Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-06
TlOPE FTEND' THREATS
MAY HAVE DRIVEN DRUG
CLERK TO DISAPPEAR
Missing Youth Had Brood
ed Over Entreaties and
proAfered Bribes of Co
caine Users Who Urged
Him to obtain Supplies.
philip Eveland, of This City,
Employed in Wilmington,
Has Not Been Seen for Three
Weeks, and Relatives Fear
He Has Met With Foul Play.

.pope dends" in this city are suspected
!, r,ayInE a part ir the disappearance
pbiip Eveland, a young drug clerk
r,,,ade,phla, employed in Whining
nal because of the fact that he had
~. constantly pestered by users of
a,ues since the Harrison act cutting OH
8,,.,r supply, went into effect
80 bribes are said to have been Of
~, 30 Eveland q temptation to which
N ,notbecaries' assistants have been
J,,nioc, since the law stopped the sale of
-, and its various derivatives, to OBJ
opiu's, s,r certain men and women, frantic
ls ,. their enforced abstinence, the par
VIA drugs TO which they had been en-
slaved. .s,,u,, :, oh,,t,,
rem supplies from Drapers drug
~ I've sth and Jackson streets, Whining
~ where he was employed. 1t would
haya been unlawful for him to nave
,oten as much as the hundreth part OF
s.oIn of cocaine for any other purpose
than for the hlllng oil u prescription
written by physician.
All supplies of drugs bought by drug
.is,s must be carefully recorded as to
s,o,nt and date of purchase. All quar-
t,,ies used In prescriptions must also be
rscorded with the dates, so that when the
trederal inspectors visit store they VIII
and the proper amount of the drugs re-
naming in stock, showing that none had
hnan sold except as prescribed by physl.
c,ans In this way dope hends' have no
lawful means of obtaining supplies, and
conseouently the pressure OF their secret
demands upon the only persons who can
helm them-doctors druggists and drug
clerks-has been brought to bear with
full weight.
These demands, proffered bribes and
threats are said to have weighed heavily
on young Eveland's mind. He had no
had habits, he had saved money, he was
10 be married in June, though only 81
years of age. on April II, after his days
work he remarked that he was going to
visit his mother Mrs. Charles Shields,
in Philadelphia. She lives at 615 North
Ssd street. Evelands fancee lives In West
Philadelphia. OF course. he was going
to visit her too as he blushingly admitted
when twitted about this In the store.
He had $s5 in his wallet. He had n suit
case, in which was a new suit of clothes.
already packed Suicide or thought OF
suicide could not have been possible, his
associates declare. They supposed he was
going to Philadelphia to make prepara-
tions for his wedding in June. Perhaps
. IneA sugEeSleu' lie ldu decided NOT TO walt
so long and was going to be married the
next day. At any rate, they did not see
him next day and they have not seen him
since in the three weeks that have
elapsed.
There is theory that Eveland enlisted
possibly because unknown to his friends
he had had to postpone his wedding
through lack of sufficient funds and pos
sibly because the terrible entreaties of the
dope fiends' had preyed on his mind
until he could not stand the idea of re-
naming in the drug business, the only
business to which he had been trained.
His career ruined, it is believed by some
he thought the only place in the world
for him was the convenient battlefield of
Europe.
To have enlisted for service with the
Z British armies he would naturally have
gone to Canada. He may have enlisted
IN the United States army, navy or ma
rine corps unIer an assumed name He
had been sergeant in the 1st Regiment
OF the Delaware National Guard and has
an honorable discharge, He could not
enlist In the United States without show
ing his discharge papers (Which he did
not take with him) unless he did so
under an alias. Eveland Is 5 feet II
inches in height and weighs about $50
pounds He has blue eyes and light hair.
1t Is possible that he never reached this
city, but met with foul play in Whining
ton' and 1t Is probable that a search will
oe made today or tomorrow among the
poalhouses along the river front and the
streams skirting the suburbs of Will
mington.