MEXICAN ARRESTED HERE FOR SELLING MARIHUANA PLANTS

Tamale Peddler Arrested Making Intoxicating Cigarets - Tulsa Tribune, 1929

With the apprehension near midnight Sunday of D. M. Miditis, 50, Mexican hot tamale salesman of 1010 E. Archer st., city detectives are believed to have stemmed a flow of of marihuana cigarets which has been noticed about the city recently. Miditis was arrested at his stand at First street and Madison avenue. At the place were found a number of drugged cigarets. A Visit to the home revealed a quantity of the branches of drug leaves drying and in the back yard was found a large crop of the plants growing profusely despite the common belief that the specie will not thrive in a climate as far north as that of Oklahoma.

YOUTHS ARE PATRONS

The officers expressed the belief that the unusually hot and dry summer here contributed to the success of the crop. Some of the plants were as high as a man's head, they said. On strength of observations made over a period of some days the officers described Miditis' home as a veritable dope den where young boys and girls, of high school age, as well as others have been known to go to obtain the drugged cigaret. It is pointed out that the drug has a very intoxicating effect, leading to severe nervous disorders and eventually to insanity if used to excess.

CASE IN CONTINUED

Today in police court, after the remainder of the night spent in the city jail, Miditis , with his son John 17, a Western Union Telegraph Co. messenger boy acting as interpreter, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of the drug, the maximum penalty for which is a $100 fine and 90 days imprisonment. In an effort to obtain actual proof for a charge of sale of the drug against the Mexican, however, Judge P.H Moroney continued the case to Tuesday. The arrest of the alleged dope peddler was made by Officers Hendricks, Larrimore and Phillips.