The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-02-26
CLAIMED
OF PRISONERS
IN SLEEP
ScopoIamin Is Demonstrated
by Expert for Hearst
Correspondent. :

stories dealing qOtth scope LGnIt1l,
the truth serum" and its remark
able use IN. crinai1t0logy. The
sOriter WGs present SOhen 1t dre1V
secrets from accused men and Gp-
pGre9etly sOLved mysterious crimes.
He also subjected himself to the
test and will relate the experience
IN the final article of the series.
By B. v. STURDIvANT.
Copyright, 1924. by International
News Servicel
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Feb. &c.
Truth serum" has lifted itself
from the ranks of experiments and
In three or four years will be gen.
orally used in the solution of
crimes. it was predicted today by
Solicitor James G. Davis, who has
taken the lead In solving Birnling-
hams series Of brutal and pulling
AK murders by the truth serum
method.
Since the announcement that
scopolamin had led to the prob
able solution Of the killing of
twenty-five men, women and chill
dren here in the last three years,
Davis said, scores Of inquiries have
come from police throughout the
country asking information about
the drug and its application to per-
sons suspected of crime.
Seek Serum Tests.
"Some requests have come from
cities in adjoining States that we
go there and put prisoners to the
truth serum test" he said.
What is truth serum?
1t is a combination Of scopo.
lamin and morphine mixture of
the same ingredients used in the
twilight sleep method of child
birth. 1t IL given either hypo-
dermically. as anti-typhoid vaccine,
or in capsule form.
The subject falls into a heavy
sleep. To any question he will
answer the truth, it is claimed, be-
cause the drug has killed his will,
temporarily, and deprived him of
the power to lie.
Described BY Expert.
DR.. A. A. Goldberg. the fictitious
name Of the prominent Birmingham
physician who has administered
truth serum" to fourteen persons
here under the direction of Solici.
tor Davis, thus describes it:
The drug apparently skaters the
will power and paralyzes the con.
scious mind. This leaves the sub.
conscious mind without q master.
The truth Is there in the subcon.
sctous mind.
r. When questions are asked there
Is but one thing to do-answer
Them. There issfno WIN power to
withhold It and no conscious mind
| to manufacture a falsehood."
One to four ounces, depending on
the particular subject, is enough
to prepare the prisoner for cues.
tioning. A simple test reveals
whether he Is ripe" for quizzing.
Must Forget Number.
When the first drowsiness comes
over him, he is told to remember q
certain number. AS long as he re.
members the number. his conscious
mind still operates. When he can.
not recall the number he Is ready.
There, in dark room. DIR. Gold.
berg conducts the modern third
degree" Light may recall the sus
pect to his senses.
There are none Of the methods
of the usual third degree" Nc
pushing and rough handling. Nc
slaps or kicks or curses, no terri
flying stage effects, no depriving OF
food or drink or sleep.
Simple questions, chosen because
of their natural, disarming char
acter are first asked. -
What is your name? Where dc
you live? Hold old are you?
Score Is High.
In thirteen Of the fourteen exam.
nations, these questions have been
answered correctly, subsequent
check-ups showed.
The dose must vary with each
patient. In some instances one
shot" Is enough and in others
four are required.
Solicitor Davis has definitely com.
mitted his administration to the
| use Of truth serum" as a crime
1
when criminals adopt an atti.
tude Of silence in the Jefferson
county. jail their tongues will be
unlocked with thfs serum" he de
clared.
1T will become generally used
means Of solving crime in the next
few years." he predicted.
Experienced physicians, specialists
in anesthetics, will have to handle
the truth serum" treatment, &C.
cording to DR.. Goldberg.
Dangers I'm Use.
There is too much chance fol-
| bungling unless the treatment is
restricted to accredited physicians
he said. 1T is perfectly natural
that authorities all over the coun.
try are curious to try the drug
But it is dangerous stuff to fool
with unless you know what you are
doing.
ut may seem simple enough to
the laynan to inject the scopolamin-
morphine into the arm, but one
unfamiliar with it or unskilled has
no way Of determining when the
patient has had enough.
"The preliminary examination
Also Is highly important. Some
cannot take the drug without danger
Of disastrous after effects"
A Sp.cial nsfsr 1