The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-03-29
Gain in Dope Victims Con-
tinuing Up to Present
Minute
FEDERAL PRISONS INDEX
Rum Prisoners Soon Straight
en- Out; Drug Users Hard
to Handle.
Special Dispatch to THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Rurrou

spectdl Dispatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., March 28.
William J. Burns, director of the
Bureau of Investigation Of the Depart
ment of Justice, made the statement
to the House Committee on Appropria-
lions, according to testimony just made
public that in his opinion prohibition
is largely responsible for the great in
crease in narcotic cases.
Representative Tinkham (Mass.). a
member of the House committee, told
Mr.. Burns he was compiling statistics
on the increase in the use of narcotics
and the causes. Then he propounded
the direct question as to the effect of
prohibition on the sale of narcotics
and the head of the Secret Service
said: II think prohibition is largely
responsible for that"
Then he told Representative Tinkham
that his department could furnish him
with facts and figures on the use of
narcotics. In support of Director
Burns. it was testified by Sewell Key,
assistant superintendent of prisons, that
the number of drug addicts among in
mates in Federal prisons had increased
since the enactment of the prohibition
act
increase Has Continued.
Furthermore, Mr. Key declared. the
number of drug addicts is Increasing
regularly. Representative Hustled IN.
Y) asked Mr.. Key:
Did you not note marked increase
after the volstead law began to be en-
forced?"
Mr.. Key replied:
II do not know when the volstead
act went into effect do not know
when it was passcd-the date of it,"
Then Representative Hustled told him
the volstead act went into effect in 1919
and Mr.. Key'said:
There has been an increase ever
since the law went into effect since the
anti-narcotc act was passed. Each
year we have received more violators
of that act. Now whether there has
been more rapid increase since the
NoiSACdd dCl WCHl lHlO tLltCI GdHnOt
state"
Representative Hustled next asked Mr..
Key IL he had seen any relation between
the increase of drug addicts in the Fed
cral prisons and the enforcement of the
national prohibition act. He replied:
Il don't know whether there is any
connection between the two"
Gain in Drug AJdicts.
Representative Hustled got somewhat
peeved at the evident effort of Mr.. Key
to sidestep the direct question and Mr..
Key admitted the number of drug adj
diets had increased since prohibition
went into effect and. responding to fur
Their questions by Representative Hus-
ted. he said the number has increased
each year since 1919
Further questions by members OF the
committee brought forth from Mr.. Key
the fact he does not call an alcoholic
addict a drug addict and to be drug
addict person must use I'm excess one
OF the narcotic drugs-cocainc, heroin,
morphine, opium and opium compounds.
Mr.. Key said that by the time the al
coholic addicts reached the Federal
prisons they had sobered up while the
drug addicts had mot been Strengthened
out"
However, Mr.. Key declared that a few
of the prisoners in Leavenworth sue
ceeded in getting drunk by drinking hair
tonic obtained from the barber shop
II. III. Votaw superintendent OF
prisons, brother-in-law or President
Harding. when asked IL he had any
knowledge of the Illicit use of narcotics
in Federal prisons replied:
we have recently had brought to our
attention from the warden OF the peni-
tertiary In Atlanta a strong suspicion on
his part that some has been brought in.
When ! was in Lcavenworth the last
time a prisoner told us drugs came in
the form of candy beans"