Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-14
OPIUM SMOKERS GO
FROM WONDERLAND
TO POLICE STATION
Awaken From Dreams of Beauty
to Face Horrible Realities
of Arrest and Court
Hearing
FIVE OF THEM CAUGHT

A whistle not unlike the plalntive note OF
the Bob white" attracted the attention
OF Detectives Malone and Mccullough at
3 o'clock this morning in the vicinity of
Fifteenth and Vine streets
The detectives derted into the shadow OF
a building. They knew the whistle TO be
that used by the members of the dope" ring
In the Tenderlon. The whistle meant that
the coast was clear. and that there were no
bulls" (policemen) In sight
The whistle sounded three times, and
then the policemen saw two men come eau
tiously from an alley. The glare of an arc
light on their faces showed them to have
the brand Of the opium addict Their cheeks
were sunken, their skin white as chalk and
their eyes dull and watery They were
bent over like old men in the sixties and
they walked with shuffling gait. The pair
Knocked four times on the front door at
1904 Vine street The door was opened
and they entered noiselessly. The door
closed and all was quiet again
The detectives went around to the rear
Of the house. They mounted to the roof
of shed and pried open a second story
window, entering a hallway which was as
dark as pocket. The house was as quiet
as a tomb. so quiet that the breathing Of
the detectives sounded to them like the
bang, bang" of a motorcycle with the
muffler removed.
A slckening odor-the smell of smoking
opium-drew the sleuths to. the third floor.
The murmur of drowsy voices came from a
front room. The detectives crouched down
by the door and listened.
"Oh. am so happy" the dangerous voice
of young woman was heard to say. Her
voice dropped almost to a whisper as she
continued:
This is beautiful country around here
It's all green. / can hear the birds sing
ing Look over. between those trees May,
and see the ocean sparkling in the sun,
light. oh. hope T never wake up"
Don't butt in on my pleasure Hazel,
grumbled mans voice. Smoke up, kid
| and leave me in peace This is better thar
big meal Of corned beef and"
Detective Mccullough knocked on tn
door, The only response the knock brough
was this, from the woman who spoke first
Hear the breakers on the beach," sh,
said softly.
| door and forced II open. Even then tn
three men and two women in the room dis
| played no excitement They lay on couche
dteamily smoking opium, and gazed dull!
at the detectives. Not one of them mad
| any effort to rise.
| LOOK at ln6 Two RoOu-looklnB men,
said one of the women with a dream!
smile, give them a pipe. Stephen"
The smokers were bundled into a patro
wagon and taken to the Fifteenth anC
Vine streets station, where they were booked
as follows: Stephen Martin and Haze
Martin. both of 1904 Vine street Alber
Rolling and May Rolling. of 2l4 Soutl
Ninth street. and Nathaniel Meadowbrook
of 229 North Ninth street.
The prisoners being held for court b.
Magistrate Collins sit In their cells toda,
suffering from the nausea that follows
nights opium debauch. The odor still
| cings to their clothing-the sickenin
saccharine odor such as affects one afte
smelling too long of banana oil. But tn
prisoners do not mind the odor. 1t is th
abdominal gripping that hurts. They ar
awaiting the coming on of 'the habit
again. When the habit" comes they know
the pain.
THE habit" as the opium smoker tn
'yenshi" chewer calls IT, is the painful
physical demand for more. "Yenshi' is tn
leftover gum after the opium has bee
smoked-opium ashes" The fend vii
chew 1t voraclously and swallow the juic
In famished gulps. He would die for tn
satisfaction of 1t.
The opium layouts the prisoners use
were confiscated by the detectives and ar
being held as evidence"