The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-30
lily HUGH MD. FRASER

Fly hOGh MD. FHNSER
 Ralph Danhauser alias Dutch" Morton, long notorious as a 'dope" in many cities in all parts of the country, voluntarily came into the Birmingham detective headquarters recently to expose a dope ring in order to place his wife. a member Of the ring. in an institution which could help her to rid herself of the habit. Danhauser maintained that-he had tried many different cures for the horrible grip that drugs have on their victims, and had finally come to the conclusion that term of. at least year was the most beneficial and the most conducive to lasting cure. ~ssA
 In his statement to the police he said that he had spent thousands Of dollars in the past Il years in all parts of the United States In procur- ing drugs for his own use. He had inherited SIT, 900 several years ago. Every cent went for morphine. When that was gone, he bent every effort toward the buying of the drug He had committed every crime that made 1t possible to obtain money Fairly lucky at gambling, he had won seV-
 
 occasions, all of which was spent for the dope He had turned crook. double-crossed his friends and ac- quaintances and the authorities, Jumped bonds when arrested and re- leased on bond as a dope" and had been a member of many rope rings in various states.
 Cured by Prison Term
 His father, formsr planter oi prominence of a southern county. had made every attempt to break his son of the habit. Danhauser has been confined in prisons many times, and it was while in jail that he came to the conclusion that a term of at least a year might cure him. He has been under treatment at Johns Hopkins three times, ridding himself of the habit for period of weeks only to revert to it under physical pressure and mental anguish with the full knowledge of what he was doing in succumbing again to the habit. That he said, was one of the peculiarities of a. drug fiend. he knew each time that, he was falling lower and lower. yet he could not resist the tempta- ton.
 As Danhauser stood t,efe talking to the detectives he was splendid type of humanity. and if was with difficulty that one could imagine him as an addict to morphine. When questioned as to his appearance be- lying his statements. he said that until the night of his appearance at headquarters he had not taken drop of the drug in the last four years. Understanding that his wife was ons of a group of people here in Bir- .t4 f.,-e t,l, was being shipped here in suit cases from Jacksonville. Fla, he had come here to find her and try to break her of the habit Locating her, he had visited her and showed every appear ance of being in immediate need of morphine He stated that 1t took a little acting on his part because of his ruddy. healthy physique and color. Remaining in the shadows Of the room, he accepted the gun" con- taining, as he estimated, about one and one-half grains of morphine, which, 1t is said. for an addict Is not considered a great quantity. The contents he squirted pn the floor ex- cept for small amount which he injected into the tissue on his abdo- me.. After talking with his wife for some little time he obtained all the lnIOTIHdtlOn WHicn Hc CoHSiocicu hON- essary to place her under arrest. He made his departure and reported at once to police headquarters.
 Sent In Suitcaser
 He had learned, he said, that the drug is being shipped here in suit cases each day by express and parcel post. The suitcases contain, he said, clothing in the center of which is a small package of the morphine. The inmates of the house rotate in their different turns to call for the suit cases. giving a different name each time. The turns come far enough apart that, due to the great number of other people obtaining baggage or parcels. the clerks are unable to re- member the faces of the msembers of the ring.
 Danhauser in his statement to the police said that an average man of intelligence could be the most dan gerous of crooks when under the in- nuence of morphine He will plan his Hay" seeing all the traps and pitfalls. and is thus able to avoid them and remain out of the police coirte ItAis only when not under