The New York herald., 1922-03-19

and won $500 in poker game.
There really are good many drug ad-
diets in the motion picture crowd" an
agent of the Department of Justice told
me, "but most of them are among the low
class, roustabout actors and the extra
people who are not working steadily but
call themselves actors. However, the
stories have been wildly exaggerated. And
don't forget young man, that New York
has its dope fiends, too"
good many extras" have been arrested
as addicts at the instance of the California
State Board of Pharmacy. A few years
ago an officer of the Department of Inter
nal Revenue having said there were 5000
addicts in Los Angeles a narcotic clinic
was established and maintained for year,
but the largest number of patients regis
tered at one time was 800. peddler ar
rested by the State board said he had sold
cocaine to one Of the fairest and most pros
porous of screen actresses. No one else
has accused her.
The Los Angeles police have two detec-
tives on the narcotic detail One of them,
who appeared to me both honest and in
telligent, told me that not one in fifty of
the citys addicts lived or worked in Holly
wood. He also told me of high salaried.
dashing movie star who reported to the
police that a peddler was stealing the stuff
that dreams are made of into one of tho
finest Hollywood studios The star and
his valet helped the police set a trap for
the peddler and catch him. This recital
was hugely interesting to me for on the
preceding day had been assured that this
same star was himself an addict and his
abdomen pitted with needle marks.
Some of the studio arrangements have
paid no attention to rumors that drugs
were being sold on or about their premises.
Others are alive to this danger One
studio gave the police the address and tele-
phone number of a woman listed as an
extra. She was sent to Jail as peddler
OF cocaine. She had been cabaret enter.
tainer and had done "bits" in pictures from
time to time.
she claimed to be an important actress.
but was bum," was my detectives ap-
praisal
tip from the wife of a scenario writer
enabled the police to round up coterie of
peddlers in Los Angeles poolroom. A
year and half ago the Universal studio
caused the arrest of a dispenser of NOR
phine. He had hung around the studio.
caught on as an extra" and the moment
he got past the gate began looking for GUS
toners among his fellows of the small fry
He went to jail and his wife divorced him.
Cocaine is sold in Los Angeles in
"bindles." A "bindle" is done up in waxed
tissue, just like a drug store powder weighs
from two to two and half grains and seIls
for 50 or $3.50. Some of the peddlers work
on commissioning cents a bindle-others
buy their stock outright from the whole.
saler. In their unwritten code "eight pieces
OF iron" or OF candy means eight ounces OF
cocaine or morphine and "harmonica" is
heroin.
his information with this.
Stories OF snow parties ina Hollywood
are vague. People call us UP. but don't
give names or addresses. Personally I
think all the dope about dope is exag-
gerated It's the Mexicans and negroes
who bother us, not the movie folk A while
ago we thought we had good one when we
heard of snow parties In an old country
house in Hollywood which had been rented
10 count and sublet to others The stars
we're supposed to gather there every night
md have sniff or two We spent three
DR. four nights around the house. There
we're parties there, but 1t was only mess
)f bootleggers."
In certain published accounts of high
links in Hollywood marihuana is men.
Toned as one of the drugs consumed by
he insatiate performers. Marihuana ia
indian hemp. sometimes called Mexican
weed. II grows wild over much of the
Southwest as ragweed, which IL resembles.
ioes in the East It's seed is sold for bird
seed III the Californian has no back yard
ne can buy a quarter OF an ounce OF bird
Ieed and raise enough marihuana in
window box to inspire a thousand bandits.
The Mexicans mix the dried leaves with
tobacco and smoke them in cigarettes
rhe effect is inhammrtory stimulation.
The marihuana excites the nerves, dead.
ms fear, turns coward into a swash-
,uckler, accentuates evil propensities. II
loes not soothe or produce pleasant dreams.
Ind is scorned by the whites. Some COW.
,oys have picked up the habit from the
dexicans, and whatever use is made OF
narihuana in Hollywood Is restricted to
,unchers and poems.
Before leaving the subject of drugs 1t
hould be pointed out that no prominent
notion picture actor or actress ever has
'een arrested as an addict so far as
now. This merely Is worth passing men