New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-09
THE POLICY BUSINESS IN NETWORK.

Gambling in policies 10 known to be done in this city
10 an alarming extent. Thousands of persons, and
chiefly among the poorer classes, spend every shilling
they can get in this way. IL becomes infatustion
GREATER if possible than buying lottery tickets, and is
productive of more extensive social evils than even
the higher orders Of gambling. But with the Influences
that now govern the city there is little hope for the
present that this nefaIous traffic Will be suppressed
in any degree checked.
II il said tn At there are two rival interests policy
dealing in this oiy-the one that controlling import
ant branch of the municipal administration, and the
other sol disaut banking house Broadway above
Murray street. The nature of the business is simple.
1t consists in betting on the numbers drawn in any
one Of the Southern otteries-tbe numbers drawn be-
ing daily announced by telegraph about II o'clock.
The policy numbers commence with l and run to Is
or 49, Out of these IS IS numbers, from II to Ii
numbers, as the case may be- are drawn. If the
polio, buyer has invested his money 10 "horse"-
which conssts of four NUMBER and pays at the rate Of
from $50 to 500 on a shilDg-these four number 10
win must be included in the IL to l6 drawn. gig
three numbes aud pave at the rate Of $50 to go for
1. A saddle is two numbers, and pays at tbs rate
of 81 for three cents. Perron guessing single
number drawn receives five for one Naming I" sta
tionary" number the order in which any number
will stand among tbose drawn realizes GO for one.
The extent to which policy dealing is carried 10 this
CITY is perhaps unknown TO large portion OF the CON-
nunity. There are said TO be more than thousand
offices distributed all over town. of which twent your
are in Ann street alone. IL the upper part of the city
they are usually conducted under the title of sex
change Offices, downtown they may be found under
the euise Of book OF confectionery, or some other
Kind of store The agent booker renders his ae-
count daily TO the central Office and receives twenty
Der cent on all monies paid in. The central office
takes the balance and assumes al responsibilities II
stranger should enter policy office aud offer to buy
policy, he would probably betod by the booker that
he was in the wrong shop and that no such business
was done there He must be introduced by Gus
toner a. sort Of guaranty that it IL all right
The policy business, though dependant in ooe par
ticuar on lotteries has part OF lot with hcm aud is
the object of especial dislike with lottery dealers, az
it draws very largely on their custom. About one
month previous to the late election 1t is said that par
ties engaged in the Msla and Delaware lotteries,
in connection with the sol distant clearinghouse above
alluded to- the rival ofthe municipal dealers to whom
we have referred, devised AMI carried out shrewd
expediept, with the view at once of running the bus
mesa of the latter and defeating the election OF pro-
minent candidate for Mayor They started vague ra-
NOR that the number four was about to come out hrss
and this rumor acting the superstition Of buyers, be-
came contagious and circulated among them all through
the city. "Four first were the magical words which
induced policy buyers to invest largely every day for
two or three weeks. Finally to the dsnay Of the par
ties against whom the trick was played, "four first"
made ito appearance and paying sixty for one, to 20
MANY buyers, was matter Of the most serious conse
ouence. II is said that the whole amount to be paid
reached the frightful sum Of $4,000 The moment
vas critical one to refuse payment would render
terhaps, four or FIVE thousand voters clsmorous
for redress, and altogether turn the political
scae against the candidate for the Msyoralty.
This was the 4th day Of last October, aud
one or two geotlemen have been about that
time diligently perambulatng Wall street In the effort
TO make raise. At last it is said that by morgagng
some valuable property and scraping together every
thirg vailAble the necessary sum was procured So
that an the Tuesday the Saturday on which
"four" came first, the claims Of buyers were
satisfied. Ttis stroke greatly crippled the parties,
but q short time after they made about ~, 600
in one day by successfully practicing similar
ruse On Q certain day the agents OF certain
pony shops, according to instructions. declined
selling to their own customers . particular num-
Der and referred them IN other of,es if they wished
10 buy that number BY this means the suspicion Of
buy,rs ives existed and It immediately Whispered
IN verv drectioa that the refused number TO come
6rst. OF course large amounts were paid Tor that
number; but it failed to turn up" Thus the pre-
vous oe was partially made good and the rensinder
of il will i. que time be drawn from the pockets OF the
fools WIZ m ttese sharpers will draw into their nets