NEW ORLEANS --The general public knew nothing of marijuana until a New Orleans prizefighter entered a streetcar in 1910 (sic) and shot his sweetheart and the man at her side. When his trial was called, he pleaded that he didnt know what he was doing as he was under the influence of marijuana. The jury hanged him, and the case initiated an investigation that roared across America and revealed some startling facts. -- True Story (Magazine) Dec. 1948 In fact, the first I ever heard of it was in connection with a sensational murder trial in New Orleans in 1925. A prize fighter jumped on a streetcar and shot and killed his sweetheart and the man she was with. His defense was that he was insane at the time from marihuana smoking. He was hanged. But the case stirred up a great deal of excitement. Womens organizations took up the issue and the newspapers, especially the New Orleans Item, waged a campaign against the marihuana menace. -- Narcotic Agent: by Maurice Helbrant (book) 1941 Still another, becoming enraged at his wife, killed her in the street before many witnesses. -- American Journal of the Medical Sciences - 1938 p351 I could stand here for hours quoting individual examples of tragic results of the use of marijuana cigarettes. I myself was present in an exclusive country club in Louisiana when a young man, after using marijuana cigarettes and while in resultant fit of jealousy, shot his small girl companion. ---New York Herald Tribune Forum 1938 One of the most notorious New Orleans examples of the effect of marijuana was the slaying in October 1926, of pretty Lillian Hoyle and Ralph Sturdy by the drug-crazed Matt Seminary, known in the prize ring as Joe Nelson, the iron man.” More than two years before the killing, Seminary and Lillian Hoyle were sweethearts, and a child was born of their love. When the child was 17 months old, Lillian deserted the ex-pug for Sturdy, a tree surgeon and fledging short-story writer. Seminary, often described as the ape man because of his long arms, bowed knees, high sloping forehead and out-thrust lower jaw, went to pieces. He paced the streets in a daze, talking to himself. His jealousy grew into an exaggerated and maniacal rage, fed by marijuana. One night as he boarded a street car he saw Lillian and Ralph sitting together, and shot both to death. --- St. Louis Star Times - Jan 28, 1935 NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS: Bee (Danville VA) [S]- Feb 9, 1928 p2 - “Death Warrant for Boxer Signed” “Baton Rouge. Feb. 9 – (AP)—March 9 is execution day for three alleged slayers in Louisiana, with the signing by Gov. O.H. Simpson of a death warrant for Matt Seminary, 39, alias Joe (Battling) Nelson: The pugilist was convicted of the murder of Ralph Sturdy, in New Orleans October 15, 1926. Sturdy was slain aboard a street car in company with Dolor[. . . ] Bevins, of Seminary, who was also killed.” [S]- March 10, 1928 p6 “Man Hanged After Trying to End Life” MUSEUM COMMENTS: While today the very concept that Medical Cannabis would cause someone to go out and kill someone is somewhat laughable. Still, as we can see from the following newspaper article, back in the 1920’s and 30’s, such a thing was very believable. After all, would our narcotics police lie to us? New Orleans Tribune – Oct. 18, 1926 “Seminary Said to Be User of Marijuana” That Matthew Seminary who is accused of strolling into a street car early Friday morning and shooting down his former sweet-heart Lillian Hardin, 19, and her new love Ralph Sturdy, was under the influence of marijuana is the option of Detective William Bell. Bell declares that he met Seminary on the street a few hours before the tragedy. He seemed wobbly Bell questioned him and he said he had been smoking marijuana. “I told him to go home,” Bell says. Seminary was almost a constant user of marijuana, his friends say.
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 11:00:30 +0000