El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-15
old Timer Says
HePayS S9OFO1-
Ounce Of Dope
Testimony of Drug Fiends
Continues IN Fed
eral Court.

Narcotic drugs are being sold bg
scores Of peddlers on the streets OF
Fl Paso at prices ranging from SIS
to 800 per ounce, according TO testi-
mony introduced by the government
IN the trial Of Jose Orozco. alleged
vioIztor OF the Harrison anti narcotic
law which opened Wednesday before
judge William p. Smith in federal
court orozco IS being tried for two
alleged violations OF the narcotic law.
the first count alleging the sale Of
28e grains OF morphine sulphate last
Easter sunday and the second count
alleging the sale OF 60 grains OF NOR
phine suiphate on last May IS
John p Force, oldtime settler Of
Fl Easo. was the first witness used
BY the government Force told a pa
the.lc story Of q years spent as a
slave 70 the drug habit. be said that
be formed the morphine habit during
the Spanish-American war through
out which ne served as an enlisted
man in a regular army regiment He
asserted that hardships Of the battle
tielo together with bad associates
caused him 10 form the habit which
he IS ROW almost unable 10 break.
500 For An Ounce.
nav G seen ---E time NLEA 4 MDMAI
give NY last cent ana would be Will
ing to pawn even the clothes wore
1oE one grain OF DOPE, Force said
The sufferinEs ] have undergone in
frantic effort 10 break loose from
the iron chains Of the dope habit are
have used from 70 TO IS grains Of
morphine sulphate and since the drug
has been denied me I have suffered
death agonies while confined to the
county faiL"
Force said that when the Harrison
anti-narcOtic law vas enacted he left
Fl Paso and went 10 Juarez, where ne
resided Tor several months. The Wit
ness told OF former prosperity when
he was q skilled mechanic and made
good money IN machine shops here
and elsewhere Force acIcnowiedEed
that he found but little trouble in Sc
curing dope when he had the money
7 have paid as high as sz5 per half
ounce for morphine" Force said
DOpere usually find peddlers along
the canal banks In south IN Paso. Il
fiend goes 70 the canal bank. where
he only waits but short time when
a peddler approaches him and offers
his wares The dope IS always IN
small packages and without the rev
enue stamps The last dope I bought
cost me S45 for a half ounce and ii
was a short half ounce at that"
SNOW Easy to Get.
sonny Hooks, a negro, was the
second witness used by the govern
ment. sonny" told a long story.
which unrareled many strange Incl
dents connected with the drug traf-
fic here He confirmed Forces testf-
many that dope flends experience but
little difficulty in securing their
snow IN El Paso in case they fur
nish the money.
Hooks declared that he barEaiued
with OrCzco for one half ounce OF
morphine sulphate which was to be
sold to Force. The drug was later
delivered, Force paying Orozco $40 for
the half ounce and giving Hooks
eight grains for making the real for
him The negro. however. denied
that he had entered into an agreement
with Force whereby he was TO he
paid for making the bargain with
Orozco- Hooks declared that he had
purchased Morphine suiDhate on nu-
merous occasions IN Fl Paso. He
said mat peddlers were easily found
and that dope 20 ones liking could
be secured in case the addict fur
rished the money
Some OF the defendants used By the
government on Cross examination ac-
IcnowledCed that an agreement OF
honor existed among dope fields AMI
peddlers whereby an addict gave his
word not 20 betray a ueddler IN case
he vas arralgned before federal au-
fhOrfties