399:. Quoting from the article, "Michael Finn, owner of saloon at corner of State Street and Harmon Court ... Two former habitués—Mrs. Mary Thornton and Isabelle Fyffe—told that he gave 'knock-out drops' to customers suspected of having money and afterwards robbed them." Mary Thornton is quoted, "I worked for Finn a year and a half and in that time I saw a dozen men given 'dope' by Finn and his bartender. The work was done in two little rooms adjoining the palm garden in back of the saloon".
176:, can be lethal in large quantities. Two bartenders were arrested for selling the powder at the bar at the waiters' union headquarters, and W. Stuart Wood and his wife were arrested for manufacturing the powder. Wood sold packets of it for 20 cents and referred to it as "Mickey Finn Powder" in a letter to union bartender John Millian. A follow-up article mentions the pursuit of a man named Jean Crones, who was believed to be responsible for poisoning over 100 people at a
485:. "Mickey Finn was arrested last night and lodged in the South Chicago police station. Mickey also known as Mike runs a hut at 115th Street and the Calumet River. He and his housekeeper Millie Schober and twenty customers were swooped down on by the police and all taken to the station. A wagon load of beer and booze was confiscated. Mickey and the woman were charged with running a disorderly house and selling liquor without formal authorization..."
364:
articles give the address as 527 State Street (corner of State and Harmon Court), however, which is now the 1100 block of South State Street. The 500 block of South State Street now is between
Congress Street and Harrison Street, which may be the reason for the confusion of the saloon's location.
139:
into the unsuspecting patron's drink. The incapacitated patron would be escorted or carried into a back room by one of Finn's associates, who would then rob him and dump him in an alley. The victim would wake up the next morning in a nearby alley and would remember little or nothing of what had
105:
from 1896 to 1903. In
December 1903, several Chicago newspapers documented that a Michael "Mickey" Finn managed the Lone Star Saloon and was accused of using knockout drops to incapacitate and rob some of his customers. Moreover, the first known written example of the term, according to the
151:
On June 22, 1918, four people were arrested and over one hundred waiters taken into custody over the apparent widespread practice of poisoning by waiters in
Chicago. Guests who tipped poorly were given "Mickey Finn powder" in their food or drinks. Chemical analysis showed that it contained
626:. "Friend Johnny: Am enclosing two dozen packets of the Mickey Finn Powder...also find enclosed a couple hundred circulars...These circulars are not for use in Chicago...Whenever you have a man that is leaving Chicago talk Mickey Finn to him and give him a few of these circulars...
353:
The saloon's exact location is usually said to be on the west side of South State Street, just north of
Congress Parkway. The entire west side of South State Street between Congress and Van Buren is now occupied by Chicago Public Library's Central Library (also known as the
501:"Evidence against the waiters was obtained by a detective agency employed by the Hotel Sherman after several guests had become ill suspiciously...Large quantities were found in a drawer behind the bar at the waiters' union headquarters.
374:
The area on State Street centered between Van Buren Street (to the north) to
Harrison Street (to the south) was known as "Whiskey Row" from the late 1880s to the early 1910s. Just south of Harrison Street was a block known as
792:
318:
127:. His cited sources are Chicago newspapers and the 1903 court testimony of Lone Star prostitute "Gold Tooth" Mary Thornton. Before his days as a saloon proprietor, Mickey Finn was known as a
365:
Refer to "New map of
Chicago showing street car lines in colors and street numbers in even hundreds" (Chicago: Rufus Blanchard, 1897) for the 1903 Chicago street names and numbering.
425:"The complete defense advanced by 'Mickey' Finn, proprietor of the Lone Star saloon ... described ... as the scene of blood-curdling crimes through the agency of drugged liquor.",
785:
778:
143:
Finn's saloon was ordered to be closed on
December 16, 1903. He was apparently arrested again in 1918, this time for running an illegal bar in South Chicago.
309:
919:
953:
290:
224:
for artificial ripening of fruit: "Applied to a human, ethylene is an anaesthetic as the old-time Mickey Finn in a lumber-jack saloon."
