Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-08
DOCTOR HELD ron rRrA

here McDeviu exhibited ten prescriptions
written by Doctor Hendrick Commissioner
Long said he regarded the case a most
serious one and held the physician in $1,000
bail for court
McDevitt told the writer there we're M.
teen or twenty physicians In Philadelphia
doing 'land office" business writing mar
cotic drug prescriptions for drug addicts
ender the guise OF curing them.
NOW. as TO the reduction treatment which
is used by the M u. Dopesters" as an ex-
cuse TO dispense habit-formlng drugs. Or.
Horatio G. Wood Jr-, chairman OF the mar
cote drug committee Of the Philadelphia
County Medical Society. In testifying re.
Gently as an expert said the reduction
treatment was only successful when ap-
piled by competent physicians In institu-
lions which have every provision for the
care of drug addicts He offered this testi.
mony In the case OF Dr. William y. Hol.
comb, Seventeenth street below oxford. who
was accused Of writing prescriptions by the
wholcsale.
sHrIEwD PRODUCTION" TRICK
McDevitt explained the ramihcations' OF
the reduction treatment drug addict
calls ON n doctor and tells him that he
wishes 20 be cured OF the heroin habit
The addict win always say his daily dose
Ia larger than II actually is, 30 that he can
accumulate supply ahead or get supplies
for friends.
For instance. we will say that the daily
He tells the m. D. dopester'' that his dose
IL twenty grains. and on that basis the
physician begins the reduction treatment"
The frs. day the physician gives his pa
tent' nineteen and three-quarters grains,
the second day nineteen and one-half
grains. and so on until he has him down to
his actual daily dose Of ten grains. Then
the patient goes to another doctor and re-
peats the performances McDevitt has found
"hendB~ who took the reduction treat
.l,N. 0
same time. In this manner they obtained
q large supply of dope" for fellow addicts.
The Harrison act provides that a proper
ly registered physician may write prescrip-
tons for narcotic drugs II the purpose OF
these prescriptions is within the legitimate
purposes OF his practice. But the law
specifies that these prescriptions must not
contain more than two grains Of opium,
one grain OF morphine or an eighth OF
grain of heroin. Some of the prescriptions
written by Doctor Hendrick and filled by
the druggists, Toplan and Baylinson, con-
tained from fifteen to twenty grains Of
herotn, according TO McDevitt.
y Internal revenue officers recently found n
physician who had class of boys nineteen
and twenty years old who are taking the
ferred fondy to them as his boys bri-
gade." When an m. d. Dopester' is placed
on trial he always makes the defense that
he made a sincere effort 10 cure his pa.
among his witnesses are always some of his
victims. They swear that they were on the
road to a quick cure" when the treat
ment" was stopped by the arrest of the
physician. The dope" fiend has only one
mission in llfe--to obtain his daily supply
OF dope" He will swear his very life
away TO protect and save from Jail his
doctor u.
Revenue officers have found that the ma.
3orirt of m. D. Dopesters' are drug
addicts. This explains why they have de.
parted from the high ideals Of the medical
profession. physician recently taken
into custody was formerly one Of the most
successful and highly respected practition-
ers In the city. But addiction TO morphine
dragged him down till he became a drug
dispenser with dingy offiee on tha edge
of the Tenderloin.
McDevitt Investigated a drug store that
had filled nearly 1000 dope" prescriptions
IN few weeks. Another had filled 1000 IN
eight weeks.
THE DOPE PEDDLERs
Great quantities of narcotic drugs are
distributed by peddiers In the employ of the
dope syndicate Take the case of Joe"
Hart, erstwhile proprietor OF one Of the
narcotic drug stations maintained by the
syndicate IN this city. He was convicted
in the United States District Court last
March for having dispensed morphine
heroin and cocaine and is serving a SEN
tence.
Among drug addlcts Hart was known as
the Dope King" He maintained house on
Watts street below Vine. In this house
were many ingenious hiding places When
the place was raided thirty-nine packages
OF morphine were found In a zinc tray
which slid into one OF the walls OF a
bedroom. The opening in the wall was
covered by wall paper and the place was
further concealed by a picture bearing a
religious exhortation There was also
considerable quantity OF heroin hidden In a
Bible. The center OF the book had been cut
out 70 mako room for the drug. 90
Hart supplied peddlers who had regular
routes. Eight or ten called at his house
every day and received their goods -
Through these peddlers Hart averaged 5000
or $500 profit daily. He obtained a great
deal OF his dope" supply from Canada and
Mexico via the smuggling route of the
'dope syndicate" which uses even coffins 10
carry In the drugs
King Brown, who IL also In Jail, was
another notorious dealer. Brown ran a
-statlon" In Providence court He had his
supply concealed back OF electric bells IN
secret closets. In laundry bags and under a
sliding noor In order TO slide back the
noor Il was necessary. for Internal revenue
officers TO press a spring In another room.
Brown supplied ten or twelve peddlers, who
tfayersed all parts Of the city, destroying
the health and corrupting the morals OF hun
@fro@ VI tneh anu Noiheh SirlS and boys.
Dick SAMSON. who is serving a sentence.
was peddler. He had what is known m
the drug world as the pocket route" He
carried drugs concealed about his person
Heroin was found sewad In the sleeves of
his sweater and hidden behind his hat band.
SAMSON met his customers in cheab ras-d
tauranta. saloons and po0lrOoms and often \
sold morphine. heroin and cocaine on the
streets. John scarpetta. who Is In Moya-
menains was a peddler OF the SAMSON TYNE
Two hundred like them are employed by
the syrdieate 20 peddle narcotic drugs in
PHILADELPHIA and nearby towns the syn.
dicate has built up s10oo-a.week business
among the workers OF the boom powder
town At Fennsgrove. N. j.. and has agencies
IN Atlantic City, Reading. Alientown and
other nearby towns and cities
WHEN THE LAW FAILED
Internal revenue onicsrs have arrested
peodiers who had dope" concealed In their
hair Ia hiding places cut IN the heels Of
a1oes IN eieeretts cases and IN the backs
~ fake watches One peddler taken hi by
Nopeyitt had 400 mors,iine capsules con-
ceaied In an army cartridge belt strapped
shout his waist Another tuna McDevitt
Go1Ad thirty srains Of Asroin coDcealed in |