The Washington times., 1922-05-24
SUSPECT
BLAMES DRUGS
FOR DOWN. ALL
Loses Home, Wife, and Child
After Succumbing to
Vicious Habit.

Because of his addiction to drugs,
Bernard B. Kidwell. now AN inmate
Of the city jail. lost in five months
his home. position and wife and
baby. He is now in jail awaiting
trial on a charge OF stealing a set
of stocks and dies. For his loot
he received SO. all Of which he
spent on morphine and cocaine.
He had spent his last cent for
drugs and so he decided to steal
money for a couple of shots"
Kidwell, II is said. began using
drugs ten years ago, acquiring the
habit through bad company. He
USED to loiter with a gang at
Tenth street and Pennsylvania ave
nue.. When he first met the gang
he had never taken a drink of
whiskey nor had he ever used
drugs. But he had not been in
their company very long before he
was tempted and he fell. lie
started the habit by using heroin.
Finding that the dope" was hav-
ing a deleterious affect upon his
body he decided to stop using
drugs. For years he fought the
temptation and when he thought
he had quit for good he got mar.
ried. He negotiated for the pur-
chase OF a home and paid an in
stallment of $1.400.
Made Good Wages.
As a decorator he made good
money, and month after month he
gave his wife as much as 5000 a
month. They were living happily
when Kidwel made the acquaintance
OF an employe with whom he worked.
This employe had acquired the drug
habit. and his use of the hyperdermIc
needle during working hours was the
! undoing of kidwell. The latter slid
back to the old life again.
In the five months that followed
he lost his all, including his wife and
child. He had spent $12 and SIS
day on drugs and admitted every
day 81 was taking the bite from my
wife's and baby's mouths" Driven
to desperation, he decided to steal
the stocks and dies. The police
learned who had sold them and he
was sent TO jail TO await trial.
Up TO the time the baby came, the
wife was ignorant Of the fact that
Kidwell had been addicted to drugs.
A nurse who attended her noticed
Kidwell's condition and she told the
wife She decided to watch her hus.
band. She caught me in the act.
Kidwell said. and then the game
was up" She Is now living with her
people.
Kidwell said he intends to go
| straight" hereafter. He signed a
Ia,v tNNuf HVNRo Th
whiskey. The pledge was admins
tered by a prison chaplain.
Describes Ordeal.
Describing his feelings after he
had been arrested and his supply Of
dope" was cut off, Kidwell said:
For seventy-two hours / lived in
hell. No suffering is to be compared
with that through which an addict
passes when his supply Of dope Is
cut off and when he needs 1t. Ny
legs were drawn up, and they seemed
to be tied In knots. Nothing would
remain on my stomach. Vomited
! continually for seventy-two hours.
Ny whole body trembled as II cleo
| tricity was passing through tiny
nerves were beyond control. No pen
nor picture could convey any con-
ception OF the suffering of the mind.
Add to that the maddening humilia-
ton Of being locked in a cell like a
beast. A lack OF sympathy is evil
dent on all sides"
Kidwell said negroes in the south.
west comprise the greater number
! Of dope" peddlers. A white man Is
the ring leader, and he brings in his
supplies from Baltimore and Phila.
delphia. When he arrives here he
distributes the poison to about a
score Of agents. who go about the
city dispensing it.