Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-14
MAGISTRATE FRANK X. o'coNNoR
On the Druo Evil In Philadelphia

On the Drug EVIL IN Ph'Iaoe'pnIa
THE drug evil is today the greatest source
L Of crime in Philadelphia and the thing
which more than any other single cause Is
threatening the youth Of the city. according
to Magistrate Frank Y. O'Connor, of
Court No. %.
"In magistrates court" said Mags.
trate O'Connor, 1--WE often see the worst
side of human nature, but the most pitiiul
Of all cases which come before me are the
drug cases. am firmly convinced that TINS
is the worst evil in Philadelphia today that
II is doing more to corrupt the youth or
the city than any other cause, and perhaps
more than all the other causes combined.
Drugs or dope as 1t is coloquialiy
termed. is beyond all doubt the greatest In
centve of crime in that 1t both inttamcs the
mind and ut the same time instills 1alSe
courage which will lead young men to do
almost anything. Most of these crimes are
committed under circumstances and condi-
tions which, would not be countennnced by
himself n tho same person were In normal
state of mind and body.
The Principal Drugs
"The principal drugs affected by the
atdicts are cocaine, heroin ana morphine
and the effect of any of the three Is more
insidious and more lasting than liquor IN
that they seem to acquire stronger hoid
on their victims and to lead them to 60 to
lengths in the line Of criminal actions which
liOuor would not inspire. Another very bad
and serious feature of the drug trafhc Is that
the drugs are frequently INDUCED in by very
young persons, and it is no uncommon thing
for boys of twelve, fourteen or sixteen years
of age to come under its terrible influence.
1t is thus habit which Is acquired much
earlier than the taste for liquor ever was.
THE drug instinct is strong In the human
being. Many years Il CO. when mere were
lar
common thing for the young boys OF certain
districts to climb the lamp posts and inhale
the gasoline fumes until they were COM
pletely under their influence and We're liter
ally helpless. This is never heard OF nova.
days due partly perhaps to the passing OF
the gasoline lamp as n means Of illumina-
ton, although | would like to think that It
is because of the added moral strength OF
the younger generation Of the present day.
Perhaps both had something to do with the
good result that has been achieved.
1T has been my experience that the peo-
ple as whole are generally law abiding and
that naturally they are rather strongly in
clined to do what the laws of the State and
the city require. OF course. there are lot
of executions to this: If there were not there
would be little use for the courts. but as Il
rule they give little trouble especially in the
laws which they fully understand and the
necessity for which. they admit to them
selves.
shopping Vne DTus franc
IT believe that the Illicit traffic in drugs
can be stopped to a very great degree. Like
most offenses of like character, 1t probably
will be impossible ever to wipe 1t out COM
pletely but 1t can certainly be very 'materi-
ally reduced in extent But it will take
hard work, real activity and the right kind
of persons to bring about this result. Other
evils have been largely controlled, il not
entirely eliminated. and So l think. can the
drug evil, the most vital OF them all.
There are several reasons why this work
Is especially difficult. One Of these is the
small packages In which the drugs are sold
md the consequent ease Of cOncea lment both
by the seller and purchaser. In order even
to control this evil the sources must be
located and the supply shut off from there.
| Like n good deal Of the liquor which Is now
being illegally sold In this country, much OF
| the drug supply which Is disposed of in the
| same unlawful manner comes from Canada.
| 1t seems to be an easy matter for some one
| there to pose as the representative of some
of the big houses in the United States and
get all the drugs he wants. The matter of
| shipments also seems to present no serious
| difficulties.
''The men who handle this done arc
rarely IL ever drug users themselves, for they
| realize fully the dangers attached to its use
! They have agents, and the agents I'm turn
| have other agents. and thus IL Is Distributed
| in the large cities, sometimes passino
through six or seven hands before II reaches
the consumer.
Prohibitions Small Influence
THE passage of the prohibition amend.
ment has had little II any effect on the mum :.
per OF drug users, at least not in this city.