The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-28
At ILL.,, 4DYINGI IN
STOLEN DRUG FEAST


moved and Major Lawes took his place.
At that time many prisoners were In
jured in a free for all fight. Two weeks
ago. also. conditions there were brought
30 the Grand Jurys attention. in con-
nection with the commitment to the
Tombs to await trial OF several prisoners
charged with Offence on the island.
The reports reaching Mr.. Martin are
that discipline has become 80 lax under
the kindly rule Of Major Lawes. a COM
paratively young man Who came to his
present position from a place at the
Elmira Reformatory. that the keepers
cannot secure q semblance of obedience.
On several occasions. he Is informed.
prisoners have dehsd the keepers and
are permitted such liberty that there
have been many attractions Of good con-
duct. These. he hears. are becoming
more and more open and seem to 20 I'M
punished.
The prisoners yesterday seemed to
welcome as a diveraiOn the excitement
caused by tho plight OF so many OF
their number and the burglarixing Of tho
room.
"Come on in md get a good story"
was the greoting OF a Einning sixteen
year-old trusty who opened the door OF
the main refDrmstory building % q re-
porter yesterday afternoon. ana that
0eeIHeo " bu"' w t"e p'iSo'uS 0'''-
tude.
Rows Of heads protruded from the
windows Of the buildings rom 2 ,'ciock.
when the first sufferers were nix N to
the hospital. until 7. when the last two
were found moaning on their beds In
their rooms. As a new arrival.
doctor, official Or newspaper man. APP
peared mor comments passed from
window to window and among the little
knots of men which the new policy
permits to gather all about the grounds.
Wherever could be seen the blue
trousers and striped shirts Of the pris-
oners there could be heard and seen
evidence that to those not writhing on
hospital cots or floor this close proximity
to death Of forty-seven men was a mix
ture OF enjoyable entertainment and an
excellent practical Joke.
Few keepers were to be- seen. and
these wore a subdued air. except for a
small group eagerly taking finger i'm
pressions from the freshly painted wood
work of the ri1ed storeroom, under d.
rections from detectives OF the NTH
branch bureau. They hope by compar-
ing these with the prison records to dis
cover who stole the drugs.
This desperate effort to get doses OF
the narcotics from the use OF which the
reformatory attempts 10 wean It's pris-
oners IL significant particularly because
1t is TO the Harris Island reformatory
that mel and boys are sent who are
supposed 10 rave passed the first stages
OF the cure.
Tha most serious ca roo of drug addic-
ton are sent first to Iiiackwell's Island,
where for Ave or six weeks they under
20 tho "hyacinth treatment" which re-
moves supposedly the craving for drugs.
Thence they are sent to Harris Island to
recover with the aid Of hearty though
plain food and fresh air the strength
that they often lose during the first
riRors OF the cure, The Harris Island
prisoners. therefore. are supposed TO
nave lost the craving for drugs and to
be almost cured.
While the reformatory Is designed for
those convicted Of several misdsmeanors,
at least 60 per cent. Of the prisoners
there are drug fiends, more than In any
State institution, and a very large per-
centage Of them are mere boys. Al
though the ages range from 16 to 80,
the majority are under 81. and 1t was
among these that the stolen mixture
yesterday seems to have been most
widely circulated and to have produced
the worst effects.