The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-19
OR. DOYCE D. BROKER
IS PLACED ON TRIAL
Case Opened Yesterday Before Judge
Waddill In the United, States
District Court.
DEMURRER IS ovERRULED
Five Witnesses Testify Against Ac-
cused Physician, Who Is Alleged to
Have Violated the Harrison Mar
cotic Drug Act.

10 the indictments against accused
physician. DR.. Boyce u. Brooker, ~
West Grace Street, charged with pre-
scribing narcotics in violation of the
| trial yesterday in the United States
District Court.
Saturday Attorneys William ".
Justis, Jr., and Alfred +. Cohen, rep
resenting the accused physician, APP
peared before Judge Waddill and ar
gued the demurrer, contending that 4
physician had right to prescribe any
amount OF drug he pleases. AS soon
as Judge Waddill opened court yes
serday he rendered his decision, over
ruling the demurrer, declaring that in
his opinion a physician had a right
to prescribe only so much as is nec-
essary for his patient and may not
prescribe an excessive quantity
All OF yesterday was consumed with
examination Of six witnesses for the
Government All of the witnesses
were subjected to long cross -exami-
nations, and the court had to FREE
4uently ask the attorneys ACT to pro
long the case by asking the same
question over several times.
While there Is some hope of COM
pietsng the case by late this after
noon. 1t is hardly probable as only
a few of the witnesses summoned
have been called upon to testify
However. the case will come to an
end Wednesday, q the latest.
There were many physicians in the
courtr DOM yesterday. and the case Is
attracting considera BILE attention
among them, as this case is more or
less a test one.
Registered Under Harrison Act.
After Judge Waddill had rendered
his decision regarding the demurrer,
which was argued before him S.tur-
day and other motions had been dis
posed OF, Franklin HARDWOOD, deputy
collector of internal revenue. the first
witnes, was called to the stand. He
merely testified that DIR. Brooker was
registered under the Harrison Drug
Act, after which statement he was
excused.
Peter Lacy. negro who runs a
Street. and who was taken into Gus
tody some days ago by local detcc-
tives and Government officers on a
charge of trafficking in cocaine. was
the next witness to be called to the
stand. In reply to questions from AS
sstant District Attorney Hiram NJ
Smith the negro admitted that he had
been shifting coke" for several years
He testified that on numerous oc-
Brokers Office and secured prescrip-
tons for narcotics and the accused
physician never inquired IA to-
whether or not he was an ha httt:al
user of drugs
Mr.. Smith introduced some twenty
prescriptions as evidence, most Of
them were for cocaine, few being
for morphine. The attorney told the
witness that each prescription was
mn rL c1 sEtf~a nJ Ena
him whether or not he knew what
the directions were. He replied In
the negative, declaring that rs usea
any quantity he desired.
Drugs Cause OF Downfall
When the witness was turned oveer
to the defense. Attornew Cohen tried
TO esta blish the fact that Lacy mad
been under DIR. Brokers treatment
and had been cured OF the drug habit.
William Williams, a young man,
who came over 10 the United states
a short while ago from Amsterdam,
Holland. followed Lacy on the wit
ness stand. He declared that he rad
been employed a. piano player IN a
roof garden In Norfolk, and had also
performed in cabaret shows at Hope
we'll but that he had loss hts po-
xitions because of his use Of mar eotics.
II was a. Hopewell. he sad that he
came to Richmond and secure pre-
scriptions for both cocaine ard NOR
pEine from the physician. He was
he last witness to be heard before
the court adjourned for lunch.
When court reconvened at o'clock
Williams was called back to the stand
for brief period. G. A. PeaTce, a
we'll dressed and intelligent looking
young man, was called to the stand.
He testified that he had been work
ing at Hopewell for some two months
and had come there from Georgia,
his homo State. He assertel that he
had bean introduced to DR. Brooker
some tine in July by aanrher man,
ana ne had r"c cured numerous pre-.
scriptions -: IA otics fr pm thu pny-
stefan since that time. He estified
that he told Or. Brooker he was
addicted TO the use OF drugs, AMI
showed him his arm in which the
dope had been injected. re said he
paid So for each prescription.
When asked why he continued to
use the drugs, he answered that he
was told that his mind would be at
fected II he quit, and that he wasn't
going to take any chances on going
crazy.
While being subjected to cross ex-
animation he declared that it was
impossible for him to work without
morphine or cocaine. He declared
that he had been cured OF the drug
habit while being confined in the
hospital department OF the Richmond
City Jail He said that he had al
ways been OF a nervous tempera-
ment
Prescriptions Never Refused.
Pearce testified that on one occa-
sion, when he asked for prescrip-
ton for larger amount OF morphine
than usual the physician asked him
whether or not he was trying to kin
himself
After asking you whether or rot
you were trying to kiH yourself was
the amount asked for prescribe -
District Attorney Mann asked the
witness.
1T was he replied.
Following Pearce, E. +. Killiam,
some time known as e. T. Sicke., was
called to the stand. He answered
practically every one OF the questions
fired at him by the opposing attor-
neys without hesitation and made
very good witness. When Knliam
took the stand Mr. Smith introduced
sixty-five prescriptions a. evidence.
which had been issued to him XII