Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-04-26

VI Jul sioiy, YIN
Peterson Of Montgomery county
yesterday, when quantity OF
opium was taken from bis cell, that
it came from Omaha. He declared,
according to Sheriff Peterson, that
he had been getting quantities OF
dope from Omaha and that it was
brought to him by a woman who
represented a moonshine gang in
this city. Fenton also declared that
the same woman went to Red Oak
from Omaha, got him under the in
fluence of the dope and then pre-
vailed on him to burglarize the
house, to which he is alleged TO
have confessed.
The prisoner refused to divulge
the name of the woman.
While anxiety and alarm prevail
among hundreds of Omaha resi-
dents because of the increasing and
threatening danger as a>result of
the use of narcotic drugs here, in
stead of = promise of relief being
offered by the law-enforcing ele-
ments of the city and state, spirit
of apathy and indifference meets
the demands of those who register
protests against the situation, was
the declaration of prominent
physician who refused to allow his
name used.
Is Not Ethical"
"For reasons which any physician
will understand" commented the
practitioner, II cannot permit the
use of my name. 1t makes no diff
ference how serious the conditions
may be-" he continued, "the mem
bers of the profession would con-
denim me for making a public at
tack were I not connected with
public health department. 1t is not
ethical, you know
II will say, however, the dope
situation in Omaha is something
which is alarming in thelextreme. 1t
is a matter which ultimately Of
fcials will be forced by public
opinion to reckon with.
State Law Violated.
ri have looked up the law in the
case and find that the Nebraska
statute is being violated by physi-
clans and addicts every day and Sun
day, too. Our public officials, who
have taken an oath to uphold the
law, seemingly are totally indiffer-
emit, and I dare say If some of them
even know that there is a statute
under which hundreds of physicians
and dealers in dope in Omaha could
be convicted Of felony any day in
the year.
County and city officials are put
ting it up to the federal authorities.
They are shifting the responsibility
and devoting their attention to other
matters which are not one hun
dredth part as dangerous as the drug
situation"
Shielded Some Physician.
The physician declared that in
his opinion it was a sin and a shame
that the federal authorities permit
ted Miss Dixie Bailey, the young
girl who testified several days ago
before United States Commissioner
Nicely, to refuse to tell the name of
the Omaha physician whom she
charged contributed to her down.
fall. Miss Bailey testified in the
government case against Mae Brad
ley, a negress charged with violat-
ing the Harrison drug act. The girl,
who lives in Council Bluffs, asserted
that she had been using narcotic
drugs since she was IA years old,
and that on one occasion when she
appealed to a physician here for as.
sistance, she was told all she needed
was another shot. She declared she
had obtained morphine from the
physician on numerous occasions.
II think there is something wrong
here" continued the physician,
"Why was not the girl made to d.
vulge the name of the man she &C
cuses? This man could be sent to
the penitentiary. if Miss Bailey's
statement is true"