Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-04
DOPE FIENDS TURN
STATION TO ASYLUM
Drug Victims Shrek for Mar
cotics - Woman Prisoner
Most Defiant of All.

"Cut IT, Kid You society danes don't
know nothin about us. Us hop-toads
amt like these coke-snilfers you seen
here today. Nothin' amt ever gonna
break me Of the dope habit and YOU might
as well lay off your spiel. can get
all the dope | want and so could these
guys, but they've Just lost their nerve
over this new-fangled law"
~ well-dressed woman representative of
the Pennsylvania Prison Society drew
back in alarm today when Stella Martin
known in the Tender.oin as the Queen
OF the Cokers,' made this reply to the
VISITORS question as to whether she
wanted to undergo the cure" or not.
stella is the wife of Steve" Martin
OF w Winter street, who is now in iai
lor selling cocaine and heroin She was
Drought UP from MOyamensing Prison
where she is being held for court for
having the drugs which nave lust come
under the ban in her possession She
was disgusted witness at the hearing
at the llth and Winter streets station
this morning when 10 prisoners, in vari.
Gus stages of exhaustion, expressed their
willingness to so to the Philadelphia
Hospital to join the 10 or more victims
OF opiates already there since the Har-
rlson law went into effect
m hoptoad ana | don't deny it,"
she said when she was led back to
cell after refusing to join the batch sent
away for the cure Those coke.
sniifers are new to the game and they've
Just lost their nerve Let me out for
an hour and I'll get YOU all the dope
YOU want"
One of her former "specialties' used
TO he TO masquerade in mans clothing
complete to the cane. When on the
stage she took the part of Buster
Brown" She blames her present pre-
dicameut on police persecution and says
the bulls" will never be able to send
her up for good"
During the hearing the station house
rcsembled an insane asylum ward. Vic
tins Of cocaine and heroin, who only re-
Gently became addicted to the habit, and
others who have been slaves of drugs for
periods ranging from one to three years,
shreked and ciamored for opiates.
Samuel Aoarana was one of those who
testified. His face was the color or chalk.
Every muscle of his face quivered, and his
voice barely reached above a whisper
Like most of the men, he was anxious
10 take the Cure" but said he could
never have done so il his supply had
not been stopped altogether. He told of
leaving his wife and four children in
New York city, six months ago to come
in the tenderloin a stranger influenced
him TO try a heroin pill" After that
the habit had him In its grasp, lie
knew nothing, he said, waking or sleep
ing but his desire for the deadly dope
He sold his house on tine East Side. in
New York had the proceeds Of the sale
sent to him here and admitted that all
remembrance Of his family had virtually
gone out of his mind. He wanted 10 20
to the hospital to try TO affect recon-
cilatiou with his wife, but could not
muster mp strength and COURAGE to do so,
Thomas Hayes gave his address as 1923
Wharton street. He is only 2i years old,
He gave himself up because he could not
beg or steal money for pills" he said.
You think nobody is selling ne stuff"
he said, but they are. Where gonna
get 25 cents apiece for heroin llls? A
sniff Of coke is worth hits and you got
TO he known 10 get 1t at that"
Nicholas Beropi was another Italian
American prisoner who told OF the spread
his fellow-Countrymen downtown. lie
gave up q business at 1898 Catharine
street after the drug got its hold on him
Walter Bains came here from Water
bury, Conn, eight weeks ago, he told the
Magistrate lie strolled into the Arse
nal" at 10th and Winter streets, by acci-
dent He had been in the Tenderloin ever
since and lost his position as a travelling
salesman. Others who wanted to take
the cure" are GeOTge Shaw, - years old,
of l25 North Franklin street, a former
actor; Roy Woods, 20 years old and
James Beamish. Woods said his father is
a manufacturer, and declared his family
lived In West Philadelphia.