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The following case is probably the most famous or rather infamous Gore File case to come out of the State of Georgia. As can be seen from the quotations section, it certainly was one of Harry Anslinger's Pride and Joy Gore File Cases.
Name: Carl Bryan - Location: - Atlanta, Georgia - Date: - Aug 24, 1934
What the Narcs were claimingNEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS:
“Down in Georgia a depraved boy sold his last pair of shoes to buy marihuana. In cities everywhere boys and girls are secretly smoking the stuff, easy prey of the peddlers.” --- Denver Post – Feb 24, 1935 Sec 3 page 2
“An eighteen-year-old boy in Georgia, which shows the ease with which reefers may be obtained and the early effects of smoking them. In the boy's own words, the report reads: --- "While walking around the vegetable curb market in Atlanta, I passed the stand of the hot tamale man, who asked 'Do you want any hot tamales? I said, 'Don't you have anything stronger?' He said yes, and sold me two marijuana cigarettes for twenty-five cents. I had never seen this kind of cigarette before. I smoked one of them, and it gave me a headache. Then I smoked the other one, and began to feel it. My mind changed in a queer sort of way. I craved some more of the cigarettes, and, not having any money, I pawned my shoes for a dollar, and bought a bag of dried leaves to roll my own. After a couple more cigarettes, I began to feel as if I were on top of the world. I would walk up to anyone and ask for anything without hesitancy. Then I felt as if I would do something desperate. However, I was very tired, and fell asleep. I stayed asleep for two whole days and nights." -- Heath magazine Oct. 1938
“What is the effect of this drug that has been the excuse offered for atrocious attacks, for robberies, thefts, and murder? Here we have the reaction of an eighteen-year-old boy: --- "While walking up around the curb market in Atlanta, Georgia, I passed the stand of the hot tamale man who asked me: 'Do you want any hot tamales?' I said, ‘Don't you have anything stronger?' He said, 'Yes,' and sold me two marihuana cigarettes for twenty-five cents. I had never seen this kind of cigarette before. I smoked one of them and it gave me a headache. Then I smoked the other one and began to feel it. My mind changed in a queer sort of way. I craved some more of the cigarettes, and, not having any money, I pawned my shoes for one dollar and bought a bag of dried leaves to roll my own. --- "After a couple more cigarettes, I began to feel like I was on top of the world. I would walk up to anyone and ask them for anything without any hesitancy. Then I felt like I would do something desperate. --- "However, I was very tired and fell asleep. I stayed asleep for two whole days and nights." -- National Parent-Teacher (PTA) – May, 1938
"While walking around the curb market in Atlanta, Georgia, I passed the stand of the hot tamale man who asked me, "Do you want any hot tamales?" I said, "Don't you have anything stronger? He said, "Yes" and sold me two Marihuana cigarettes for twenty-five cents. I had never seen this kind of cigarette before. I smoked one of them and it gave me a headache. Then I smoked the other one and began to feel it. My mind changed in a queer sort of way. I craved some more of the cigarettes and, not having any money, I pawned my shoes for one dollar and bought a bag of dried leaves to roll my own. After a couple more cigarettes, I began to feel like I was on top of the world. I would walk up to anyone and ask them for anything without hesitancy. Then I felt like I would do something desperate. However, I was very tired and fell asleep. I stayed asleep for two whole days and nights." (This statement was made by an 18-year-old boy.) ---[the drug demon - 1940]
The reactions of a beginner are shown in this stenographic copy of a report from the police of Atlanta, Georgia, who found a youth wandering about the streets, barefooted: “While walking up around the curb market in Atlanta. I passed the stand of the hot tamale man, who asked me: “Do you want any hot tamales? “I said: Don’t you have anything stronger? He said: Yes, and sold me two marihuana cigarettes for twenty-five cents. I have never seen this kind of a cigarette before. I smoked one of them and it gave me a headache. Then I smoked the other one and began to feel it. My mind changed in a queer sort of way. I craved some more of the cigarettes, and, not having any money, I pawned my shoes for one dollar and bought a bag of dried leaves to roll my own. After a couple more cigarettes, I began to feel like I was on top of the world. I would walk up to anyone and ask them for anything without any hesitancy. Then I felt like I would do something desperate. However, I was very tired and fell asleep. I stayed asleep for two whole days and nights.” ---Inside detective Nov 1937
