The Washington times., 1922-12-17
'JAl[.|NMATEs
ASK SENSIBLE
LAWSON dope
Declare Present System In Dis
trint Makes, Not Cures Vic
Tins Of Narcotic Slavery
TELL OF DRUG RINGS HERE
Both. Prisoners Expect Cope
Iaed to Bring About Reform
Legislation In the Senate

-
The necessity of change in the
Districts laws on handling drug
addicts, as emphasized by two in
mates of the District iail in
making a public appeal for the
establishment Of sanitariums OF
clinics in the city to deal ex-
clusively with narcotic cases, will
be probably gain impetus by the
election to the Senate of DR.. Royal
s. Copeland, Of New York.
WILL INDORSE APPOINTMENT
The Anacostia Citizens Associa
ton. Through its president. DR.
George c. Havenner. will indorse
the appointment of DIR. Copeland to
the Senate District Committee.
The wonderful achievements &C
compnshed by DR.. Copeland as
health officer of New York city, will
enable HIM to successfully combat
the drug evil which up to this time
has haffled Federal and local au
thorit1es," declared DIR. Havenner.
Declaring that Washington waa
in the grip of at least a dozen drug
rings -all of which are continually
growing larger, the two jail inma tes
John -Austin and Raymond Hitte,
both .eerving five years for using
drugs, look upon the proposed ap.
pointment of DR.. Copeland to the
District Committee as the only
means Of curing the drug evil.
MORE HURT DONE.
They both criticised the present
methQis employed by the District In
handling drug cases. declaring that
from their personal experience the
District officials were causing the
Arug evil to increase instead OF elm.
mating it.
Austfn said.
The Washington public would be
startled were they TO discover true
narcotic conditions prevalent to-
day. 1t Is time. they open their
eyes to the necessity of eslaD-
lishing sanitariums or clinics
where addicts oan appeal for as
distance without being turned
over. to the police. :
TfPs IL the only method by
which the drug evil can be cured.
Every unfortunate addict has an
EARNEST desire to become cured,
but Is afraid to expose himself
que ITO the long sentences inn
posed on the offender.
Lays, jai.s or medicine will not
cures the habit or put q stop to
the-sevil. The authorities must
work on the man, obtain his con-
fdence and thereby instill into
him .gthe fear Of God and will
power, BY placing an addict In
Jail. 1.-The authorities rob him of
his moral and spiritual mind.
Wheb, he is released. he seeks his
old haunts.
Hitce related his experiences
with The underworld, admitting he
used .narcotics for eighteen years.
He wanted to be cured. he stated
In his appea.. but was afraid. He
vas caught using drugs early
this year, pleaded guilty and
parolled under the condition that
/ undergo treatment at the Wash
ingtQn Asylum Hospital. i was
glad for the treatment, but was
only-permitted to stay ct the hos
Jpitat about thirty-six hours.
Compelled to leave, I kept
, awat from drugs for several
days, Then met the police
offiCerB VINO previously arrested
me. They employed me to pur-
chae drugs as evidence for them.
Returning to my haunts as an
agent. of the police. l. purchased
the drugs with the money they
furnished me, but the temptation
was too strong. I hadn't been
GivSN FIVE YEARS.
used the drugs and continued
buying more. Again I was ar
rested, and, after pleading guilty
the second time, was sentenced to
five syears' imprisonment. I. SUI.
fere& intense agony the first two
weeks in jail by being deprived Of
narcotics. I believe am now
curea, but had the proper medical
treatment been administered after
my f1rst arrest, I wouldn't be here
today.
There are more addicts In Wash
lngt6n today than ever before, and
the humber IL continually increas-
ing. = II the public would only
know what the unfortunate addict
suffers, the severe laws would be
2npn4o~ov nth ho afof~d