The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1916-02-17

nlm tins the authorities point out that
it would be extremely dangerous for
them to open every tin, thereby run.
ming the risk of spelling invaluable
films on the mere chance that they
contained opium. They say they would
require almost absolute proof before
they would take such a step.
Recently, however, the police in the
London docks have nipped several at
tempts to ship opium out of the coun.
try fraudulently in barrels containing
cheeses or grease. Several Chinese
have been prosecuted and fined, but
the fines were tmmaterial and the
Chinese only minor factors in the
game
London Authorities Alarmed.
But the society craze for drug TAX
ing is spreading SO rapidly, particular
ly among the better-elass women, that
new dangerous social factor has
arisen with which the authorities are
seriously concerned Means of crap
ping with it are now being discussed,
but the suppression of the vice will
require the passage of new laws CIV
ing the police greater powers than
they now possess.
A few years ago the drug-taking
ha bit, and particularly opium smoking,
was comparatively rare in England,
save among the Chinese along the
docks in the East end and a small
number of American crooks who fire.
quented dens in the same neighbor-
hood. By a system of exchange of
intelligence the American dope fiends
knew just where to go when they ar
rived in London and wanted their
"hop." Like homing pigeons they
made directly for Limehouse cause
way, near the docks. 1t is a narrow,
horrible, darksome street, where lights
are few and shadows many. 1t is not
a nice place to visit alone. The houses
are of the two-story kind, broken here
and there by dingy shop fronts. On
the left is the haven of the Americans.
It is run by Chinese whose name is
known to every American opium fiend
from New York to San Francisco. For
years it has been the mecca of pipe
fiends visiting London The interior
is as dingy as the exterior. Several
rooms are lined with rude hunks and
the dim light of the oil lamps shows
filthy paper and faded cheap chrome
or two.
The Chinese who runs the place is
of uncertain age. He might be sixty,
seventy or one hundred. With soft
fe1ted slippers he pads about from
room to room giving to each customer
his proper degree of attention. He
never forgets a patron and in some
mysterious manner keeps in touch
with all their movements and happen
ings. How he does it no one has been
able to fathom because he has never
been known to leave the narrow pre-
cincts of his own narrow street. Per-
haps it is because his world comes to
him. Yet, like some Chinese Moriari-
ty, he seems to be the center of a
web whose fibers never loosen.
Haven for Expatriated Crooks.
Where is Morris Mp" he was asked
one night.
"Oh, he South Africa, Joburg this
week, next week Cape Town"
whats become of 81" mentioning
the name of man who had been cut
ting a suspicious dash around the
West end hotels
"You no hear? He went back New
York. Punched, forgery; doing three
year stretch. He gave me bad check
.forty-two dollars"
Another venture, and the informa-
ton was promptly forthcoming that
the man was dead, and so, question
after question about various American
dope f1ends, from crooks to actors and
actresses; this man never was at a
loss to tell whether they were living
or dead, we'll or i'll, poor or prosper
GUS. In the present state of affairs
this queer character looms large in
securing opium for the ring.
But the clientele in the older DAYS
was small. Now it is large. It began
to grow when the Rosenthal murder
many New York gunner and
other criminals to emigrate to London.
These undesirables brought with them
their usual theories about gaining a
livelihood. Save that they found that
gun play was dangerous in London.
and that knitting was much safer. the
majority of them found London sim.