Evening journal., 1918-05-16
state Wins AGAIN
AGAINST HERON
OdiS Wren Convicted Of
Trafficking in Unlawful
Drug
FILES MOTION
FOR NE . TRIAL

Another conviction was added yester-
day to the states string Of similar
achievements in the prosecution Of |
heroln sellers undertaken by Attorney /
General Reinhardt. Deputy Attorney /
General Green and the detective bu-
reau in an effort TO rid the community |
Of the traffic in the drug. The defend |
ant who was found guilty, before Judge
Helsel in General Sessions, Room No. ?
was Odis Wren. who also was convicted
last week upon another Indictment and
found not guilty upon a third. Sentence
was deferred pending the result Of a
motion for a new trial.
Wrens conviction makes the nfth the
State has obtained. One OF the seven
defendants pleaded guilty, and one re-
mains untried. There are stiil three
more bills against Wren, II the state
chooses to try them. Other untried
bills pend against some Of the defend
ants.
Deputy Attorney General Green ilrst
placed upon the stand Charles Palmer,
colored, who some time ago pleaded
guilty 10 handling heroln and has been
used previously by the Stale as a wit
ness. lie testified TO having gone TO
Wren's house In Kund street on Jan
uary ~ 20 get heroin, failed TO ilnd him
there, hunted for him and found him
at Fourth and King streets. lie asked
the usual question, Got any OF the
stun?" Receiving an Affirmative reply,
he bought a bottle OF herOin from
Wren, paying $3.50 for it In one dollar
bills and a nifty cent piece. The bottle
had nothing on 10 90 indicate its con-
tents. There was red label bearing
the name smith and the symbol for
one-elghth Of an ounce.
Wren's counsel was as In the other
trials l.. Irving Handy. lie put Palmer
through a grilling crOss-eXamination
but the witness stuck 90 his story
After 10 was over and before Palmer
left the stand Judge Heisel asked the
witness how he came 90 take his frst
dose Of heroin. Palmer replied that he
had been a heavy whiskey drinkcr and
had reached a stage where he was w0r-
ried about &C. He fell in with her0in
users, who told him that ths use Of
the drug was better for him than whis-
key, that it wouldn't make him rave
So" whereupOn he started in as an
habitue Of the drug He expressed re-
gret that he ever did so.
state Chemist Watson was next
called 10 establish the chemical nature
Of heron. This was because. at the
last trial Of Wren, a few days ago the
States chemist witness, Dr. Brown
testified that the sample OF heroin sub
mitied to him for examination as naN-
Ing been bought from Wren, was not
a compound OF morphine, within the
meaning OF The law under which the In
diciment on trial was brought. but q
derlvative OF morphine. This testimony
resulted In the court ordering a YER
dict OF not guilty.
Yesterday Or. Watson said most em-
phaiically that herOin is a compound
Of morphine
DR. Watson said that while the drug
is comparatively o new one there Is
published mention Of % as early as 1899
the year after It's Introduction In ma
ture chemically 10 Is two acetic acid
radiss linked with one molecule Of
morphine. That he said, in effect made
70 a compound Of morphine a COM
pound being the union Of two sub
stances TO form q third. a compound
could be decomposed and its free base
extracted In herOin certain alkalines
are used upon the drug to get back
from it the free morphine. That drug
direct derivatiye Of opium. lie described
a derivative as something which par
takes OF tho nature OF something else
TO illustrate this. Mr.. Handy having
asked concerning the chemical nature
Of gasoline with regard 10 The origin
DR. Watson said 20 was a derivativc OF
petroleum, but not a compound OF It
raising a laugh when DE referred TO the
uncertain and mysterious nature o
some sorts OF commercial. gasoline
which arouse the Ire Of automobilist
these days.
The defence was a complete denial O.
the states allegation that Wren haC
sold heroin TO Palmer. Mr. Handy pm
the defendants wife. Rose, on th'
stand. She said that Palmer did no
come to the klund street house OF
January i2 on that date Odls wa
home in bed IN from an injury. Whei
be took the stand, Wren backed thi
testimony up and went stlll further II
. denied not only having sold heroin q
Palmer, but 90 having sold Il any per
ION whatever that he had never seen
Z bottle OF 20, and wouldn't know wha
70 was II he did. AS 20 being at Fourtl
and King streets on January 70 he sal
= 'Palmer's statement was untrue, AM
that he was home suffering from In
. luries to his knees, received abou
January and incapacitating him 70
about twelve days.
Then Mr.. Handy called Dr. Waiso
and asked him concerning the effect q
heroin upon the truthfulness Of ii
yI users. Dr. Watson said the genera
effect Of the drug is bad and that II
habitues are notorious falsiflers, e!
pecally when In need Of the drug.
After some further evidence as {
y Wren's reputation, declared not good b
Detective Sergeant Green and Sergear
King, both sides closed. The jury wa
I. half an hour finding lis verdict O
guilty.
Excellent boarding plaoes win
II found in the want ads for the comm
II week. Agents. canvassers and sale
-.cortc will do we'll 70 keen IN dali