The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-16
With Liquor Gone, They Have
Turned to Nsrcotics.
Four White Boys, Oldest 23, In
Police Net.
BIG CLEAN UP is STARTED
More Arrests in Bottoms are
Promised Today.
One Youth Told to Take Heron
by Dance Hall Girl.

With liquor gone. a habit more
deadly and more dangerous is being
acquired by numerous Topeka youths.
IN the use of morphine and cocaine.
according to statements made todav
at Topeka police headquarters.
-Four white boys. the oldest %. ar
rested Saturday filled the CITY iafl
sunday night with the agonized erie,
for drugs. None of them had used
the drug more than year. They
substituted drugs for whisky which
has been denied to them. thev told
Tinkham Veale, assistant county ar
torney a.
The morphine and cocaine "trair.
ran from the bottoms" where the
poys told Veale they purchased il in
2o-cent packages from Ed and Lille
homes where they slept Off their
morphine and coke" sleep.
Start of Big CIean-Up.
The police stated this morning that
the arrests Saturday were merely tbs
beginning of a cleanup of the hot
TOMS TOMS and certain physicians offices
where they believe white bows alrasdy
nave blighted promising futures by
tne use of drugs. more prevalent this
DeTOrG he
crime history of Topeka. according to
the police y 'e ~
In the last two weeks more than
dozen negroes have been arrested i'm
the attempt of the police TO stamp ouh
the drug habit. Half a dozen Of these
negroes were found to have social dis.
, eases IN addition to the habit
An attempt of the state to send the
| negroes TO Lansing on a vagrancv
onarse taied when a jury of five
IesFoes ana one white man heard the
. testimony in the court of Topeks Last
week. Elisha Scott, a negro Iawver
appealed to class prejudice, claiming
that negro addicts were being picked
as horrible examples"
More Arrests Promised Today
At the trial. 1t became evident that
| White ooys were visiting the bottoms
TO purchase drugs The police SstrIr-
gay picked up the four white BOYS.
H Hiore arrests were promised today by
Alba. n
The state is endeavoring TO send tba
/ victims of the habit to Lansing on va
srancy charges which means at least
year there for antf-narcotic treat
ment and probable cure. The first a.
tempt TO send the negroes there failed.
Feale expressed hopes TO-DAY that a
revelation of the conditions and deu-
ger confronting the public in the
future III ''e
Clarence Anderson. 2s. Of 41a T,o-
I Gust street, who was born and reared
IN Iopeka, stated in an affidavit to-
day that he had purchased uorpt,fua
and cocaine from Ed and Lille Ds,riz
/ on East First street a hundred times
Anderson said another white bo, GOT
MIN TO take morphine while he was
under the influence of liquor
Girl Started One Youth.
John Williams is an orphan boy
who came to Topeka from the wheat
flelds in Oklahoma. He said physical
suffering caused him to go to a ply
sic1an in Oklahoma. who gave hin,
; morphine. When he reached Topeka.
ne said, he made inquiries on lower
Kansas avenue as to where he might
obtain morphine. He said he prr-
chased 1t from Ed and Lille Davis on
East First street.
Walter Templin is a white boy who
has lived here several years He is 20
years of age He told Veale today that
ne began using morphine and cocaine
! ing in Kansas City.
Il was dancing with some girl there
I at a public dance hail. he said. "and
asked her II she knew where we could
get some whisky She said:
Why bother yourself with that
tame stuff these days? Take some
| heroin tablets she said 'Everybody's
doing 1t now
80 took some" he continued.
when 1 came back I began making
guarded inquiries OF other boys and
found several who were using it.
pnade one purchase at the Davis
Fplace."
From FarTn 70 Joint"
William Clifford johnson, p, 1zOa
Jackson street. was farmer boy who
came to Topeka to work a year ago.
He met some friends a few months
ago. he told Veale, who proposed .
trip to the bottoms" They purchased
morphine and cocaine ne said. and he
acquired the habit He purchased il
from the Davises several times. he
said.
Ed Davis and Lille Davis have long
police records. officers stated today.
For years they were arrested time and
again on charges Of selling liquor.
! Davis also has been arrested on .
charge Of receiving stolen property
He seems never to work" an Off
l Ger stated today, "and hangs around
the pool halls and restaurants. He Is
a big, husky fellow capable Of doing q
lot of work. but we have never seen
him do any,
A warrant for and prosecution OF