842:
894:
987:
977:
50:, given to someone without their knowledge with the intent to incapacitate them or "knock them out"; hence the colloquial name
415:. Quoting from the article, "Lone Star Saloon, 527 State Street , managed by Micky Finn, closed by order of Mayor Harrison."
711:
Inciardi, James A. (Winter 1977). "The
Changing Life of Mickey Finn: Some Notes On Chloral Hydrate Down Through the Ages".
135:
was a coordinated robbery orchestrated by Finn. First, Finn or one of his employees (including "house girls") would slip
992:
153:
495:"Drugs to the Non-Tippers Arrested Chicago Waiters Confess Poisoning Hotel Guests. Detective Seize Large Quantity",
827:
713:
355:
108:
859:
441:"Lone Star Saloon loses its license. 'Mickey' Finn's alleged 'knock-out drops' ... put him out of business.",
914:
332:
869:
589:""MICKEY FINN" POWDER GIVEN TO PROSECUTOR — Michels, Hoyne Assistant gets dose while investigating case",
376:
94:
62:
982:
899:
177:
409:"Graft Fighters Win Two Battles; License for Finn's Resort Is Revoked and One Saloon keeper Indicted",
461:
380:
207:
43:
748:
769:— supporting the noxious substance explanation, but acknowledging common usage as knockout drug.
511:"Charge Waiters Gave Poison to Tipless Diners Alleged Drug Maker, His Wife and Two Bartenders",
837:
812:
730:
173:
652:"Looking for Jean Crones. Chicago Police Believe Chef Had Hand in "Micky Finn" Poison Case",
832:
822:
722:
529:"WAITERS TAKEN FOR DRUGGING NONTIPPERS — Hoyne gets evidence of plot against Hotel Guests",
58:
949:
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360:
216:
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69:
54:. Serving someone a "Mickey" is most commonly referred to as "slipping someone a mickey".
47:
936:
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636:"On Trail of Poisoner Authorities Believe Jean Crones, Wanted in Chicago, is in Army",
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66:
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of the Lone Star Saloon and Palm Garden
Restaurant, which operated on South
90:
734:
291:"Tourists drinks spiked with date rape drugs by thieving gangs in Benidorm"
926:
854:
310:"How to tell if your drink has been spiked on a night out and what to do"
221:
165:
161:
73:
211:. In the photograph is a sign that reads: "Try a Michael Finn cocktail".
131:
and thief who often preyed on drunken bar patrons. The act of serving a
864:
102:
817:
157:
39:
704:
Gem of the
Prairie: An Informal History of the Chicago Underworld
379:". The area of State Street south of Harrison was also known as "
125:
Gem of the Prairie: An Informal History of the Chicago Underworld
774:
89:
The "Mickey Finn" is most likely named after the manager and
393:"GRAFT EVIDENCE USED TO INDICT; Stories of Knockout Drops",
270:"The meaning and origin of the expression: A Mickey Finn"
119:
The first popular account of Mickey Finn was given by
524:
522:
358:
at 400 South State Street). The December 16–17, 1903
935:
877:
806:
620:"EVIDENCE GIVEN U. S. OF SALES OF "MICKEY FINNS"",
197:gives a chronology of the term, starting in 1915:
308:
574:"WOMEN TO BARE NEFARIOUS WORK OF "MICKEY FINN"",
559:"WAITERS DISOWN "MICKEY FINNS"; DENOUNCE HOYNE",
220:, the phrase appears in an article on the use of
683:"Synthetic sun to ripen fruit while its iced",
604:"TEN INDICTED IN DIABOLISMS OF 'MICKEY FINN'",
57:The "spiking" of drinks is a practice used by
786:
8:
544:"WAITER POISON VICTIMS NAMED TO POLICEMEN",
201:The 1915 citation is from a photograph of a
479:"EXTRY! EXTRY! THEY'VE TAKEN MICKEY FINN",
793:
779:
771:
180:Club banquet at which three people died.
116:), is in 1915, 12 years after his trial.
920:List of medicine contamination incidents
801:Combined substance use and adulteration
261:
451:was another Chicago newspaper in 1903.
