The Washington times., 1922-05-26
ACCUSED BANK
|. THIEF B[AMES
CRIME ON DRUGS
Merriam Is Drug Addict and
Suggests U. S. Should
Fight Evil.

A Government institution at Lor-
ton. Va, for treatment OF drug
! addicts was advocated today by
! Louis Dunbar Merriam, twenty-nine
! years old, alias Edward Dayton,
who was imprisoned after he had
attempted on April one of the
most spectacular bank robberies
ever staged in the District of Co
lumbia. When Merriam was caught
/ he had more drugs in his possession
than any other addict ever taken
into custody in this city. He ad-
mitted that before he walked into
the bank and snatched several
thousands of dollars in bills he
took an extra large shot of
morphine and inhaled through his
nose a dose OF heroin. The COM
bined dose would have killed three
normal beings.
His contention Is that drug ad-
diets should not be associated with
criminals in institutions. Lorton,
he said. would afford a more serene
atmosphere and he believes a two
or three months treatment there
would be morre effective than the
present method. He does not
recommend that the addicts be
| released then. Instead, he would
have them kept busy on a farm for
about six or seven months following
the treatment
Hazy on Robbery.
Asked how he acquired the habit
of using drugs. he said he had
suffered so much from neuritis that
he fell for the temptation OF taking
a shot" The drug afforded relief
and the doses increased as time
went on He said he has taken az
much as twenty and twenty-five
grains a day. and has paid as high
as S35 for an ounce of the drug.
He had been an automobile accesso-
ries salesman. but because of his
use OF dope he lost his position.
When he became down and out"
his sister gave him $500 TO go TO a
sanitarium at Cohocton. Ill, to take
treatment He boarded a train with
the full intention of going west
but he learned that the races were
at Bowie and he changed his plans.
Arriving here he wandered about the
city for a time and then took the
dose OF dope that afterward was
responsible for his being in jail
/ today.
He stated emphstically that he
does not remember entering the
bank or taking the money. All that
he can recall was what happened
after a shot was fired by a police.
man when ne attempted to make
his getaway in the street. The
effects of the drug began to simmer
down and he knew then what was
happening.
During his conversation he made
| the startling statement that a ships s
captain told him that Japan's mill
tary clique aimed to demoralize the
young men OF this country by
flooding the nation with harmful
narcotics He would not divulge
the name Of the captain, but he
said that a large quantity Of drugs
is shipped from the East TO this
country via Mexico. Merriam also
said that a great deal of drugs are
smuggled in from Cuba and Canada.
Get Drug In Prison.
| He intimated that in large insti-
| tutions such as Fort Leavenworth
and Atlanta Federal prisons a con
| fined addict can fairly easily get all
| the drugs he wants. This was one
reason why he advocated an insti-
! tuition at Lorton, where a careful
watch could be kept on all visitors
and prisoners.
| Asked If he found II an easy
matter to obtain dope he an.
swered in the affirmative. When
he arrived in a strange city he
| first went to the tenderloin district
and he was soon put wise" as TO
where to find a peddler.
Merriam said the District jail is
the cleanest institution he has been
in. So far. he contended. he has
not seen any evidence Of an at
! tempt TO smugglle drugs into the
place.
II have not met an addict yet
who would not steal to get money
for drugs" Merriam said.