Omaha daily bee., 1915-02-01
MANY VICTIMS BUY
DOPE IN THIS CITY
Big Wideopen Traffic in Drugs
Here, Asserted by Prison
Association Agent.
JAILER DISCUSSES LAST DRAG"

That the dope" evEl has practically
twice as many victims in Omaha now
as year ago; that the fifty-eight
"fiends' for whom the police secured
county Jail sentences are far from the
only victims OF drugs. and that Omaha
has . number OF dope-sellingS drug stores.
were statements made by M Andreasen
OF the Nebraska Prison association at
the court house yesterday.
lie revealed an open and growing trvsffic
in dope on the part of Omaha druggists
and declared for law making the sale
OF dope a felony
Information revealed by Mr.. Andreasen
and Henry Schroeder. county Jailer. and
the sights to be seen In the jail were OF
a kind TO lead an observer to the opinion
that tho dope issue IL a growing one.
In a solitary" cell OF the county iail.
placed there not for punishment but for
the good OF the other prisoners. Charles
Taylor. % years old, Is dying Of tubercu-
losls and excessive use OF dope.
Awaiting Terrible Death.
with the terrible habit so fastened to
him that the usual palliative and curative
measures for his disease are impossible.
Taylor is dying In circumstances from
which the lowliest canine cur world
shrink. Tormented by desire. and racked
by his disease too weak TO care properly
for himself and too utterly hopeless and
worthless to be the object Of any per-,
sons soiicitude. Taylor "a awaiting death
in his terrible CELL "a
with feeble voice he told AnquireFs his
name and age. He had been baker by
trade, he SAID. and had lived four years
In Omaha. As frequently happened.
disease united with dope to destroy him.
When the squad OF dope fiends was
brought to the jail one man was seized
with sickness caused by acute desire Tor
the drug. Some was given him by
physician. said Jailer Schroeder.
Ola Hands at Dope Game.
but there IL nothing new about this
bunch" said MIR. Schroeder. They have
practically all been here before at one
time or other. some prefer the needle or
they snuff II or smoke or take II anyway
they can get IL. We found about a dozen
needles on them.
After we keep them here for time
without dope they recover and grow fat
and healthy After they get out they
associate with their old cronies and stay
around their old haunts and so back to
the habit Eventually II gets them"
Mr.. .Andreasen in an interview given
The Bee told OF dope selling in existencs
In Omaha. His information he secured
at first hand by intimate and confidential
communications with scores OF 'fiends."
AIR Andreasen said:
ut is estimated that we now have over
900 dope fiends in this country and
this number Is fast increasing. II not
A.. h.tt AL
men and women who are OF high stand
ing in social circles
why Dope Fiends steal.
I'VE have here on an average forty
five TO fifty men who are spending most
of their time in the county jail and when
they are received there they are total
wrecks. They are not only full Of sores.
but they are mere skeletons, for when
these men have become total wrecks from
dope they are utterly unfit for work.
Consequently they have little money with
which to buy food and they obtain money
by stealing or begging and use 1t to buy
dope.
I'VE have a young man In the county
jail who has now spent nine months there.
He is only 25 years old and Is now cured
OF the dope. but the question is. what
shall we do with him? We hope to get
employment for him. but not In Omaha.
Dope Business Wide Open Here.
Anyone can secure dope in Omaha
without question being asked. and while
We may pass new laws for the restriction
Of dope, we Will never solye the problem
until the time comes when those who SELL
II can be sent TO the penitentIary.
Under our present law the druggist
need only pay his 500 fine and then can
go on doing business unmolested. Fur
thermore. II II not necessary for any OF
these Cope fiends to ask for anything;
all they need to do Is TO go to a drug
store. lay down the money and the dope
Is handed to them"
Says Boys Are victims.
Mr.. Andreasen differed from a recently
published statement that boys do not
learn the dope habit. He said:
Il have found that a large percentage
Of the messenger boys who carry done
for downtown drug stores have become.
victims Of the dope habit and are total
wrecks at the age OF Is OF H.
ITO my mind. while liquor is running
thousands OF homes in our country. Il q
not to be compared with the dope habit,
and my hope Is that the legislature will
enact such law as viii make Il a peni-
tertiary offense to continue IN this traf-
fic"
city or county workhousa is the
only solution Of the problems OF the VIC
Tins OF the dope habit. in the opinion OF