Columbus, Ga.; Federal agents, aided by the local police, raided the premises of a house in this city and found marihuana growing in a plot of ground 10 by 30 feet between two houses. Approximately fourteen pounds of marihuana was found in the house and in a building at the rear, in the process of being dried. The estimated weight of the growing marihuana was fixed at 125 pounds. ---- Oakland Tribune (Newspaper) Oct. 11, 1936 “Don't be a MuggleHead”
ATLANTA GEORGIAN
[S]- Aug. 24, 1934 p1 - FACES DREAM CIGARETTE CHARGE
[S]- Aug. 24, 1934 p1 - SMASH DOPE CIGARETTE RING
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION
[S]- 1934-08-24 P10 - “Marijuana Weed, Narcotic Plant, Seized in Marietta Street Raid”
[S]- Aug 25, 1934 p1 - Informer in Marijuana Raid Here Saved From Angry Mob of Addicts”
[S]- Aug 26, 1934 p1A - “Dope Informant Again Threatened” J.D. Nobles Plans to leave City After Second Attack in Two Nights”
[S]- Sep. 2, 1934 p14A - “Raiser of Marijuana Is Granted Freedom”
[S]- Oct 27, 1934 p6 - “Seller of Marijuana Is Given Year on Gang”
WHAT THE NEWSPAPERS HAD TO SAY:
SMASH DOPE CIGARETTE RING
“2 HEAD AS DRUG VENDORS;
YOUTH PAWNS ONLY SHOES TO BUY WEED HE CRAVES “
Narcotic Weed Found Growing in Yard of Suspects After Several buys made by Agent, in Charge
Revelation of a wide-spread traffic in the dangerous habit-forming marihuana weed in Atlanta came Friday with the arrest of two men made the starling discovery that the narcotic plant was being cultivated here.
After a week’s investigation, a combined force of federal narcotic agents, state drug inspectors and city detectives arrested: J.L. Criner, 38, of 683 Marietta Street, known as Atlanta’s Hot Tamale Man, a vendor of tamales from a pushcart.
Louis Ambus, 47-year-old Mexican, wholesale manufacturer of hot tamales, for whom Criner worked.
The men are being held under blanket charges of suspicion pending further investigation and the naming of specific charges against them in connection with the drug.
Officers uncovered patches of the marijuana weed in living state in the rear of the homes of the two men, the value of the growing weed being placed at $2,000 by the agents.
Confiscation of a number of cigarettes made up of the cured weed and several hundred dollars’ worth of the dried drug was also announced by the officers.
Criner, officers said, vended the marihuana cigarettes from his pushcart at two for 25 cents, and his patrons numbered by the score in the downtown areas he covered each day.
When smoked, the powerful narcotic weed, known in India for centuries with the botanical name of cannibis(sic) indica, affects the human being like cocaine agents said.
This is the first instance of the weed being successfully grown in Atlanta, agents said.
The weed was found growing behind the Marietta Street residences of Criner and Ambus in plots of cultivated soil about 12 by 16 feet, each patch consisting of from 12 to 20 stalks ranging in height from 4 to 12 feet.
The stalks are erect, branching, with angular stems, the leaves a bright green which, dried into tobacco form, takes on a brownish-green appearance with a pungent odor.
INSTANCE GIVEN
The weed produces a peculiar delirium accompanied with exaltation of the imaginative faculties, a remarkable sense of the loss of time, and place the victim in an attitude of mind where he will venture almost anything, many times producing violence, officers said.
A recent instance of a user of the Marihuana weed in Tampa, Fla., who slew his mother, father and three brothers and sister, the entire family, while in a marihuana-produced delirium, was instanced by officers.
The investigation and raid were instituted by Dr. W.S. Elkin, Jr., chief drug inspector of the State of Georgia, who was informed of the peddling of the marijuana cigarettes on the streets of Atlanta.
“J. D. Nobles, of Lenox, Ga., came to my office about ten days ago and told me of his experience in smoking the marijuana cigarettes which he said he had bought from a pushcart vender of hot tamales,” Dr. Elkin said.
“He told me: ‘For the sake of humanity, do something to stamp out this habit which is increasing among young people of the city.”
