#narcotics posssession

“Ex-Informer Held On A Drug Charge,” Montreal Gazette. August 6, 1941. Page 7. --- Arthur Viau Accused by R.C.M.P. Under ‘Good Fath’ Clause of Opium ---- Sought by the New Brunswick division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for alleged illegal possession of narcotics in Fredericton, Arthur Viau, 52. 1232 St. Denis street, was under arrest last night and detained by the local federal police.

Viau, a former R.C.M.P. stool pigeon, was the central figure in a sensational drug case in Montreal about 10 years ago, when he was instrumental in causing the arrest, conviction, and imprisonment in St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary of a former Montreal department drug squad chief.

Constable Larry Somers of the local division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested Viau after the warrant was received from Fredericton. On several occasions there, Viau is alleged to have obtained drug prescriptions illegally from doctors. The charge is based upon a special section of the Opium and Narcotic Drugs Act which creates an offence where a patient obtains a narcoic prescription by showing lack of good faith in describing his symptoms to a physician.

After his arrest here several weeks ago on another drug possession charge, Vau was acquitted on July 16. At that time, Judge C. E. Guerin ruled that traces of heroin in an eye dropped found in Viau’s rooms was not sufficient evidence that he had obtained the drugs illegally at a previous date.

“Police Photographs Will Be Destroyed,” Toronto Star. July 29, 1938. Page 3. ----- No Evidence Against Interpreter - Crown Protects ‘Good Name’ --- Giving as his reason the lack of evidence, Assistant Crown Attorney F. I. Malone yesterday requested before Magistrate William Keith in No. 1 court that a charge against Chen Yew, Chinese interpreter, of having drugs illegally be withdrawn.

Yew’s name was called with that of Seto Chung, also charged with having drugs. The latter was again remanded, until Aug. 4 on bail of $2,000.

Mr. Yew then stated he would like to address the court. ‘Unfortunately,’ he said, ‘the police arrested men on a narcotic charge. That meant I had to be photographed and finger-printed at police headquarters. I have been a court interpreter for eight years and, because of my good record and because this charge has been withdrawn, I respectfully ask that these photographs and fingerprints be destroyed.’

‘That will be done,’ assured the crown.

“Great Menace of Narcotics Noted,” Kingston Whig-Standard. January 21, 1932. Page 14. ---- Dr. A. J. Vining of Social Service Suggests Means of Checking Drugs --- MONTREAL, Que. — Labelling the use of narcotic drugs as the "most persistent evil outside of hell," Dr. A. J. Vining, associate secretary of the Social Service Council of Canada, to an address before the Rotary Club here recently, recommended to the government the preparation of a small booklet setting forth the evils of their use. This booklet, he suggested, should be distributed among the high school pupils and pupils of the last grade of public schools.

The creation of government Institutes where all narcotic drug addicts could be confined was advised. Such Institutions, the speaker stated,could cure some is per cent of the addicts, while the remaining 85 per cent of hopeless addicts would be kept permanently within these institution.

The third major recommendation was that the laws governing the terms of imprisonment of convicted narcotic drug peddlers be made more severe. Dr. Vining advised life penalties and the lash upon conviction.

“There to no hope for the absolutely confirmed addict," the speaker declared in describing how the use of narcotic drugs changed a man into a “mean, lying sniveling, coward.”

“‘Big Push’ Has Begun On The Drug Habit,” Toronto Star. July 28, 1916. Page 14. ---- Three Cases Were Tried To-day and Two Jail Farm Sentences Given ---- OUTFITS CONFISCATED ---- One of Those Charged Said Dead Mother Had Owned the Paraphernalia ---- From the fact that three cases of alleged illegal use of morphine and other related opiates followed each other in the Police Court calendar today, it would appear that the police had begun their ‘big push’ against the ‘coke’ traffic, which recent convictions would seem to prove was waxing as the liquor traffic waned.

 An elaborate outfit, consisting of hypodermic needles, syringes, a pair of scales, and a quantity of morphine sulphate, approximately to 60 grains, formed substantial evidence against Harry Fontroy. Plainclothesmen Scott and Neill testified to having found the foregoing line-up in Fontroy’s possession and to have caught him in the act of injecting the illegal drug in his arm.

The young man, who has both African and Chinese blood in his veins, claimed that he had been cured of the habit. ‘That outfit belonged to my mother, who died two weeks ago. I found it in her drawer,’ he pleaded. Inspector Geddes disproved this claim by quoting a statement which the young man had made to him. He had admitted that he was ‘tapering off with 30 grains a day.’

‘The last time he appeared on this charge he was given leniency on the understanding that he inform the police the source of his illegal supplies. He has not done this,’ said Mr. Colery. Col. Denison committed him to the jail farm for five months.

‘Coke’ Vendor Jailed. In addition to the foregoing charge, that of having morphine in his possession for other than medicinal purposes, had coupled against him the police claim that he had sold the drug.

