Those who fall never re-
turn to tell their story.
It was in the first months Of the
summer season that these strange
stories Of needle jabs began to be
told about New York, and a few
weeks later one Of the societies for
the protection Of young girls issued
warning against this newest meth
+ cd of the white slavers. The stories
increased, but no direct complaint
was made to the police until Mrs.
Marjorie Graft, bride Of a week, had
her strange experience in Newark
Vaudeville theater and reported 1t to
the authorities.
Mrs. Graf went into the theater
one afternoon, taking seat in a box.
There were two or three men in the
box at that time, and also another
man in box ahead Of her. The oc-
cppants OF her box left few minutes
after she entered, and the rcn in the
box ahead Of her moved be ck iato the
box in which she was sitting and
took seat Immediately behind her.
Mrs. Graft, after watching the per-
formance for several. minutes, MOTTO
ed that her coat, which she had taken
off and thrown over. the back OF her
chair, was slipping to the floor and
she put her hand back to rearrange
it.. : AS she withdrew her hand, she
felt a sharp, stinging pain in her
wrist. Almost Immediately her hand
became numb, and then the peculiar
feeling crept up her arm. She felt
herself grow sick and dizzy. also, and
she arose and made her way to the
ladies' waiting room, where she drop
ped on a couch In state Of exhaus-
ton. The matron administered smell
Ing salts and bathed her face until
she felt better. Mrs. Graf then told
her story to the woman, who called
the manager OF the theater and the
latter sent for a policeman. After
the intended victim had related her
story, she accompanied the police
man to the box in which she had been
sitting, and the young man, still sit
ting there, was placed under arrest.
! The mark Of the needle jag on the
woman's arm Is still visible.
At the police station he gave his
name as. Armand Megaro, and said he
| was South American, his home be-
! ing in Argentina. He had studied
drugs and medicines, and was en-
ployed as a clerk in drug store In
Newark. He admitted having been in
the. box with Mrs. Graf, and was
locked up. under heavy bail until the
affair could be sifted. Nothing In the
nature OF a hypodermic needle or
drugs was found on him, but an ex-
animation OF the theater box next
day resulted in the finding Of small,
thin darning needle on the carpet.
:, It Is with such needles as these,
dipped in some powerful drug, that
the attacks on women have been
made, according to the reports. A
South American drug, known as
tcorare would produce the effects de-
7 scribed by Mrs. Graf, and all other
victims for that matter gradual
numbing Of the immediate part in
which the drug is injected, followed
by dizziness, nausea and partial or
complete lapse Of consciousness.
According to the present theory OF
the police, the agents Of the white
slave trade enter theaters, big stores,
stations and other crowded places,
armed with needles on the point Of
which has been smeared a drop OF
this powerful drug. This IS Injected
into the hand. arm, or neck Of the
intended victim by jag OF the
needle. Then the bogus relative or
friend steps forward, and the rest Is
comparatively easy. Moving picture
theaters and vaudeville houses which
run. a reel or two OF moving pictures
oro tho favor;te n1aces for this work