LONDON "DOPE" PARTIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 99, 21 January 1919, Page 5

LONDON "DOPE" PARTIES

INQUEST ON "BILLIE" OARI/ETON RESUMED. ." ■ London, January 16. The- inquest into the death of "Billie" Carleton was resumed. ;I)e----veulle, -in his evidence, denied giving cocaine-to the deceased. Ho first took cocaine in America, and then ceased until a few months (ago, when he bought some from a Chinese woman* Belcher, a film actor, denied some of the previous evidence, and declared that lie merely got his wife s face powder aud handed it round as a'joke. 'The Coroner commented: "Very ingenious, but unconvincing." ~ Dr..Stewart, replying to the Coroner, said that.Carleton' told him that Jack May taught her to .smoke opium.-May is the iAmer'ican who started Murray ,8 Night Club, where the tango craze raged in 1913.—Au5.-N.Z. Cable Assn. [A sensational inquest .was opened m London a few weeks-ago touching the death of "Billie" Carleton, 'who. had been appearing with Mr. Dennis Eadie I in. ."The Freedom of -the Seaß" at the Haymarket Theatre. Sho was found • dead in her flat in the Strand after a fancv-dress-ball at the Albert Hall. The evidence disclosed the.remarkable drugtaking habits, of a certain .theatrical circle, including "dope parties," where opium and cocaine were dispensed, and also gave details r of visits to the Limehouse opium dens: The ; deceased obtained cocaine at a cost of £6 for a small packet worth 2s. Mrs. Lo Ping, the Scottish wife of a Chinese, said that she cooked opium for the "dope parties." .Several well-known actresses were mentioned in the evidence, and curious details were given as to • how servants were sent to the Chinese ■opium dens in the East End to secure drugs, and the ingenious : expedients adopted to preserve secrecy, owing to the-stringency of'the .law. Mrs. Lo Ping was subsequently charged with having supplied opium to the deceased and sentenced to imprisonment for five months. Her husband, who was charged with having, been in possession of. opium, .was fined £10- Amazing evidence was given in the case. An opium party was arranged in a flat belonging to Mr. * Reginald Deveulle, in Dover. Street, London. After dinner a party of six, including Deveulle's' wife, adjourned to.the drawing-room, where, seated on cushions on the floor, all changed,into light attire. "Billio" Carleton arrived later from the theatre, and also donned light attire. Then a disgraceful orgy ' commenced.. Lo Ping's wife cooked the opium, and dis-, tributed it to_ the seven degenerates, who remained in a comatose state'until •Sunday afternoon.'The party was continued until Monday afternoon.]