In his possession had been found some dozen packages of both cocaine and morphine which Drake had acknowledged he had been in the habit of selling for a dollar a package.

‘This man, I hear, has been taking from 30 to 40 grains a day,’ said the Crown Attorney.

‘He has had consumption for the last eight or nine years,’ his wife stated in explanation of his drug habit.

‘I am curing him slowly,’ she added.

Drake also goes to the jail farm for a five-month ‘cure.’ In the woman’s court Tillie Evans faced with the same charge received a remand for a week.

Proof Enough The actions of Isaac Gilbert spoke louder than his words in proving the charge of drunkenness and disorderliness alleged against him. Evidence showed that he endeavored to take on six fee two of solid constabulary muscle, and in addition ‘lick the whole street.’

‘You must have been very drunk,’ signed the squire. An added count against him was his association with a team of horses. The squire felt grieved that the noble animals had to witness such an orgy of inebritation. Remanded for sentence.

Quick Work. One minute sufficed to change Jerry Long from a prisoner in the dock with a long and substantial record of drunkenness into laborer with the prospect of two months’ healthy toil ahead. Squire Ellis merely looked at Long and knew that his record resembled his name. Twenty dollars and costs or sixty days.

Got the Habit. Jeremiah Flaherty has the polishing habit. He, according to his own statement, polishes off brass in the day time and according to the constable polishes off drinks in quick succession at night. Yesterday he appeared on the same charge. It was but a little drop ‘for his stomach’s sake,’ he claimed. Remanded for sentence.

Hostilities As both Sandy Jaegar and John Jacobson with one accord disclaimed responsibility for the hostilities in which they were found engaged, the court presumed that it must have been the heat or a case of spontaneous combustion. Police evidence, however, tended to show that Jacobson had figured prominently, both at the start and at the finish. He was fined $2 and costs or ten days.

‘Pinched’ a Pom. That Daniel J. O’Shea should consider a Pomeranian dog worth the trouble of annexing, appeared rather strange to Col. Denison when O’Shea pleaded guilty to the offence. The owner placed the value at over $10. ‘I consider dogs worth about ten cents gross,’ interjected his Worship. ‘The man stole the dog and sold it to a Mr. Walter for $10,’ explained the Crown Attorney. ‘Mr. Walters subsequently saw the animal advertised for, and at once communicated with the police. O’Shea, who had ‘blown in’ the proceeds of his act, was remanded one week for sentence, on the understanding that restitution would be made. Pinky Pankey Poo was permitted to meander home with his mistress.

Poetry and Prose Frank Martin’s poetry, prose, and actions are equally bad, according to Squire Ellis’ ruling after a perusal of all. On a grimy card the alleged poet submitting the following:

‘To-day a poor cripple appeales for your aid, Don’t turn with a sneer or a frown, For God in His Mercy is the only one knows When a Loved one of yours will go down.’

The prose followed:

‘Price - please give what you wish.’

His actions, described by himself, was living an exemplary life, and the brisk bartering of many pencils, by several feminines witnesses, they consist of the exploitation of the grim quatrain, a fond pressure of the hand, and the claim that he was a wounded warrior back from the war - $50 and costs or six months.

Not content with the profit pouring into the coffers of his ice-cream soda fountain by reason of the weatherman’s climbing thermometer, Dragutin Radinrobitch, according to the police, ran a sideline in the form of a gambling den. The charge alleged that he permitted these quiet rubbers round the table, in his ice-cream parlors. Four guilty - $20 and costs or 30 days.

“Posed as Patient, To Get Narcotics,” The Globe and Mail. February 13, 1941. Page 4. ---- Two men convicted of having narcotics illegally were jailed yesterday.

Judge James Parker sentenced Chester Archer, who pleaded guilty to having narcotics, to six months in jail and fined him $200 or six months, the terms to run concurrently. Ostensibly to treat an ear complaint, Archer had obtained, through a dozen doctors in Toronto, tincture of opium.

Judge Ian Macdonell sentenced Michael Skyhar to six months, plus a four-month indefinite term, and a fine of $200 with the option of serving another two months if the fine isn’t paid.

“Toronto Drug Addicts ‘Starving’ As War Famine Hits Peddlers,” Toronto Star. November 11, 1941. Page 19. ---- Toronto’s drug addicts are ‘starving’ in a narcotic famine, Toronto police investigators said today. They were commenting on the statement of the federal department of health, that the shortage of drugs has affected the illicit traffic severely.

Heroin and morphine were the most frequently found. Most of this came from the bags of doctors, stolen from their cars.

Plainsclothesman Arthur Keay, one of the members of the Toronto narcotic squad, said he believed no narcotics are being illegal sold in Toronto right now. The shortage, which started soon after the war, has become more acute each week, he said.