214:In the September 3, 1927 issue of the
160:tartar"; which in addition to causing
763:— supporting the knockout explanation
7:
954:List of reagent testing color charts
751:- supports Chicago bartender origin
843:List of polysubstance combinations
205:in the December 26 edition of the
25:
895:Counterfeit illegal drug selling
757:— thorough history of the phrase
727:10.1111/j.0022-3840.1977.00591.x
321:from the original on 2022-05-14.
687:, p. 17, September 3, 1927
413:, p. 3, December 17, 1903
397:, p. 5, December 16, 1903
1:
147:Chicago restaurant poisonings
706:. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
593:, p. 13, August 7, 1918
749:Chicago City of the Century
563:, p. 13, June 25, 1918
154:antimony potassium tartrate
1009:
828:Combined drug intoxication
714:Journal of Popular Culture
656:, p. 5, June 26, 1918
640:, p. 5, June 26, 1918
624:, p. 7, July 11, 1918
548:, p. 3, June 24, 1918
533:, p. 1, June 23, 1918
515:, p. 1, June 24, 1918
499:, p. 3, June 23, 1918
462:"What's in a Mickey Finn?"
333:"Slip Him a Mickey (Finn)"
670:Oxford English Dictionary
638:The Idaho Daily Statesman
608:, p. 8, July 9, 1918
578:, p. 7, July 8, 1918
483:, p. 1, July 8, 1918
356:Harold Washington Library
109:Oxford English Dictionary
860:Polysubstance dependence
702:Asbury, Herbert (1940).
915:Counterfeit medications
63:drinking establishments
988:English-language slang
978:Alcohol-related crimes
807:Combined substance use
27:Drink laced with drugs
900:Clandestine chemistry
685:Chicago Daily Tribune
654:The Kansas City Times
622:Chicago Daily Tribune
606:Chicago Daily Tribune
591:Chicago Daily Tribune
576:Chicago Daily Tribune
561:Chicago Daily Tribune
546:Chicago Daily Tribune
531:Chicago Daily Tribune
497:The Kansas City Times
481:Chicago Daily Tribune
411:Chicago Daily Tribune
395:Chicago Daily Tribune
361:Chicago Daily Tribune
317:. 20 September 2018.
217:Chicago Daily Tribune
85:Michael "Mickey" Finn
208:Los Angeles Examiner
44:incapacitating agent
513:Duluth News Tribune
445:, December 17, 1903
429:, December 16, 1903
184:Society and culture
133:Mickey Finn Special
993:History of Chicago
468:. 18 January 1991.
427:Chicago Daily News
178:Chicago University
963:
962:
838:Polysubstance use
813:Active metabolite
761:The Straight Dope
755:The Phrase Finder
466:The Straight Dope
123:in his 1940 book
16:(Redirected from
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833:Drug interaction
823:Combination drug
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46:, particularly
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34:(or simply a
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18:Drink spiking
983:Drug culture
879:Adulteration
850:Polypharmacy
721:(3): 591–6.
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381:Satan's Mile
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337:. Retrieved
335:. 3 May 2011
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273:. Retrieved
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245:Rape culture
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95:State Street
88:
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51:
35:
31:
30:In slang, a
29:
449:Inter-Ocean
140:happened.
32:Mickey Finn
972:Categories
911:Medicines
887:Drug fraud
251:References
240:Gray death
174:depression
129:pickpocket
170:dizziness
166:headaches
91:bartender
927:Impurity
855:Polypill
735:11614798
339:July 13,
319:Archived
275:July 13,
229:See also
222:ethylene
162:vomiting
74:sedative
870:Synergy
865:Prodrug
672:. 1915.
103:Chicago
97:in the
80:History
76:drugs.
38:) is a
905:Lacing
818:Codrug
733:
447:. The
203:saloon
158:emetic
36:Mickey
295:Metro
256:Notes
189:Media
72:with
40:drink
731:PMID
341:2017
277:2017
193:The
172:and
99:Loop
67:lace
65:who
723:doi
195:OED
114:OED
61:at
974::
729:.
719:11
717:.
521:^
464:.
383:".
313:.
293:.
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956:)
952:(
794:e
787:t
780:v
737:.
725::
658:.
642:.
610:.
431:.
375:"
343:.
279:.
112:(
20:)
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