Elkin said that Nobles brought to his office an 18-year-old boy, Carl Bryan, of Woodbury, Tenn., who had pawned his only shoes to obtain money to satisfy his craving for the weed. Calling on the federal narcotic agents for assistance, Dr. Elkin said he proceeded to investigate the charges against the hot tamale vendor.
There is no federal law under which prosecution could be instituted, as the investigation was carried on from the standpoint of a violation of the state’s pure food and drug act.
John W. Crozier, federal narcotic agent, posing as a marijuana dealer named “Lefty” from Tampa, Fla., made three “buys” of weed from Crozier, he says.
MADE PURCHASES
Tuesday he bought a $1 sack of the dried weed, Wednesday he bought eight cigarettes for $1, and 50 cents worth of the weed prepared for ready rolling, and Thursday he purchased another $1 batch, He said.
Crozier said that he questioned Criner as to whether he could furnish him with the stuff in quantity lots. It was then that Criner took him to see the patch behind his home on Marietta Street, Crozier said.
“I’m going to show you something no one else in Atlanta knows about,” Crozier quoted the hot tamale salesman as saying.
Crozier said he found that the vendor would direct his pushcart over a regular route each day, and patrons of his cigarettes would buy a hot tamale, getting their marijuana at the same time without attracting attention.
The vendor went the following route each day, Crozier said: Starting at his Marietta Street home, he went up Fair Street, down Capitol Avenue, up Crew Street to the curb market, and out Peachtree.
He sold to poolrooms, dance halls, newsboys, young women and men and boys, Crozier said.
Dr. Elkin declared after the raid Thursday afternoon that stamping out marijuana sales here would be a great accomplishment in preventing the spread of an insidious habit.
Assisting Dr. Elkin in the investigation were Dr. Z.O Moore, a state drug inspector; W.D. McGee, city detective attached to the federal narcotic squad; Agent Crozier; P.A. Williams, in charge of the Atlanta federal narcotics officer, and T.E. Middlebrooks, supervisor of the Georgia-Florida federal narcotic district.
FACES DREAM CIGARETTE CHARGE
MARIHUANA VICTIMS RELATE EFFECTS OF DEADLY DRUG The following are the statements of J.D. Nobles, 27, of Lenox, Ga., and Carl Bryan, 18, of Woodbury, Tenn., who reported to Dr. W.S. Elkins, Jr., chief drug inspector of Georgia, that marihuana was being sold on the streets of Atlanta. Statement of J.D. Nobles:
“On August 13 I met a Mexican in Atlanta who was smoking marihuana cigarettes and he gave me one. He told me he got them from the ‘hot tamale man’ and later introduced me to the vendor.
“I then bought about $1 worth of the dried leaves, which made about 50 cigarettes.
“When I smoked them I felt ‘nervy,’ felt like I wanted to go out and do something like steal or rob a house.
“Soon as this feeling left me, and I realized what a terrible drug marihuana was, I went to see Dr. Elkin, the state drug inspector, and asked him to do something to stop the spread of this dangerous habit.
“I told him of Carl Bryan, an 18-year-old boy, who had used the weed and pawned his shoes to satisfy his craving.
“I took Carl Bryan to Dr. Elkin’s office.
“I made this complaint for the sake of humanity, as I felt it was my duty to do so as a citizen.”
Statement of Carl Bryan:
“While walking up around the curb market about a week ago I passed the stand of the hot tamale man, who asked me:
“Do you want any hot tamales?”
“I said, ‘Don’t you have anything stronger?’
“He said, ‘Yes,’ and sold me two marihuana cigarettes for 25 cents. I had never seen this kind of cigarette before.
“I smoked one of them and it gave me a headache. Then I smoked the other one and began to feel it. My mind changed in a queer sort of way. I craved some more of the cigarettes; and, not having any money, I pawned my shoes for $1 and bought a bag of the dried leaves to roll my own.
“After a couple more cigarettes, I began to feel like I was on top of the world. I would walk up to anyone and ask them for anything without any hesitancy. Then I felt like I would do something desperate.
“However, I was very tired and fell asleep. I stayed asleep for two whole days and nights.
“It was my first experience with the weed, and believe me, it will be my last. There were a lot of others fellows my age smoking the cigarettes.
“I ran away from my home in Westbury, Tenn., several weeks ago to make my way to Florida. My father is Houston Bryan, a stock farmer.
Case#GA01HotTamale
HARRY ANSLINGER'S GORE FILE IN GEORGIA
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