The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-09-30

proportion of the rest. All this they scru-
pulously conceal, as one of the tricks of the
trade. Suppose then that there are 40
prizes of $1,000 in the lottery of 10000 tick
cts, and each of the thousands must neces-
sarily draw one of them; of course, if the
tickets are only sold in the first, second,
third and fourth thousand, all that remain
unsod, there can be no risk on the part of
those on hand, for they must draw thirty
SIX prizes themselves, and an equal proper
tion OF the rest. Hence a lottery is often
drawn, when not one-tenth of the tickets
are sold, and yet all the prizes are ANNOUNCE
ed as having been promptly paid in silver
and gold" at one of the "Lucky Offices"
or Temples of Fortune" with which our
cities are deluged and disgraced.
Every person who buys ticket in lot
terry, INDUCES the "follorn hope" of draw
ing the "high price," forgetting that there
are 39,S99 chances against every ticket
| And even if they are not so sanguine about
obtaining the highest prize, still they fatter
themselves that they will draw one of the
high prizes; and here there are at least
30,950 chances against them, or, in other
words 100 chances to one!
| How stupid would that merchant be,
who would risk vessel and cargo against
such fearful odds, and then pay fifteen per
| cent on premium for his escape. Sup
| pose fifty criminals condemned to the glib
bet were profered a similar chance for
their escape, 10y drawing each a ticket
from wheel containing 10000 tickets,
and 39,950 of them blanks, think you that
IN century any would escape So pre-
posterous a proposition inspires horror at
the bare mention, and yet thousands of our
population are risking their whole earnings
the subsistence of their wives and children,
on even less probability than this, and
shut their eyes against the fact, until beg
gary and ruin overtake them.
A ROMAN EXECUTION. 1t is the practice
IN Rome to heighten the agonies of GRIM
inal, by the excitement of imaginary ter
Tors. The fatal sentence is not revealed to
him until the night before it's execution.
Suddenly at midnight, he is conducted to
room hung with black drapery; a skeleton,
holding scythe and hour-glass, starts
from the wall, while, at the same instant.
deep sepulchral voice exclaims, "Thou
shalt dep From this moment, however.
TO the last of his existence, the offender
IS constantly attended by his " comforter"
These comforters, who are masked, and are
usually persons of high rank, avail them
selves of these opportunities to perform q
meretorious and acceptable service, thinking
probably that they can thereby expate
their own offences. Early on the morning
OF the execution several masked individuals,
some OF whom are usually men of rank,
walk through the city with boxes, and col
lect aims for the condemned criminal.
The amount thus collrrtvd is given to the
relatives ofthe sufferer by way of compensa-
tion for their loss, and they are moreover
conveyed before the hour of execution be-
yond the city walls, and provided with
meals for the day, to save them from risk
OF witnessing spectacle so trying to their
feelings. The galiows is erected the pre-
vious evening in the Piazza del Popolo, and
guarded throughout the night by sbirri
and the doorway of one oe the contiguous
house is hung with black, that the delln-
quent may receive there the sacrament imme-
diately before his execution. On the follow
ing morning the criminal, enveloped in an
old cloak was brought in a cart to the
doorway hung with black, through which
he passed into the house, and, Immediately
after his descent, the cart was crowded
with spectators. After the sacrament had
been administered, the condemned man
was led to the galiows. He mounted the
ladder, and the executioner, after fixing
the rope, called out to him, {" Credisne tn
in Jcsu Christo?" The criminal answered
in the affirmative, the hangman pushed him
from the ladder, and stepped upon his
shoulders to accelerate his death; then,
sliding down the rope, he embraced and
kissed the dead man, according to esta5-
lished custom, and in proof that he had en-
tertained no malice towards the criminal.
The fine proportions of the body were now
admired and commented on by the sur
rounding Romans, after which they asked
the foreigners present how they liked the
ceremony, and now the blind poor proceed
ed through the streets of Rome, describing
the junction with which the criminal had
prepared himself for death, and the forth
tude displayed in his last moments.
BIacktcood's .NagG=ine.
CULTIVATION OF CINNAMoE. The cinnamon
department OF the island of Ceylon consists of
! Il ~ L.